As a mental health sufferer myself, I do find myself at times surrounded by darkness, but today I’m making a promise to shed a more positive light on mental health, to help reduce stigma around it and make way for more people to seek help and support.

You may have read my story of what triggered my acute anxiety, here’s my post if you’d like to read about it https://brendajanschek.com/…/my-painful-journey-to-motherho…/

The right tools, help and support helped me manage my anxiety, which I’m happy to say has allowed me to lead an independent, fulfilling and happy life, as well as contributing positively to lives in the community through my work.

Here are the wonderful tools which help me achieve this everyday…

♡ Self talk – when anxiety arises from a thought, I ask myself is this true or just a story I am telling myself? I soothe myself with comforting words. This really helps to reduce my anxious states.

♡ I eat a wholesome diet full of real foods to keep my body, mind and soul nourished and healthy and I do a deep cleanse twice a year which helps to remove the toxic build up of stress hormones cortisol and epinephrine.

♡ I exercise regularly, mostly in nature – some days my morning walks and exercise sessions feel like my lifeline.

♡ I relax on purpose – I do deep, mindful breathing and body scans in order to induce feelings of relaxation.

♡ I recognize my boundaries and say no – saying no has taken some practice over the years, but taking on too much is the quickest way for me to end up in a panic attack and breakdown. This benefits no one.

♡ I create a healing environment in my home by avoiding clutter, minimising noise and diffusing my pure essential oils.

♡ I tell my loved ones and dear friends when I’m not feeling well and need some extra support.

♡ I make sure I get enough sleep and maintain a calm sleeping environment by keeping mobile phones, computers, and televisions out of the bedroom.

♡ Most importantly, when my anxiety was initially triggered, I found a therapist to talk to who understood me 100% and set me on my healing path using Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. The tools I learnt during that year, I still use today, every day.

Bren x