How to Manage Your Anxiety, PTSD, and Depression the Holistic Way
When managing your mental health, it’s vital to assess not only the medications your doctors recommend, but your diet and coping mechanisms as well.
To effectively treat your anxiety, PTSD, and Depression so you can have the best quality of life possible, keep reading for tips on how I manage my symptoms that you can use for yourself.
Tip #1: Change Your Diet
There are several food options that can control your symptoms naturally, but it would take forever to list them all, so I’m not going to.
Instead, I’m going to list the most beneficial ones that I personally use for myself when I can work it into my budget.
Anxiety and PTSD-Friendly Diet Changes
- Drink Black and/or Green Tea
- Health Benefits of L-Theanine (found in these 2 specific teas): https://www.healthline.com/health/l-theanine
- Health Benefits of Black Tea: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/black-tea-benefits
- Health Benefits of Green Tea: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-green-tea
- Limit Your Caffeine and Sugar Intake (This includes soda, coffee, and junk food…)
- Daily Recommendation for Sugar Intake: https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/data-statistics/added-sugars.html#:~:text=Americans%202%20years%20and%20older,with%20added%20sugars%20at%20all.
- Daily Recommendation for Caffeine: https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/spilling-beans-how-much-caffeine-too-much#:~:text=For%20healthy%20adults%2C%20the%20FDA,associated%20with%20dangerous%2C%20negative%20effects.
- How Caffeine is Bad For Anxiety: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34871964/
- How Sugar is Bad for Anxiety: https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/how-sugar-harms-mental-health
- Add MCT to Your Diet
- You can get supplements for this, but there is a specific brand and blend of coffee that I get that includes it, as well as turmeric, D3, and B Vitamins which are good for inflammation, depression, energy, and other benefits.
- Ground Coffee: https://amzn.to/3KOkubB
- K-Cups: https://amzn.to/3MV5ECS (These are a lot cheaper at Walmart but it’s hard to find one that has them stocked in my area)
- Healthy Creamer Option: Silk Almond Creamer or the knockoff versions you can get at Aldi or the other stores have no cholesterol, low sugar, and are great for people who are lactose intolerant.
- D3 Health Benefits: https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/benefits-vitamin-d
- Vitamin B Complex Benefits: https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/vitamin-b-complex
- Health Benefits of Turmeric: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-turmeric
- You can get supplements for this, but there is a specific brand and blend of coffee that I get that includes it, as well as turmeric, D3, and B Vitamins which are good for inflammation, depression, energy, and other benefits.
- Drink Herbal Teas
- When shopping for herbal teas for anxiety, PTSD, and depression, these are the ingredients you want to look for:
- Health Benefits of Chamomile: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2995283/#:~:text=Chamomile%20has%20been%20valued%20as,fevers%20in%20children%20(36).
- Health Benefits of Lavender: https://www.healthline.com/health/what-lavender-can-do-for-you
- Health Benefits of Ashwagandha: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ashwagandha
- Health Benefits of Turmeric: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-turmeric
- Health Benefits of Kava: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/kava-kava
- When shopping for herbal teas for anxiety, PTSD, and depression, these are the ingredients you want to look for:
Tip #2: Take Vitamins and Supplements With Science-Backed Health Benefits
Taking a daily multivitamin is good for you regardless of if you have mental or physical issues that would require you to take one.
These are the vitamins and supplements I recommend for anxiety and PTSD that I take/have taken myself:
- Mood and Stress Relief Multivitamin for Women: https://amzn.to/41pWfHF
- L-Theanine: https://amzn.to/40lthY0
- MCT: https://amzn.to/3UUglaI
Tip #3: Transition From Unhealthy Coping Habits to Healthier Ones
Unhealthy coping mechanisms for anxiety, PTSD, and depression will tank your physical health, which makes your mental health even worse.
Some things to avoid are:
- Recreational Drugs (Not CBD and Marijuana, which have proven benefits for people suffering from these disorders with very little risk or side effects)
- Cigarettes
- Alcohol
- Soda
- Video Games
- Avoidance (avoiding people or certain topics because you don’t like conflict)
- Risky Sexual Behavior
- Thrill Seeking Such As Driving Fast and Out of Control
- Excessive Sleeping
Healthy Coping Mechanisms
- Reading
- Journaling
- Writing
- Gardening
- Making Art
- Crocheting/Knitting
- Hiking
- Go to the Park
- Take a Walk
- Play With Pets
- Volunteer at Animal or Homeless Shelters
- Exercise
- Take a Hot Bath or Shower (I recommend the Great Value lavender and melatonin Epsom Salt and Liquid Epsom Salt—couldn’t find the product on Walmart’s website)
- Meditate
- Listen to Music
- Play an Instrument
- Sing
- Dance
- Talk to Someone You Trust
- Take a Class or Online Course
- Watch Self-Help and Educational Videos (YouTube has plenty—check out my playlists on my channel to get you started: https://www.youtube.com/@thenarcassassin/playlists)
Help Me Write More Insanely Helpful Articles Like This One…
Want to help me stay in business? Click here to purchase items from my Amazon Assistance Wish List or CashApp me at $HandmadeWitchCrafts.
Have Questions or Need More Help?
I understand exactly how confusing starting a new business of any kind can be, especially a handmade craft business. That’s why I started the Handmade Witch Crafts Online Marketplace (formerly known as Handmade in Clarksville).
I wanted a way to help all the handmade business owners I saw struggling, but I’m only one person, so I can’t offer personalized service to everyone. Instead, I promote your products and services alongside my own FOR FREE when you join the Handmade Witch Crafts Online Marketplace Facebook Group.
To take advantage of everything the group has to offer, click here to join now: https://www.facebook.com/groups/handmadewitchcraftsonlinemarketplace.
Get the Tools You Need to Grow Your Business
Get access to all the suppliers, software, and educational resources you need to grow your business inside a Google doc that I’m frequently updating.
This g-doc is organized by topic and contains links to purchase, listen to, or watch every item on the list.
Not only that, but, you can print a copy of the list for yourself any time you want — which is perfect for shopping in bookstores like McKays or Books-A-Million.
You can even bookmark the list in your favorite browser so you have easy access to it all the time.
Pro tip: For Chrome users, create a folder on your bookmarks bar titled “business resources.” Add the link to the g-doc to that folder for easy access to the resources list.
For items on the list that have reviews — like the one you’re reading now — I’ll include a link to the review as well.
