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How to Cure Social Anxiety: Lessons from A Dog’s Surprising Similarities!

how to cure social anxiety
I recorded a happy and calm “a day in the life” dog moment in this portrait painting 🙂

I once adopted a rescue chihuahua mix dog where I learned from him how to cure social anxiety.  He was the cutest and sweetest dog ever.  In my meeting with him, I knew he was the perfect dog for me then.

He acted calm (not jumpy like the Jack Russell terrier type).  Walking around, he also acted curious, interested and engaged.

So excited, I did the paperwork the next day and took him home.  I’d never had a dog before, but I was convinced he was a pet owner’s dream.  If you have a dog, I’m sure you understand as you probably think the same things with your dogs!

You know how much joy they can add to your life.  Dogs have temperaments, but they don’t project ego or judgment and all those complex human feelings that can get our human heads in a tail spin! Continue reading “How to Cure Social Anxiety: Lessons from A Dog’s Surprising Similarities!”

Faith Curbs Anxious Thoughts And Delivers You to Authentic Purpose

While having faith doesn’t help your rushed anxiety symptoms from happening, faith curbs anxious thoughts, and your anxious situations.

Many anxiety symptoms come from letting irrational thoughts and incessant worry get the better part of us.

That’s where it starts.

…Like a thief in the night, we don’t see what’s happening unless we are critical observers, looking in our own minds for us to be the solution instead of our own problem.

You can pray to not have those thoughts take a stronghold over you, and replace them with better, positive thoughts that can lead to productivity.

That helps to counteract your hurtful thoughts but doesn’t prevent your moods and emotions.

Believing there’s a better outcome or a bigger picture for why you’re going through your sour grape situations.

Those lemons you receive in life can give you the exact breakthrough you need.  That’s what your soul needs to heal and evolve, the purpose of your life.

Hmm… we all thought we were here to achieve and be happy, right?

The better setup is to live authentic, whole, heal, and real.  Then you can achieve more and experience happiness from the inside out.

…That can happen when you look through the right lens and go through tough situations, and possibly feelings of temporary stress and anxiety.

Faith Curbs Anxious Thoughts and Brings Joy

“Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.” (Proverbs 12)

Without daily faith as an undercurrent of your life, you can feel self-pity or go into a lack or victimized mentality, especially if you have fears, phobias were attacked/threatened, or are a PTSD survivor (which is part of my story).

Then later being Born Again and doing shadow work helped to restore me in a way that nothing else could replace

You weren’t meant to do everything on your own. You were meant to get help from outside you, that makes you stronger, and builds your inside.  That’s the healthier cycle.

People who stay frustrated can live in a vicious hamster wheel life cycle, letting their minds run them.

Without your pro-activity, your mind on its own is a lazy machine that is meant to protect you from danger.

If you’re tired, you just don’t want to think super hard after a busy day.  If you have a foggy mind, that can happen to anyone anytime, then going to your higher place is what you need the most.

At that moment, you need to find wholeness and be healed, to live authentically.

You have a higher intellect that you can tap into to collaborate with and get better answers.

Here’s a better way on how to access your higher self…

Find a daily spiritual practice that has variety, and is 100% yours. 

Have a daily silent practice in peace, prayer, or meditation, but don’t make it routine.

Doing this will remind you in your darkest moments, that you need to go back to your higher place.

Maybe not immediately, but if you are consistent, then you will know what wholeness feels like and when it’s missing.

Having a quiet daily practice is different than religion that’s all about regurgitating and memorizing the right things to say and think.   Do what feels good for you.  And create your own way.

Piece together what works for you like an organized mosaic tile.

A pattern that makes sense will form.  It can be a mess at the beginning where you have a lot of distractions and noise in your life.

But the more you stay intentional on peace and joy and living purpose-filled, the more spiritual savvy you become. Like when you’re sharpening a skill.

Then as soon as you get comfortable with your peaceful self, your season will change on you.  That’s how life evolves you.

But only when the inner knowing says so.  Not when you think you’re ready for the change.

Live in a cycle of going and faith growing.

If you force memorization or model how others progress, then those ideas are prominent in your mind but not the most necessarily the most helpful to you.

Mimicking can be how you start in the beginning when you’re learning, but after you advance and begin to mature in growing, you have what you need to get going and growing and share in your higher calling.

Then you can come back to being a learner and getting ideas.

Being spiritual is allowing your creative flow to come out of you.

Naturally what you have learned in the past will pop up in your mind out of the blue if that information is meant to help you at the moment.

Because the Universe wants to help you at all times.

When a helpful thought, quote, or verse that you haven’t thought of in a while comes to mind impromptu, you know that it’s “meant to be” for you to recall.

When you read a book, it’s not about quantity or hurrying through.  Speed reading doesn’t help you grow.

It can make you feel like you accomplished more, but what if you take in a few sentences of growth, stop and think about what you read, and how that can help you or apply to your life today?

So many times, we live in a dreamy world of thinking of how the author we don’t know lived, lives, or was thinking… or how so-and-so can use this help or would love this book.

When in reality, we could grow in our own minds with the information that we were just allowed to enter. We can stay curious with our growth.

It can start with a question like: what is this?

If it’s not for you now, then feel free to put it away. Even if you were excited about picking up or purchasing a book.

If after a few chapters, you find that your mind drifts, this is a sign you’re having a connection block with what you’re reading.

Because there are some books you could read from cover to cover hanging on every word (or a movie reel you could watch where you’re glued to your set because you don’t want to miss a second).

Whatever the case, if you have a book that isn’t intriguing you at this moment, you may find you could need that book years down the road if you hold onto it.

Keep a book for as long as you want or check out from the library another time (for you minimalists!). No harm, no foul.  No guilt.

Surprisingly, your higher intellect knew you would need it, otherwise, you wouldn’t have brought it home in the first place.

There’s internal wisdom inside you that knows what you need more than your rational mind reasons.

That takes the mystery out of wonder, as you’re designed to live with a purpose.

We all want things in this life. That makes us human.

The difference is seeing that your timetable of growth to your next calling, project, or venture is a collaborative effort with your faith journey should you decide to accept the mission.

You help yourself by taking steps forward and leaning into busy activity, and knowing when the timing or season is off or has come to an end.

If that’s the case, take your foot off the gas pedal you thought you should be hitting, and go in another direction to live in an authentic flow where you don’t need to know the exact outcome.

Life takes you where you need to go without your need to suffer.

You’ll eliminate anxiety from feelings of overwhelm and underwhelm in your life that doesn’t need to exist for your survival.

Be encouraged that miracles are happening all the time for you. Being in faith curbs anxious thoughts.

If you live in faith, you get to enjoy the process as you connect the dots.

And on your faith journey, you may have many communion opportunities. This isn’t a communion drink but it is a purple drink that symbolizes the king in religion.

It’s made form lychee tropical fruit that you can be curious about and the many natural good things in our world.

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Lychee Blueberryade Mocktail Drink

This is a very refreshing day and summertime drink. If you've never had lychee, it tastes like a plum and a grape met. And then when you add blueberry and lemon juice, it's a party!
Course beverage
Cuisine American
Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

  • 1 lychee (from can)
  • blueberry tea, brewed (or frozen blueberries)
  • lemon juice
  • Optional: shredded coconut and honey (for zhughing) or an additional lychee with blueberries on a skewer.

Instructions

  • Add crushed blueberries to the bottom of the glass.
  • Blend brewed blueberry tea, lychee juice, and lemon juice. Aternatively, you can use blueberry juice.
  • Refrigerate to cold.
  • Add blueberries and lychee to drinking glass to decorate, or a honey rim of shredded coconut.

 

 

Vata Body Mind Type: Is This Your Natural Way?

Vata body mind is a way to define a body and mind type. As a Vata, I know most of us are naturally thin and have worry tendencies.

Vata body mind type

Are you a Vata?

If so, this article post is all about you. And if you don’t know what a Vata is, you can discover more below.

You have several identities in this world.  I’ll share a few of mine…

Some are fun. You know those personality tests you can take (to learn about yourself and your friends).

Well… in the self-taking Enneagram test, I’m most closely a 7.  We’re the happy enthusiasts.  …Hoo-ray!

Maybe that’s why I created this place for others to glean off of my happy aura 😊.

By the way, all the Enneagram types 1-9 are great (you’re still a complex individual and have potential traces of all the types). If you’re not familiar, Enneagrams are based on your general life motivations.

Any one enneagram type is not better than another, but I like to cheer mine on (and be happy for the happy type). As an Enneagram 7, we’re known to be the optimistic and positive people in this world.

This makes sense because I naturally gravitate without hesitation towards life’s pleasures enjoying beauty, fashion and gourmet foods.

…Which makes people that know me wonder, how I can be so deeply spiritual?  I think of this combination as my superpower…  being in this world, but not entirely of this world.

On the outside, like all of us, I’m just a person having a daily spiritual journey.

I found better answers inside from life’s challenges and life’s non-answers. In other words, in the silence.

I was actually born 90% Vata. “A who?”, you may ask if this is new to you.

That’s right, I identify as the Vata body-mind type in Ayurveda.

There are 3 types:  Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. We all possess traces in varying degrees of each of these types and any of us can get off balance (irritated, anxious, lethargic, etc.) from these types.

Today I’m just focusing on the Vata type…

As a Vata, most of us are naturally thin or slender.  A Vata can eat and eat and eat, and gain little weight.

There are people you hate or envy because of this (not really… but you get my drift).  On the flipside, Vatas have thin bones and usually a more sensitive body.

We can take a warm bath and still feel cold especially in the winter.

Each body type has special features.

Another for Vata is, we epitomize the saying, “cold hands, warm heart.”

Our skin and hair stay on the naturally dry side.  We use deep moisturizers and conditioners. And adult eczema can arise that’s manageable.

Outside of appearances, the Vata body-mind type naturally holds onto worry and anxiety. An area that I did not care to hold onto so I learned to transform.

In pure Vata fashion, we naturally bounce from task to task (sometimes too much), as multi-taskers are our middle names. We also prefer variety as the spice of life.

We have or like more than one type of any product or food type.

Based on all these descriptions above, I’m 100% Vata.

You learn in life though, you adapt to situations and can balance or counterbalance any natural body type, especially with all the resources and great products we have in the world at our fingertips.

So why am I sharing all of this?…

Because I believe you have a choice to make changes in your life for the better.

I wanted to get up 10 times while writing this, but I forced myself to stay put. I also wanted to wonder what you would think reading this. I chose to not worry about anything that’s not helpful, and just be productive despite natural tendencies because I learned the better way.

But I still care about feelings and how I come across with thin skin, that I learned to toughen up over the years and through life’s situations.

There’s a part of me that still wants to be the reserved person who doesn’t want to share who she is, but I put myself out there anyway as I know I can help others.

I challenge myself to be fearless. Because I know that there’s no personal growth without bringing light to weaknesses, and places I’d rather suppress.

Then I see dynamic people in this world and I couldn’t even begin to do the things they do in their physical abilities and skills.

And I naturally want to believe they are happy.

But they’re not, inside.  And despite all they have.

They weren’t wired that way. But I was.

They live on what they know and their comforts. That’s not better or worse, it just is.

They have a choice to change parts of their lives if they choose.

As we all have choices relative to our lives and opportunities.

As long as we support one another as humans, and don’t judge one another, we can learn from each other and grow.

And that can be the greater world we are becoming in collaboration efforts.

If you’re a Vata (or think you’re one from my description above), high five and a big hug to you. I get you.

We naturally have anxious tendencies that can show up in the form of overwhelming feelings, heart palpitations, or nervous butterflies in the stomach.

You don’t have to live that way, as a regular way of being based on your thoughts and situations you can’t control.

I know this from my own learned past experiences.

Without anxiety awareness, you’re putting on a band-aid to calm the symptoms.

Breathing deeply and drinking plenty of water are super important habits to help soothe anxiety.

If you think you have anxiety in your life, confirm with this quiz, and get quick restoring tips and ongoing healthy and happy life balancing tip advice.

You too can change what’s not fully working. (Let it be easy… why live another day not being or feeling like your whole self?).

We live in an evolving world that changes whether we want it to or not.

…And there are lots going on.

But, I believe each of us can get ahead of anxiety and learn to manage and prevent anxiety in a healthy way.

Each situation is a teacher and a chance to find a remedy.

The statistics show our depressed society is growing.

Most women in America and maybe the world, don’t currently do or take the time to learn how to live healthy and happy in life’s busyness, despite all the resources available.

And, that’s where I hope I can shed light with my positivity, encouraging vibes, and sharing self-transformation lessons to help in this cause.

I encourage (and challenge you) to be your change for your life’s happiness.

You can learn all about the Vata, Pitta, and Kapha in this in-depth balancing mind-body article which btw, as an example I’m dominant in Pitta mind (in addition to a Vata mind) to add fuel to the fire.

And very likely, you have more than one dominant mind type. That’s what makes each of us complex, unique, and alike in this life. It’s as simple and complicated as that. 😊

 

 

Don’t Worry Be Happy and 8 Ways to Worry Less

“Don’t worry be happy” is not just a song made famous by Bobby McFerrin.  Your thoughts can try to make you worry and overthink.  You have a better choice that helps you calm worry.

Worry less is something you can transform even if you’re born a worry wart (aka Vata mind). I know because I did. And if I can do it, you can too!

Don't worry and be happy and calm. That's how I felt traveling and exploring new countries.

8 ways to get calm (and don’t worry be happy):

 1. Don’t focus on what could happen, focus on what is.

When awake, your mind doesn’t naturally silence. When your mind gets ahead of itself or starts to attach a fantastical made up story line to your thoughts, that’s when you have a chance to take a pause, get present or distracted and busy.

How does that old saying go?… “the past has already happened, the future hasn’t occurred, and all we have is now.”

If only we could stay focused on the present moment (not the past or future).

If you’re multi-tasking, you can miss it and let worry settle in.  Mindfulness brings your awareness back (and you’re doing just fine if you let go of the past and future uncertainty).

2. Lower your standards to worry less.

We all have an idea as to what life should be and how we should be.  Our expectations create a set of worries and disappointments when we face a setback.

There is not a perfect human on this planet.  Accept that progress is made through your getting things done.

Who’s measuring perfection anyway?  No one except the critic inside you, or a parent or school teacher’s voice that no longer serves you (or runs your life). Continue reading “Don’t Worry Be Happy and 8 Ways to Worry Less”

Anxiety Symptoms Can Change: 7 Better Ways During COVID

ayurvedic habits

Anxiety symptoms can change if you can embrace healthy changes.

Situational COVID anxiety seems to be the elephant in the room. While it’s plastered all over the news, not many casually talk about the invisible spreading virus that has changed and threatened our health, daily lives, and world.  Our world has been tipped sideways with people walking around anxious about their situations, work, health, relationships, and future.

Did you know that at least 50% of anxiety comes from situations, habits, thoughts, words, actions, or attitudes?  In essence, some you can control, and most things you can change. You can exchange your anxiety for better mental health.

You don’t have to live anxiously, or hold onto fear, worry, or uncertainty.  That is not the new normal. You can thrive despite the times and your circumstances.

So What Now?… Continue reading “Anxiety Symptoms Can Change: 7 Better Ways During COVID”