Top Tips to use Mindfulness for Anxiety and Gut Health

Do you find yourself constantly thinking about "stuff"?  

• The endless to-do lists
• The "what if's"
• The "what's for dinner's", and so on?!

So often we get so caught up in our thoughts we miss the beauty and richness of the present moment. And thanks to all that frantic energy (AKA adrenaline), it's no surprise our stomach ends up in knots and we can feel really bloated, nauseous and anxious.

But it doesn't have to be this way!

I spoke to Katie Sheen, a mindfulness practitioner (and ex-nutritionist) recently on Instagram about how we can use mindfulness to ease our digestion and beat anxiety before we even get out of bed in the morning!

By adding mindfulness into our lives, we can help calm our nervous system down, switch off the fight or flight response, get out of chronic pain and feel happier in our mind, as well as in our gut!

Click here for the replay if you want to know more.

We explore:

• The differences between mindfulness and meditation
• How to use mindfulness to help our digestion (even when busy)
• How to use mindfulness to break negative thought patterns that no longer serve us. For instance: “If I eat X, I’m going to feel Y.” 
  
  

Don’t have time to watch the full replay? Here are some tips to help you use mindfulness to create a happier, healthier gut:

• Check out Cong Phu journal (a practice journal)
• The way out is in. Show compassion to your digestive system by talking to it (softly). Katie gives some examples in the video. 
• Struggle with anxiety first thing? Show your nervous system it is safe, before getting out of bed. Body scans can be a helpful tool for this. Soften the fear!
• Mindful tea making and watch the birds as you sip your tea. It’s a break from your thoughts and this stops the negative impact of adrenaline on your gut.🥴💩 
  
  

Lastly, and this is my personal favourite…
Smile at your digestive system and wish it well.

This may sound crazy but visualisation is an important part of your recovery from chronic ill health. It helps with neuroplasticity and laying down new neural pathways. Sounds totally madey-uppy but it’s actually supported by science. If you want to explore this further I’m a big fan of the app, Curable. Check it out.

Next time you go to “grab a cup of tea”…

Katie also shared this brilliant podcast episode about mindful tea drinking. Drinking tea is definitely ingrained in my life, a firm family ritual (although less Barry's and more Pukka herbals these days). Having a cup of tea can be a whole art and a great reminder to just STOP. 

Be in the here and now. 

Smell the aroma. 

Feel the heat. 

Watch the leaves swirl. 

Be present (mindful) with your next cuppa. 
https://plumvillage.org/podcas...

Honestly we crammed so much great stuff into this 30 minutes. I’m so grateful to Katie for sharing her expert knowledge. Find out more about Katie and her mindfulness courses here.

Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram for more tips and interviews like this one.

As a nutritionist, I can help you choose the right foods and diet to:

• Calm the nervous system (switch off the chronic fight or flight response)
  
• Support our adrenals (the glands that pump out stress hormones) so we feel more resilient to stress and less prone to burn-out
• Balance hormones so we aren't getting fluctuations in mood and energy levels.
  

Wave bye-bye to palpitations driven by too many stimulants and feel calmer and more relaxed in your body and mind.

If you're interested in finding out more about working with me 1-1, check out my 90-day programme here. 

I’m off to make a mindful brew, see you soon!

Mary x