Prozac works but why not try the un-chemical way to feel good?

This discussion is not about whether Prozac helps with anxiety. Yes, medicines like Prozac can help you control your anxiety levels but here, I am discussing some DIY methods that are not equally chemical, and don't make you chase around for a prescription. I have had issues with restoring my mental energy levels every time they get depleted with a few hectic days. Ever since I turned 25, a pattern emerged where after a couple of days of sustained physical and psychological work, my mind would go into a caffeinated mode, unable to wind down and as a result, my anxiety levels and the associated digestive symptoms would surface. The medicines I tried over the years to control this habit and its root cause helped to some extent but there is a catch to using them. No matter what the pharmaceutical world says, there is a downside to every drug out there, prescription or over-the-counter. Once you get into the habit of using mood boosters, or in my case, mood-sustaining salts, there is a big chance your body and mind stop evolving to help you navigate and manage different phases of your life, and some need you to be alert and calm. My continuous run-ins with these meds also helped me uncover some things that could boost the overall mood and energy levels. These mental health tips are not stolen from the web or blatantly rewritten to engage the search engines. This is from my cup of psychological wellness and I am sharing some of it with you:

Breathing Deep: the Simplest Way to Calm Yourself

Call this Anxiety Management in a jiffy but yes it is true and comes without the fear of side-effects or addiction fears - the things we associate with conventional and modern prescription drugs for anxiety, IBS, depression, obsessive thinking...



Personal Anxiety Management Experiences

I have to confess that I am an anxious soul. I don’t get flustered easily but a sense of uneasiness often overcomes me. I have tried anti-anxiety medications too. Called anxiolytics, these medications are supposed to slow down the release of chemicals that induce a sense of anxiousness. However, I didn’t find these to be too helpful. What has helped is a very simple change I have made to my everyday existence—breathing in a more relaxed manner.

Read about Anxiety Management in the Easiest Way: No Meds, Just Pinch Yourself

Browsing the web, I realized that most of us don’t breathe right. When anxious, this problem worsens as we breathe even more shallowly. I decoded this pattern in my daily life too. Every time I got into an over-thinking mode, my breathing was laboured. I would inhale air in huge bouts and gasps. The consistent smooth breathing pattern was missing. According to researchers, shallow breathing is both a result and cause of anxiety.

Read about Defeating Anxiety Using the Exhale Quick & Strong Approach - It Works!!

It starts when you feel anxious and it also stimulates anxiety symptoms like headaches, acidity or that burning feeling in the stomach. I have put a simple practice into motion. Whenever I feel overworked or getting restless, I shun my work for a minute and start breathing deeper, drawing in more air and exhaling it slowly. The idea is to make your breathing more relaxed. The results are better than depending upon Valium or Prozac.

To take this discussion further, you might want to read about my anxiety management approach during Mornings

Have You Used Self-created Pinch Points to Handle Anxiety?

This discussion will not make sense to everyone, simply because only someone from GERD, like me, can understand how debilitating Anxiety can become...it can literally derail your life and single-handedly decide your overall health status. Over the years of dealing with Anxiety, I have come across many Anxiety-management tools, some free resources and others, obesely priced for no apparent reason. While meditation does work it is not meant for me. Why? My mind tends to wander and ruminate a bit too much. I came across one lifestyle article nearly 3 years back and put the tip to practice - using a pinch point every time you felt that a sudden bout of Anxiety was coming. Yes, you can feel it like a wave of coldness, a wiry thing that feels against your skin, traveling from your upper shoulder area to your head. The trick is simple. Grab hold of something that can pinch you for good. Something like a key does the trick for me.

A Note to My Dear Phus-Phus...[Love Sign!]

You call it a water sprayer. I call it Phus-Phus. You think it is elementary and mechanical. I think it is the smartest invention. While you think spraying the plants is no big deal, I claim it is an art, an acquired taste that evolves with time...

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Before you, there was no love in watching the plants grow!

Watering the planters had become dreary, a daily activity that had to be done. With you, I have so many angles to explore. I understand the effects of wind on water stream or spray patterns better. I understand how to control the thumb pressure to control the intensity of spraying. While some people call this misting the plants, it feels like am nurturing something, and you are the medium through which I express my caring for things that otherwise have nothing to say, nothing to complain about and will never answer back. You help me connect with the most innocuous things despite being undemanding and unpretentious yourself. In a way, you exude the type of wisdom that must keep monks grounded and humble.