When people first fall in love, everything feels so perfect and effortless. There’s an abundance of attention and love, and both individuals bask in the feeling of being deeply seen, valued, and cherished. But as the novelty wears off and reality sets in, it becomes clear that keeping a relationship strong requires effort. As philosopher Alain de Botton wisely said, we know so much about how to fall in love and dangerously little about how to stay in it.

The Beginning of Love

At the core of every human interaction is a deep-seated desire to connect. We all yearn to be seen, heard, and understood. Throughout the day, people make what are called “bids for connection.” A bid can be verbal, like saying, “Wow, look at that sunset,” or nonverbal, like letting out a sigh. The way these bids are met—whether with warmth or indifference—significantly impacts the sense of safety and belonging in a relationship.

The Desire to Connect

There are three ways to respond to a bid for connection: turning towards, turning away, or turning against. For example, if someone says, “Look at those flowers,” turning towards would be responding with, “Wow, they’re beautiful!” Turning away might look like not commenting at all or giving a half-hearted response. Turning against, on the other hand, involves rejecting the bid with a negative or dismissive remark. These reactions deeply affect the quality and strength of a relationship.

Turning Towards, Away, or Against

Studies have shown that couples who turn towards each other’s bids for connection most of the time have stronger, more lasting relationships. For instance, couples who stayed married were found to turn towards each other’s bids 86% of the time, while those who divorced only did so 33% of the time. This highlights that responsiveness nurtures relationships, while dismissiveness can harm them. Paying attention to these small moments can make a big difference in keeping a relationship healthy.

The Importance of Turning Towards

Interestingly, turning away from bids can be more harmful than turning against them. It feeds into social isolation and sends a subtle yet harmful message of indifference, which can make someone feel unseen and undervalued. Often, missed bids aren’t due to a lack of care but rather distraction or preoccupation. Recognizing and responding to bids is key to avoiding this silent killer of relationships and ensuring that both partners feel valued and connected.

The Silent Killer of Relationships

One helpful practice is to label bids for connection when they happen. For example, if it seems like a bid is being ignored or rejected, simply saying, “Hey, I’m making a bid for connection,” can bring attention to it. This simple act can snap the other person out of their distraction and remind them of the opportunity to connect. It’s a small but powerful way to stay engaged and strengthen the relationship.

Labeling Bids for Connection

When someone shares something personal, like saying, “I’ve had a tough day,” it’s easy to respond with a superficial comment like, “Oh, that sucks, I’m sorry.” But taking the conversation a bit deeper, like asking, “I’m sorry you had a bad day. What happened?” can make a significant difference. This kind of deeper engagement helps strengthen the connection and shows genuine care and interest.

Going Deeper in Conversations

Sometimes, it’s not possible to immediately turn towards a bid for connection. However, acknowledging the bid and asking to discuss it later is still a positive response. For example, saying, “I’m busy right now, can we talk in a few minutes?” shows that the bid is recognized and that the person is valued, even if the conversation needs to be postponed. It’s about being mindful and ensuring that the other person feels seen and heard.

Acknowledging When You’re Busy

No one catches every bid for connection, and that’s okay. What matters is consistently making an effort. The secret to strong, healthy relationships isn’t in grand gestures but in mastering the art of these tiny moments. It’s the small, often overlooked ways that people turn towards each other that truly make a difference. Being mindful of these opportunities to connect can help maintain and strengthen relationships over time.

The Secret to Strong Relationships

Hey there! 😊 I recently watched a video by PickUpLimes, and it got me thinking about relationships and how we can keep that connection alive even when life gets busy. So, I'd like to share some insights I picked up from the video that might help us all connect a little better with the people we care about. 

📲 Get the Pick Up Limes app (1-week free trial!): https://bit.ly/PUL_app
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TIMELINE
0:00 Intro
0:18 Romantic relationships, for example 
1:04 Bids for connection 
1:49 3 ways to respond 
2:08 Towards 
2:33 Away
2:51 Against
3:41 What so many people don't realize 
4:31 Tip 1
4:58 Tip 2
5:17 Tip 3
6:02 Outro
6:17 Bloopers 😜

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❤ Sadia

Understand yourself and those around you.

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Welcome, all foodies and beautiful souls! Our mission is to make a nourishing plant-based lifestyle accessible to everyone 😊. Get inspired or find a calm and relaxing space with the collection of videos that help to nourish the cells and the soul. 

With love and gratitude, always,
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ONE SIMPLE HABIT to improve any relationship ❤️

The whole point of journaling prompts is not to sort of navel-gazing, but to encourage you to take action and tweak the course of your life in some way or another. So many good things could happen in your life directly as a result of consistently journaling.

10 Powerful Journaling Prompts for a Better Life

This is an incredibly powerful question that you can ask yourself every 3 months. We often prioritize things for financial stability instead of our true passions.1.2) If I had all the time and money in the world, how would I use my talents to serve other people? A big part of what makes life feel meaningful is when we are doing things that we are good at - when we're using our strengths, and when we are doing something to serve other people.

1) What Would I Genuinely Do If Money Were No Object?

Here, you can think of family, friends, coworkers, people impacted by your work. Knowing this, can give you a very clear North Star. When you can have that level of clarity about the reason why you’re doing your work, it makes everything feel much more fun, meaningful and purposeful. And it helps sustain you through the moments when you’re tired or don’t feel motivated.

2) What would you like people to say at your funeral?

2.2) What sort of spouse do I want to be? What sort of parent do I want to be? What sort of child do I want to be? What sort of colleague do I want to be? no one cares about your performance. People care about how you made them feel. They care about how you showed up.2.3) To what extent am I actually living in alignment with that?

Some Follow Up Questions..

3) If I were to repeat the things I've done this week for the next 10 years, where will I end up, and is this where I want to end up?Imagine the last 7 Days repeated every single week for the next 10 years, as everything in life comes as a result of compounding. You're either compounding positively or you're compounding negatively.Do your decisions lead you to the future you want?Think about your ideal week and how it can compound over the next 10 years to shape your life.Life is a game of compounding, every decision we make has long-term consequences.

3) All of our decisions compound over the long term

You can look at your calendar and flip through the past 2 weeks. Then, rename your calendar events using a ++ if they gave you energy, -- if they drained your energy, and +- if they were neutral.Because how we spend our weeks is how we spend our lives.

4) What have I done in the last 2 weeks that has energized me?

You should split up your life into three different components.Within Health we've got physical, mental, and spiritual/ or body, mind, and soul. Within Relationships we've got romance, family, and friends. And within Work we've got mission, money, and growth. And you can also add the tenth category called JOY.In each of these different categories, how aligned are my current actions with the future that I want? You can assess each category by rating it on a scale of 1-10.

5) How is your Wheel of Life?

There are three questions:1. Your current path: What would my life look like 5 years from now if I continue down my current path?2. The alternative path: What would my life look like 5 years from now if I took a completely different path?3. The radical path: What would my life look like 5 years from now if I took a completely different path, where I didn't care about money and I didn't care about what people thought?This prompt can give you a lot of clarity on what your other options in life are. You can redo your Odyssey Plan every year.

6) What is your Odyssey Plan?

This image shows that our life could have taken a multitude of different paths, but we chose one to end up here.
However, where we are now, our life can still take an absolute multitude of other paths. It helps us realize that we have way more control and options available than we might think.

An Absolute Multitude of Other Paths

First, define your goal. Then, think about the Bottleneck — what is the one thing that’s most stopping you from getting there.It is a question that cuts to the heart of anything that we're struggling with.

7) What is the goal and what is the bottleneck?

SOME EXAMPLES OF GOALS AND BOTTLENECKS

Take a clean sheet of paper and write down ten goals that you would like to accomplish in the next twelve months.Then you take this list of ten goals and ask yourself: "If I had a magic wand and I could wave it to achieve any one goal on my list within twenty-four hours, which goal would have the greatest positive impact on my life?"This will jump out at you.Write this goal on a clean sheet of paper and then follow these seven steps: write it down, set a deadline, make a list of everything you need to do to accomplish it, organize the list into a checklist, take action, do something every day.

8) Which Goal Will Have the Greatest Positive Impact on My Life?

Do you work for your business or does your business work for you?
Has your business become a sort of prison that you've created for yourself?
This question can help you make necessary changes to your business and be in a less stressful state.

9) Question For Entrepreneurs

If I knew I was going to die 2 years from now, how would I spend my time?What things would I do more, and what things would I do less? And why am I not doing those things now?You can also change the timeline and take 10 or 5 years instead of 2.

10) If I Only Had 2 Years Left To Live…..

In the video, Ali shares 10 of his favorite and powerful journaling prompts that have had an enormous impact on his life :) What is your favorite prompt?

Use the promo code ALI to get a free share worth up to £100 or visit https://www.trading212.com/promocodes/ALI

This video does not represent financial advice, and I am not a financial advisor. When investing, your capital is at risk. Investments can rise and fall and you may get back less than you invested. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Free shares can be fractional. *Terms and fees apply - https://www.trading212.com/terms/invest. 

Journalling has had a greater impact on my life than almost any other habit I have. But having the right prompt or question makes a big difference, so in this video, I'm sharing 10 of my favourite. Enjoy x

🔗 LINKS:
My Journalling Hub: https://aliabdaal.com/journalling-prompts-template/?utm_campaign=Journaling%20Prompts%20Hub&utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Long&utm_content=Long%20-%2010%20Journalling%20Prompts%20that%20Changed%20My%20Life
I'm launching a productivity community, join the waitlist here: https://waitlist.productivitylab.com/?utm_campaign=Productivity%20Lab%20Waitlist&utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Long&utm_content=Long%20-%2010%20Journalling%20Prompts%20that%20Changed%20My%20Life
Check out my New York Times Bestselling book Feel-Good Productivity: https://www.feelgoodproductivity.com/?utm_campaign=Feel-Good%20Productivity%20Book&utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Long&utm_content=Long%20-%2010%20Journalling%20Prompts%20that%20Changed%20My%20Life
If you've read the book, share your thoughts here: https://aliabdaal.com/fgp-rating/?utm_campaign=Feel-Good%20Productivity%20Rating&utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Long&utm_content=Long%20-%2010%20Journalling%20Prompts%20that%20Changed%20My%20Life
If you want to start or grow a YouTube channel: https://go.aliabdaal.com/exp
Free Weekly Productivity Insights: https://www.aliabdaal.com/sunday

By the way, you can watch this video in a few other languages by changing the audio settings xx

🍿 WATCH NEXT:
My Ultimate Guide to Journalling: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8vwGLMTx5I
7 Life Lessons I Wish I Knew Sooner: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sj23hsw5oqE
Why You Feel Lost in Life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtMLCL_T2ak

MY FAVOURITE TOOLS & GEAR
⏰ Rize - How I track my time and stay productive - https://rize.io/aliabdaal
📩 Superhuman - My favourite email app - https://go.aliabdaal.com/superhuman
✍️ Shortform - My favourite place for book summaries - https://go.aliabdaal.com/shortform
📚  Readwise - How I remember everything I read - https://go.aliabdaal.com/readwise
🎵  Epidemic Sound - Music & SFX in my videos - https://go.aliabdaal.com/epidemicsound
⚙️ Notion - How I manage my life and business - https://go.aliabdaal.com/notion
💰Trading212 - How I invest my money - https://www.trading212.com/promocodes/ALI

MY OTHER SOCIALS:
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WHO AM I?
If we haven’t yet before - Hey 👋 I’m Ali, a doctor-turned-entrepreneur and I’ve somehow become the world’s most followed productivity expert. Through my videos here on this channel, my podcast Deep Dive and writing, I share evidence-based strategies and tools to help you be more productive and build a life you love.

PS: Some of the links in this description are affiliate links that I get a kickback from 😜

⌚️Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction
0:25 - Prompt 1
2:56 - Prompt 2
7:22 - Prompt 3
9:33 - Prompt 4
10:56 - Prompt 5
12:43 - Prompt 6
14:56 - Prompt 7
16:36 - Prompt 8
18:30 - Prompt 9
20:14 - Prompt 10

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Time Management

📚 Check out my first book Feel-Good Productivity here: https://www.feelgoodproductivity.com/

Hey, I'm Ali, a doctor turned entrepreneur, and the world’s most followed productivity expert 😜 

On this channel, we explore evidence-based strategies and tools that can help us be more productive, and build a life that we love. 

If that sounds interesting, consider subscribing! See you in the next video x

Ali Abdaal

Change Your Life by Journalling - 10 Powerful Questions

The menstrual cycle significantly impacts a woman's health, influencing not just reproductive health but all aspects. Hormonal fluctuations across the month can affect everything from mood to metabolism.

The Importance Of Menstrual Cycle

The menstrual cycle typically lasts between 23 to 35 days and involves four main hormones: estrogen, progesterone, LH, and FSH. These hormones fluctuate across the month, affecting the body in various ways. The menstrual cycle is divided into two phases: the follicular phase (first half) and the luteal phase (second half), with ovulation in between. Each phase has different hormonal levels affecting the body differently.

Menstrual cycle

Menstruation, or the period, is when hormone levels are low. Estrogen and progesterone are at their lowest during this period, and it typically lasts five to seven days.
Symptoms may include bloating, cramps, irritability, tearfulness, and gut-related issues like looser stools and nausea. This is due to a sharp drop in progesterone and an increase in inflammatory markers.

Menstruation (Beginning of the Cycle)

Hormone levels rise after menstruation, leading to what is often referred to as the best week for most women, or the 'spring' of the menstrual cycle. Known for the 'ovulation glow', better mood, increased motivation and strength, this phase also presents a decrease in appetite. Unlike the next phase with heightened metabolism and cravings, this time is usually symptom-free and overall positive.

The 'Spring' of the menstrual cycle

After ovulation, we enter the luteal phase, during which the previously low progesterone levels start to increase. This hormonal change triggers an increase in body temperature by about half a degree. Although this may seem insignificant, it can disrupt our sleep cycle, leading to feelings of grogginess and irritability. This change may also affect performance at work or during exercise. Additionally, we tend to retain more fluid during this phase, making hydration more challenging. Therefore, it's crucial to ensure you're consuming enough fluids during this time.

Luteal Phase

During the hormonal decline phase, many women experience premenstrual symptoms. Over 90% of women experience these symptoms to varying degrees. However, a smaller percentage, about 20 to 40 percent, experience premenstrual syndrome. This is a more severe condition where the symptoms are so debilitating that they interfere with day-to-day quality of life. This pattern typically emerges one to two weeks before the next period, usually a week before, and should end or improve when the period starts.

Premenstrual Symptoms

Typically, a girl will begin her first menstrual cycle during puberty, which can vary between the ages of 9 to 12. Menopause, on the other hand, usually occurs in the 40s or 50s. In the UK, the average age for menopause is 51. Menopause is a natural biological process that marks the end of a woman's menstrual cycles. It is diagnosed after a woman has gone 12 months without a menstrual period. This transition period is due to decreased production of estrogen and progesterone in the ovaries.

The First And The Last Menstrual Cycles

Estrogen is a powerful hormone that influences various aspects of health, not just in women, but also in men. While estrogen and progesterone are often considered female sex hormones due to their high levels in women, they are also present in men. During menopause, there is a decline in estrogen, leading to an increase in cardiovascular and bone health issues. This is due to estrogen's role in the dilation and expansion of our arteries. A decrease in estrogen can cause a sharp increase in blood pressure, thereby raising the risk of diseases like heart disease.

Estrogen

Cardiovascular fitness benefits are apparent during the high hormone phase of the cycle, preceding ovulation. Research indicates that female athletes prefer to perform just after their period, in the high estrogen phase. This period is associated with higher muscle building potential, improved mood, increased motivation, and slight enhancements in strength and endurance.

High Estrogen Phase

A subset of women experience premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), a severe form of PMS associated with significant mood disturbances that can interfere with daily life. Symptoms usually appear one to two weeks before the next menstrual cycle and should improve or disappear by the start of the next period. If the symptoms persist, it's likely not cyclical and could be indicative of another mood disorder. The prevailing hypothesis is that women with PMDD are more sensitive to the drop in hormones that occurs before menstruation, hence feeling more affected by it.

PMDD

Cycle syncing, aligning lifestyle choices with the phases of your menstrual cycle, can help optimize well-being and reduce symptoms. It's about tailoring your lifestyle to your menstrual cycle's phases. Different hormonal phases trigger varying needs in our bodies, such as sleep, nutrition, and mood changes. Some compare the menstrual cycle to seasons, with menstruation as winter, the period just before ovulation as spring, followed by summer, then autumn, and back again. By adjusting our nutrition during these phases, we can optimize our well-being and performance, and reduce symptoms.

Seasons

Menstruation is an inflammatory response due to the process of shedding. An anti-inflammatory diet, rich in colorful fruits, vegetables, high fiber grains, legumes, omega-3 foods like oily fish, flax seeds, walnuts, and various herbs and spices, can support our bodies and moderate the immune response. This dietary shift should ideally commence just before menstruation begins (about 1 week before the menstruation). A Mediterranean diet, especially rich in leafy greens and berries, is beneficial during the menstrual cycle. It can alleviate symptoms like cramps and positively impact health.

An anti-inflammatory diet

Staying hydrated and avoiding stimulants like caffeine, as well as fried or fatty foods, can help. During menstruation, it's also advisable to avoid caffeinated beverages, fizzy drinks, and spicy or fatty foods which can stimulate the gut.

Staying hydrated

It's well known that there is a powerful connection between our gut and our brain, as well as our gut and our immune system, among other systems. Therefore, it's logical to presume a link between our menstrual health and gut health. We know that a significant portion of estrogen is metabolized in the gut. Hence, it's crucial to optimize our gut health throughout our menstrual cycle.

Gut Health And Menstrual Cycle

Due to the prevalence of iron deficiency anemia in pre-menopausal women, it is essential to increase your iron intake. Iron can be sourced from animal-based foods such as meat and fish, as well as plant-based foods like whole grains, legumes, leafy greens, nuts, and seeds. There's evidence that adding vitamin C to plant-based iron can enhance absorption. For instance, squeezing lemon juice on hummus, which is made from chickpeas and a source of iron, may boost the absorption of iron.

Iron Deficiency

Regular physical activity can actually alleviate menstrual symptoms and lighten your period. Low-intensity exercises, particularly yoga, have been found beneficial in managing menstrual symptoms and Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS). This is likely due to the mind-body connection established during yoga, which incorporates breath work along with physical movements. The key is to engage in activities that feel good to you, as all movement counts.

Regular physical activity

We often observe sleep disturbances after ovulation and during the pre-menstrual period. An increase in body temperature occurs after ovulation, remaining elevated until the next period, which can affect the amount and quality of sleep. All stages of sleep, whether it's light sleep, deep sleep, or REM sleep, are vital and offer different benefits. During the luteal phase, there's evidence of reduced REM sleep, often referred to as dream sleep. According to Matthew Walker, REM sleep is like "emotional first aid", playing a crucial role in our emotional well-being.

Sleep Disturbances

During the menstrual cycle, there is a high inflammatory phase associated with menstruation and a lower white cell count. These white cells are crucial for fighting off pathogens, viruses, and other potential threats to our body. Therefore, there's a possibility that you might be more susceptible to colds and flus during this time. This further emphasizes the importance of consuming more leafy greens, healthy fruits, and vegetables.

Menstruation and a lower white cell count

Much of our existing medical research is based on the male body. Only in the last one or two decades has there been a substantial effort to include females in medical studies.Previously, it was assumed that women were simply smaller men, and data could be extrapolated to them. However, as discussed throughout this episode, women differ significantly in terms of hormonal profiles, physiology, metabolism, and even anatomy. Thus, it's crucial to account for these differences in our research.

Medical research

Tracking the menstrual cycle is an essential first step for all women. It's not only practical for understanding fertility and predicting your next period, but also for knowing your individual normal cycle length, which varies among women. Some may have 28-day cycles, while others may have 30 or 31-day cycles.Beyond simply tracking menstruation and ovulation, document cravings, sleep patterns, energy levels, and mood. This helps adapt your nutrition and training to your body's needs throughout your cycle. If you notice poor sleep during a phase, adjust your routine accordingly.

The essence of cycle syncing

The content discusses how hormones orchestrate the menstrual cycle, affecting metabolism and health. It highlights the importance of understanding one's cycle, symptom tracking, and lifestyle adjustments.

How much do you know about menstrual cycles? Half of you will be a lot more informed than the other half. The menstrual cycle holds great significance in a woman's life, impacting various aspects of her body with over 90% of all women experiencing premenstrual symptoms. However, misconceptions and limited understanding still surround its effects, leaving many women in the dark about their own bodies.

Today, we’re joined by Hazel Wallace. She’s a medical doctor, nutritionist and author of The Female Factor. Here to give us an education on the menstrual cycle. 

Dr Hazel Wallace shares with us how the cycle affects almost every aspect of the body, from heart health and sleep to metabolism and even whether there’s scientific evidence behind ‘cycle syncing’.

Whether you’ve had a menstrual cycle or not, you’ll learn a lot during this episode. If you want to uncover the right foods for your body, head to joinZOE.com/podcast and get 10% off your personalized nutrition program.

Timecodes:
00:00 Introduction
00:36 Quick fire questions
03:49 What is the menstrual cycle?
05:42 What is the luteal phase?
06:54 When does the menstrual cycle begin?
07:43 How regular are menstrual cycles - Do they change over time?
08:29 What is actually happening during the menstrual cycle?
09:41 What role does oestrogen have in hormonal changes?
10:48 How does the menstrual cycle affect performance in athletes
12:05 How does the menstrual cycle affect women?
16:30 Are cravings real? Why do they happen?
18:21 What is PMS and what do people experience?
20:11 Is there much research behind PMS?
21:40 What is PMDD?
23:16 How do you identify PMDD?
26:17 What is cycle syncing?
27:43 What role does nutrition have in reducing symptoms during the cycle
30:22 Can regular exercise improve symptoms?
33:52 How is sleep impacted by the menstrual cycle?
37:41 How does this impact our immune system?
38:56 Why is there such little research into this area?
41:13 How has the exclusion of women in research impacted us?
44:14 Menstrual cycle tracking - what is it and how can you do it?
46:31 How can tracking help?
47:26 What diet can help symptoms?
49:31 How does the menstrual cycle affect the microbiome?
52:07 How can intermittent fasting affect the menstrual cycle?
54:59 Summary
58:00 Goodbyes
58:11 Outro

Mentioned in today’s episode:
The Effects of Menstrual Cycle Phase on Exercise Performance in Eumenorrheic Women https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32661839/

Hazel’s book is available to buy here

Follow Hazel: https://twitter.com/Thefoodmedic
Follow ZOE on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoe/

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Science & Nature

ZOE is a healthcare science company using data-driven research to tackle the world’s health issues. Our approach combines artificial intelligence, digital technologies, and collaboration with leading scientists around the world. Our research ranges from the ongoing PREDICT program, which is the world's largest in-depth nutritional research program, to an 800,000 person clinical trial to measure the accuracy of our AI diagnostic for COVID-19.

Discover our latest nutrition research: http://joinzoe.com/

How to "Hack" Your Menstrual Cycle With Diet, Exercise, & Sleep

When we are worrying about the past or rushing our mind into the future, there is a lack of presence where our body and our mind are in two different places. We may physically be here, but our minds have traveled somewhere completely different.Anxiety is a persistent and excessive worry that makes us lose all rational perspectives and makes us expect the worst.So, here are some ways to reduce anxiety.

Feelings Of Anxiety

When we end up taking steps towards improving a situation that makes us feel anxious, it actually helps us feel like we are part of the solution. It helps us feel like we are part of making that situation better.

1. Take action

Lemon essential oil is known to uplift our mood and create a more cheerful atmosphere around us.Bergamot essential oil is used not only to relieve anxiety but also to take our body into a deep relaxation mode. It's often used for people who suffer from panic attacks or panic disorders.Some of the good brands that make essential oil blends specifically for stress are Doterra and Sage.Blends specifically for stress are called “Stress Relief” and "Serenity.”Put it on your pressure points—on your wrists, on your temples, and on your neck—so that you can smell those oils while taking deep breaths.

2. Essential oils

There's a connection between our mind and our body.If we were able to take control of our breath, we'd be able to control our emotions and our emotional response.Simple, deep belly breathing helps trigger our relaxation response in our body. It also lowers blood pressure and heart rate.Scientifically, it's been shown that when we are taking deep breaths, we can't feel anxious at the same time.

3. Breathing

One of the great meditations for anxiety relief is scanning your entire body. It is known as Body Scan meditation or Yoga Nidra.You can find some of the great ones on the following YouTube channels: "Ally Boothroyd" and "Caroline McCready Meditation."It takes you through scanning your entire body from head to toes.A lot of the time, when we're anxious, we're trying to figure out how to control our mind, but sometimes we're holding so much pressure in our physical body that we need to let go of that first before our mind feels like it's okay.

4. Meditation

Anulom Vilom is a breathing exercise, or pranayama, practiced to improve focus and calm the mind in yoga.It involves breathing through the left and right nostrils in an alternate manner: first, we inhale completely from the left nostril while closing the right one, then close the left nostril and exhale through the right nostril. Breathing in this alternate process is then reversed and repeated.

5. Anulom Vilom

Tapping is also known as the EFT emotional freedom technique. You're tapping the meridian points on your body.There are 12 meridian points in your body, and you're going through each of those points gently tapping them, usually seven times in each area.Tapping helps release any energy that's stagnant in those parts of the body and helps the energy flow freely.You can also set an intention before you start; it can be just a simple phrase, an affirmation, something that's very specific to your situation, or something that brings you calm. While you're tapping, repeat the phrase constantly.

6. Tapping

Abhyanga means self-massage. It is an Ayurvedic ritual where you apply oil, ideally warm oil, and massage it all over your body.By doing it every day, it helps to lubricate our nervous system because the oils that we put on our skin are absorbed into our body.If you don't have time to do it all over your body, you can simply massage your head, the top of your head, and the base of your feet. If you do it in the evening, it will help you sleep well at night and reduce the intensity of the anxiety you are feeling.

7. Abhyanga

Teas like chamomile, passion flower, and peppermint are especially good for anxiety relief.Chamomile is known for improving sleep. It helps relax and soothe the body, which is perfect in times of anxiety.A study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania found that participants who were diagnosed with anxiety and took an eight-week course of chamomile pills experienced a reduction in anxiety compared to those who did not take the pills.

8. Herbs and Teas

From an Ayurvedic perspective, anxiety is an accumulation of the mobile, dry, and airy qualities that build up in the nervous system. These qualities are associated with the Vata dosha. When Vata becomes imbalanced, it can lead to feelings of restlessness and anxiety.The doshas are believed to be the three fundamental energies that govern our physical and mental well-being.In Ayurveda, it says that like increases like and opposites balance, which means that we need to eat foods that invoke the opposite qualities of light, mobile, and airy, which means we need grounding and moist foods.

9. Vata dosha

The belly is often referred to as our second brain because it contains over 95% of the serotonin receptors throughout our body.It's recommended to increase your magnesium intake if you are feeling anxious. Magnesium-rich foods include nuts and seeds, leafy greens, legumes, and whole grains.Low levels of antioxidants in the body have also been associated with anxiety, so incorporating foods with high levels of antioxidants, such as berries, apples, prunes, broccoli, beets, and spices like ginger and turmeric, into your diet is beneficial.

10. Magnesium

Low levels of vitamin D have also been found to be associated with higher levels of anxiety.Low levels of vitamin D are not great for your joints and are also linked to depression.

11. Vitamin D

Get yourself into a hot bath, a steam room, or a jacuzzi.Science has shown that being in a state of warmth or having more warmth around you allows our muscles to relax, so choose a warm bath in the evenings before you go to sleep.Having warmth in your body increases the production of serotonin, and the more happy hormones we have in our body, the less anxious we're going to be.

12. Warmth

Science has repeatedly proven that spending time in nature improves our health. It can lower blood pressure, reduce heart rate, and regulate the production of cortisol, which is the stress hormone in our body.Being in nature connects us back to our source. So when feeling anxious, take a walk in nature.In Japan, there is a practice called "forest bathing", which involves experiencing nature through all five senses. So whether it's seeing something, smelling the flowers, hearing the birds, or basking in the natural light, embrace it.

13. Spending More Time in Nature

You can speak to yourself in a mirror, write in a journal, or talk to a friend. You should learn what works best for you when expressing your emotions. Because if you don't release them, they will remain within you and potentially manifest as negative thoughts or feelings that may cause your heart to race or make you feel on edge.Opening up to yourself is the first step towards understanding your feelings, and talking to someone else about it can help you realize that you are not alone.You can use an Emotion Wheel to help yourself figure out the emotions you are feeling.

14. Expressing Your Feelings

Adaptogens are herbs that help us deal with the ups and downs of life.Research has shown that adaptogens can help us combat fatigue, enhance our mental performance, and relieve stress.One of the great ones for stress relief is Ashwagandha. It helps build natural resistance and immunity to our daily stresses while also promoting self-confidence, positive thinking, and feelings of fulfillment.You can get Ashwagandha pills, but also in powder form, and just add it to a warm glass of milk in the evening before you go to sleep.

15. Adaptogens

Sometimes anxiety comes from just having too much on our minds, so the way that you can handle that is by making a checklist. It can help free up your mind and allow you to focus on the task at hand.You can write it down in the notes on your phone or scribble it onto a piece of paper. The point is to take the thoughts out of your mind and onto something tangible.Constantly trying to remember something puts too much pressure on your mind.

16. Checklist

In Sanskrit, impressions are called samskaras, which means that every single thing that comes in through our five senses leaves impressions in our minds (subconscious minds). An impressions journal encourages you to write down every single thing that you find is coming through your senses (hearing, sight, taste, smell, touch, or whatever you are allowing into you). You can ask yourself, "If I'm feeling like this, what in my day triggered that?" and see what sense it's come through. Then you can decide whether this is something you don't need in your life if it's triggering a stress response.

17. Impressions Journal

Sound vibrations through our bodies are so powerful. Meditation music can help move this energy through our body—anything stagnant, anything that is stubborn and not wanting to leave.Movement, music, and sound vibrations can really help blast it out of our system.Even if you don't want to listen to meditation music, you can put on a song that takes you back to a happy moment in life. So, put it on loud, sing the lyrics, and dance!

18. Music

If you are experiencing a lot of anxiety that is impacting your physical, mental, and emotional well-being, consider seeing a therapist.There is a lot of stigma in some countries surrounding therapy, but it is simply a way to express your thoughts and emotions to someone who is both trusted and capable of helping you navigate your life in a way that doesn't trigger you or resolve the issues you are facing.

19. Therapy

In this video, Radhi provides 19 interesting tips and techniques on how to manage and reduce anxiety.

The first 1,000 people to use this link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare: https://skl.sh/radhidevlukiashetty07211

Hey buttercups, this is something i've been working on a lot lately especially since the pandemic. I really have tried and tested all these tips and wanted to share it with you all in hope that it can help you in some way! Would love to hear your experiences and journey with anxiety and let me know if you try any of these and how it goes xxx 

Website: www.radhidevlukia.co

mindfulness

Mindfulness

Hey!! I'm Radhi and WELCOMEEEE to my channel! 🥰

I share plant based recipes with influence from all parts of my life; India where my roots are, Africa where my parents were born and raised, UK which is where I was born and raised and now USA where I live! I love merging cultures and flavors from all parts of my life to create flavorful, vibrant dishes! 

Ultimately I launched this channel to really share all the things I learn and experience throughout my life that bring me joy, help me evolve and nourish my mind, body & soul too! OH AND ALSO to spread the power of spices around the worldddd!!!

I hope my videos bring just as much meaning and depth to your life! 

RADHI DEVLUKIA 
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Radhi Devlukia

How To Deal With Anxiety

Acute crises and dysfunction always precede or coincide with any evolutionary advancement or gain in consciousness.

Who am I then? The one who sees that. The awareness that is prior to thought, the space in which the thought—or the emotion or sense perception—happens....heaven is not a location but refers to the inner realm of consciousness.

The ego isn’t wrong; it’s just unconscious.When you observe the ego in yourself, you are beginning to go beyond it. Don’t take the ego too seriously. When you detect egoic behavior in yourself, smile. At times you may even laugh.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,” Jesus said, “for theirs will be the kingdom of heaven.” What does “poor in spirit” mean? No inner baggage, no identifications. Not with things, nor with any mental concepts that have a sense of self in them. And what is the “kingdom of heaven”? The simple but profound joy of Being that is there when you let go of identifications and so become “poor in spirit.”

There are people who have renounced all possessions but have a bigger ego than some millionaires. If you take away one kind of identification, the ego will quickly find another. It ultimately doesn’t mind what it identifies with as long as it has an identity. As we shall see later, making yourself right and others wrong is one of the principal egoic mind patterns, one of the main forms of unconsciousness.

Sometimes you may not know that you are attached to something, which is to say, identified, until you lose it or there is the threat of loss. If you then become upset, anxious, and so on, it means you are attached. If you are aware that you are identified with a thing, the identification is no longer total. “I am the awareness that is aware that there is attachment.” That’s the beginning of the transformation of consciousness.

Ego is a conglomeration of recurring thought forms and conditioned mental-emotional patterns that are invested with a sense of I, a sense of self.Ego arises when your sense of Beingness, of “I Am,” which is formless consciousness, gets mixed up with form.

When you know you are dreaming, you are awake within the dream.That’s the peace of God. The ultimate truth of who you are is not I am this or I am that, but I Am.

Yielding means inner acceptance of what is. You are open to life. Resistance is an inner contraction, a hardening of the shell of the ego. You are closed. Whatever action you take in a state of inner resistance (which we could also call negativity) will create more outer resistance, and the universe will not be on your side; life will not be helpful.If the shutters are closed, the sunlight cannot come in. When you yield internally, when you surrender, a new dimension of consciousness opens up.

Instead of overlooking unconsciousness in others, you make it into their identity. Who is doing that? The ego within you.

Nonreaction to the ego in others is one of the most effective ways not only of going beyond ego in yourself but also of dissolving the collective human ego. But you can only be in a state of nonreaction if you can recognize someone’s behavior as coming from the ego, as being an expression of the collective human dysfunction.At times, you may have to take practical steps to protect yourself from deeply unconscious people. This you can do without making them into enemies.

The moment you become aware of the ego in you, it is strictly speaking no longer the ego, but just an old, conditioned mind-pattern. Ego implies unawareness. Awareness and ego cannot coexist.

If you do, become aware of the grievance both on the level of thought as well as emotion, that is to say, be aware of the thoughts that keep it alive, and feel the emotion that is the body’s response to those thoughts. Don’t try to let go of the grievance. Trying to let go, to forgive, does not work. Forgiveness happens naturally when you see that it has no purpose other than to strengthen a false sense of self, to keep the ego in place. The seeing is freeing.

Thought can at best point to the truth, but it never is the truth. That’s why Buddhists say “The finger pointing to the moon is not the moon.”

The Truth is inseparable from who you are. Yes, you are the Truth. If you look for it elsewhere, you will be deceived every time. The very Being that you are is Truth. Jesus tried to convey that when he said, “I am the way and the truth and the life.

Anything that you resent and strongly react to in another is also in you. But it is no more than a form of ego, and as such, it is completely impersonal. It has nothing to do with who that person is, nor has it anything to do with who you are.

...but beware of making it your mission to “eradicate evil,” as you are likely to turn into the very thing you are fighting against. Fighting unconsciousness will draw you into unconsciousness yourself.Unconsciousness, dysfunctional egoic behavior, can never be defeated by attacking it. Even if you defeat your opponent, the unconsciousness will simply have moved into you, or the opponent reappears in a new disguise. Whatever you fight, you strengthen, and what you resist, persists.

War is a mind-set, and all action that comes out of such a mind-set will either strengthen the enemy, the perceived evil, or, if the war is won, will create a new enemy, a new evil equal to and often worse than the one that was defeated.

Once you see the ego for what it is, it becomes much easier to remain nonreactive toward it. You don’t take it personally anymore. There is no complaining, blaming, accusing, or making wrong. Nobody is wrong. It is the ego in someone, that’s all. Compassion arises when you recognize that all are suffering from the same sickness of the mind, some more acutely than others.What is its fuel? Reactivity. The ego thrives on it.

Whatever behavior the ego manifests, the hidden motivating force is always the same: the need to stand out, be special, be in control; the need for power, for attention, for more. And, of course, the need to feel a sense of separation, that is to say, the need for opposition, enemies.

The underlying emotion that governs all the activity of the ego is fear. The fear of being nobody, the fear of nonexistence, the fear of death. All its activities are ultimately designed to eliminate this fear, but the most the ego can ever do is to cover it up temporarily with an intimate relationship, a new possession, or winning at this or that. Illusion will never satisfy you. Only the truth of who you are, if realized, will set you free.

Once you realize and accept that all structures (forms) are unstable, even the seemingly solid material ones, peace arises within you. This is because the recognition of the impermanence of all forms awakens you to the dimension of the formless within yourself, that which is beyond death. Jesus called it “eternal life.” The recognition of the false is already the arising of the real.

A genuine relationship is one that is not dominated by the ego with its image-making and self-seeking. In a genuine relationship, there is an outward flow of open, alert attention toward the other person in which there is no wanting whatsoever. That alert attention is Presence. And so, the three predominant states of egoic relationships are: wanting, thwarted wanting (anger, resentment, blaming, complaining), and indifference.

A shy person who is afraid of the attention of others is not free of ego, but has an ambivalent ego that both wants and fears attention from others. The fear is that the attention may take the form of disapproval or criticism. Shyness often goes with a self-concept that is predominately negative, the belief of being inadequate. Any conceptual sense of self—seeing myself as this or that—is ego. Whenever you feel superior or inferior to anyone, that’s the ego.

Don’t say, “I’m unhappy.” Unhappiness has nothing to do with who you are. Say: “There is unhappiness in me.” Then investigate it. A situation you find yourself in may have something to do with it. Action may be required to change the situation or remove yourself from it. If there is nothing you can do, face what is and say, “Well, right now, this is how it is. I can either accept it, or make myself miserable.”

It is enough for you to recognize that it is the ego in them, that it is not who they are. Egoic patterns, even long-standing ones, sometimes dissolve almost miraculously when you don’t oppose them internally. Opposition only gives them renewed strength.

“If you think you are so enlightened,” Ram Dass said, “go and spend a week with your parents.” That is good advice. The relationship with your parents is not only the primordial relationship that sets the tone for all subsequent relationships, it is also a good test for your degree of Presence.

As long as you resist suffering, it is a slow process because the resistance creates more ego to burn up. When you accept suffering, however, there is an acceleration of that process which is brought about by the fact that you suffer consciously.In the midst of conscious suffering, there is already the transmutation. The fire of suffering becomes the light of consciousness.

In fact, doing is never enough if you neglect Being. The ego knows nothing of Being but believes you will eventually be saved by doing. If you are in the grip of the ego, you believe that by doing more and more you will eventually accumulate enough “doings” to make yourself feel complete at some point in the future. You won’t. You will only lose yourself in doing.

Human alone is never enough, no matter how hard you try or what you achieve. Then there is Being. It is found in the still, alert presence of Consciousness itself, the Consciousness that you are. Human is form. Being is formless. Human and Being are not separate but interwoven.

These are some of my favorite excerpts and quotes from the book!

The 10th anniversary edition of A New Earth with a new preface by Eckhart Tolle. With his bestselling spiritual guide The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle inspired millions of readers to discover the freedom and joy of a life lived “in the now.” In A New Earth, Tolle expands on these powerful ideas to show how transcending our ego-based state of consciousness is not only essential to personal happiness, but also the key to ending conflict and suffering throughout the world. Tolle describes how our attachment to the ego creates the dysfunction that leads to anger, jealousy, and unhappiness, and shows readers how to awaken to a new state of consciousness and follow the path to a truly fulfilling existence. Illuminating, enlightening, and uplifting, A New Earth is a profoundly spiritual manifesto for a better way of life—and for building a better world.

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