Just a Girl With Anxiety A Journey to Mental Freedom by Jennifer Bitner

If you have anxiety that hinders your everyday life, this book is for you!!

INTRODUCTION

• Isn’t it interesting how we associate mental health as a state o illness instead of as a state of optimal wellness, which it truly is?

CHAPTER 1 – WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

• Those who live in a world of “what ifs” know how hard it is to kick the habit of worrying about hypothetical scenarios that all point in the direction of I’m doomed.
• Anxious worriers are always thinking about future events that may cause a panic attack or anxiety if they come true and are usually negative thoughts
• You start to filter events into a series of, how can this go wrong
• Fear if don’t prepare in advance for the possibility of feeling anxious, then we are unprotected if we are faced with an unexpected situation.
• When you anticipate positivity in the future, your whole energy shifts
• CHALLENGE – turn what if’s into positive thoughts

CHAPTER 2 – THE DIAGNOSIS

• Anxiety is a basic human emotion. It’s your body’s response mechanism to a perceived threat or danger that automatically kicks in when your brain signals to your adrenals.
• Train our mind to properly perceive life situations so it doesn’t send the signal unnecessarily. Once we learn how to properly categorize our thoughts, learn how to do positive self-talk, re-direct negative thought patterns, and unwire connections that have been made to past fearful situations, then we can control when we really need to “release the soldiers”
• Anxiety is a defense mechanism. It’s sole purpose is to protect you. It’s your responsibility to know when you are truly in danger. With anxiety false alarms are sent causing crisis mode so your body never has a chance to rest because we are always worried about what the next threatening situation is going to be and if we are going to be able to get through it.
• You can’t eliminate the emotions from your DNA.
• Mental health journey is about who you become in the process.
• You’ll develop an inner strength that others will never have the chance to understand or experience. Someone who suffers from generalized anxiety has such a heightened awareness of their mind and body that accomplishing things they fear can be a massive achievement.
• CHALLENGE – journal about all the ways you’ve noticed strength appear from your journey.

CHAPTER 3 – THE TURNING POINT

• Anxiety is defined as a state of apprehension or fear resulting from the anticipation of a real or imagined threat, even or situation.
• Need to be in tune to why the mind was going through this vicious, fearful, cycle.
• When the body throws itself into a panic attack or you get anxiety, it’s the body’s way of telling you to slow down and pay attention.
• Find a healthy crutch to get you through the toughest part of your journey.
• The only constant thing in life is change.
• Be okay with working on you and your journey for the rest of your life.
• 80/20 rule 20% of your life may not be the way you wish it to be. Allow the 80% to be enough for you to be a peace and grateful.
• There are effects on our emotional and physical self when we overdo it.
• FOCUS: Focus One Course Until Success
• Life isn’t a birthday party with all your gifts on one day, it’s a series of special occasions where you can celebrate and appreciate your next big thing.
• When our bodies are exhausted we become vulnerable and are more prone to anxiety or panic attacks.
• Dehydrated or exhausted bodies become shaky and sensitive which can mimic anxiety making our bodies react accordingly.
• Make a plan, think about it once, set it and let it be. The more you obsess about the process of “what if’s” plan out how you would want it to work out and leave it. If you think about it not working out, it won’t.
• You are what you eat. Dairy and gluten cause inflammation which triggers those anxious sensations in the body.
• The more balanced with diet, the more positive energy.
• CHALLENGE – write down what your ideal day looks like when it comes to being balanced. Note what causes discomfort and start to recognize what feeling good looks like and what imbalance looks like so you can become the boss of your emotional wellness.

CHAPTER 4 – IF IT’S MEANT TO BE, IT’S UP TO ME

• The change needs to happen within yourself.
• Life will keep bringing you the same test over and over until you pass it.
• You can’t measure your personal successes or challenges based on where someone else is or has been. Be on your own path and make the decisions that are right for you.
• CHALLENGE – by pairing your mental thought with using the physical movement of taking a step back, you’re training your brain to bridge a connection between your mind and body.

CHAPTER 5 – YOUR MESS IS YOUR MESSAGE

• A mind fitness journey is very similar to a weight loss journey but it’s even harder to “keep it off/going”.
• It’s imperative that you listen to your mind, body, and emotions. They send you messages and signals for what’s off-balance, so you can restore the energy flow.
• All of our undesired behaviors have a secondary benefit to us, which is why we keep doing them.
• Once acknowledge why behaving a certain way, began to challenge to give up control and let other people make decisions.
• CHALLENGE – total relaxation, ask your subconscious mind why it chooses to protect you with the undesired behavior you keep reopening. What’s the purpose?

CHAPTER 6 – WHEN IT ALL FINALLY MADE SENSE

• You can only take care of you and what is within your control. It’s a powerful thing to let go, move on, and let someone else deal with the consequences of their own behavior without you.
• All these experiences are there to shape and make you. Your journey is about creating a life through the lessons you learn from what your experiences have taught you.
• The grass is not greener on the other side of the fence, it is greener where you water it.
• Recognize where trauma is stemmed from in order to heal from it.
• No matter where I went or where I ended up, my problems still followed me because they are inside of us.
• Stop looking at all the reasons why things were wrong and start looking for all the things that were going right.
• CHALLENGE – first thing in the morning list what you are grateful for. Water your grass with positive energy and thankfulness.

CHAPTER 7 – A NEW CHAPTER

• Consider life as a book series. Each book of your life has a different ending.
• It’s important that we recognize when one of our books has ended.
• When something ends, put the book on the shelf and leave it there. There’s no point going back to read the past hoping to find answers or wonder why the book turned out the way it did. It’s already written so let it be, it brought you to the next one.
• Peacocking is where you flaunt your feathers for attention and can be extremely addicting behavior.
• After the chase is over or once landed what attracting, let the feathers back down and the real authentic you is what’s left. If you’re not internally happy with that person, then you may find yourself constantly needing people or situation that allow you to peacock.
• Only allow exhibiting certain behaviors when peacocking (characteristics that make you desirable).
• May lead you constantly changing your surroundings so you have new people or places to attract.
• This pattern is typically a result of an inner spiritual imbalance and is approval – seeking behavior.
• Love your strengths and own your weaknesses.
• Think of other people as outlets. When you plug into them they will either charge you or drain your battery.
• CHALLENGE – every time something negative is said about someone else, be the first to speak up with a positive counter. Positive words can bring about more positive healthy thoughts or feelings.

CHAPTER 8 – A NATURAL APPROACH

• Anxiety or panic attacks can occur because of the connection the brain makes to certain incidents. Subconscious mind was doing it’s job in sending off alarms anytime it felt threatened.
• Feed your Mind, Body, Soul and Starve Your Egos.
• Using essential oils for mood management and supporting emotions is so simple, effective, and best of all, has nothing but positive side effects.
• Most of the time it’s not what we put in our body it’s what we don’t put in it. We have such a lack of nutrients in our soils and food these days that it makes it very hard to get all the vitamins and minerals our bodies need to grow and operate efficiently.
• It takes a lot of dedication and power to make up positive changes, but the rewards are incredibly evident and worth it.
• No matter how many doctors and approaches you try, the most cost-effective and time-effective answers all lay in the same place – within me.
• CHALLENGE – write down what you do for yourself making note of what you are doing right. Take a social media detox.

CHAPTER 9 – YOUR FUTURE AWAITS YOU

• It often takes months to years of repeating undesired habits and thoughts to cause you to be in the position you are today – starting or continuing your journey to a more fit and healthy mind. It will be a challenge at first to retrain your brain and make more positive connections to replace old behaviors or thought patterns.
• Imagine your life with less worry and stress about future situations that typically make you fearful. Are you willing to pay the price for the reward of optimal mental health?
• It’s not easy but it is simple. Don’t be hard on yourself.
• Have the right to make choices everyday.
• Be at peace with the small successes and always remember to celebrate them no matter how many hiccups there are.
• The greatest power in the world is to take possession of your mind and thoughts.
• The media is the biggest promoter of self-image.
• The only way we are going to bust through the stigma of mental health being about only illness is to start talking about it more and also bring positive light to an optimal state of mental wellness and how to achieve it.
• Anxiety is when we dwell or stress about a future event.
• Only think about today and tomorrow.
• Learn how to have more control over what you’re thinking.
• Have one staple question you can ask yourself that will trigger your mind to think about your worry logically. ” Why would I …”
• When experiencing heavy anxiety rational thought process is turned off.
• CHALLENGE – awareness is key to continuing to move towards pleasure.

CHAPTER 10- MIND FITNESS MASTERY

• Pillar 1 – Brain Fuel – fuel your brain with the right nutrients. 90% of serotonin is produced in the gut. Probiotics create a healthy environment for neurotransmitters that send signals throughout the body. Digestive enzymes – it’s not all about what you eat, it’s about what you absorb. Pesticides break down intestinal walls allowing small particles of food to escape. Inflammation is the #1 cause of disease. Even mild dehydration (1%) can lead to mood issues. Coffee dehydrates you.
• Layer lifestyle changes one by one.
• Pillar 2 – Movement – Motion is lotion. Often times our emotions get trapped in the body. The issue’s in the tissues. We can almost always find a direct link between what our body pain or feelings are, to what we are experiencing emotionally in our life. Energy is everything. Choose one method of movement you really enjoy and build upon that.
• Pillar 3 – Rest and Manage Stress – brain dump, journal everything in your mind before bed. Think of your mind like a computer with 100 tabs open. You want to close off all those before it’s time to shut down.
• Use essential oils internally, topically and/or aromatically. (contact me to learn more about the specific benefits)
• Pillar 4 – Reduce Toxic Load – components of the immune system involved in inflammation may represent a common mechanism linking stress with several different diseases. Inflammation is involved in a least 8 of the 10 leading cause of death in the U.S. today. Bodies need to process toxins through filtration organs. An overload of these synthetic chemicals can wreak major havoc and lead to serious damage. Inflammation is often times the first response and you may see how this becomes a viscous cycle. There’s a ton of different environmental threats that are causing the body to have an inflammatory response. The average woman puts over 500 chemicals on her body before leaving the house in the morning with most going right into the lungs and putting major stress on the body.
• Pillar 5 – Support System – Going at life by yourself is not the way we were designed to live. We are social beings meant to be amongst tribe and other people we love.
• Pillar 6 – Meaning and Purpose – live your life with meaning even if that’s just to have faith that your current journey is taking you there. Write down the things you would do even if you weren’t getting paid. Your purpose is the gift you offer this world. What lights your soul on fire?

words of encouragement from other mind fitness warriors

• When overstimulated take time to rejuvenate.
• People look for a light at the end of a tunnel, but it’s always going to be within.
• When I feel like I am taking care of my body I feel so good.
• I feel nurtured and empowered when I am feeding myself well, taking my supplements and supporting my mental and emotional health through meditation, personal development, exercise and the use of essential oils.
• There is a certain level of authenticity that comes out when you’re journaling.
• Mental illness is not the definition of you, it is just something you deal with.