My inbox was chock-full of beautiful responses after the last email I wrote about getting out of a funk. There are so many of us out there struggling with this so I want to talk about some of the treatments that I’m using in both my practice with my clients and have tried on myself that really help the situation.

The most important thing for you to understand is that the mind has more of an impact on our healing than any amount of supplements or dietary course corrections. I can have the most amazing day with my clients reaching their health goals and instead let an argument with a family screw with my day. We are wired to hold on to the negative situations in our lives, and for our own sakes, we have to learn to compartmentalize what doesn’t serve our greater mission. 

Here are my fave lifestyle management tools to help you smash through episodes of depression and anxiety:

4-4-8 Breathing. I learned this from Dr. Andrew Weil and practice it nightly to fall asleep. Inhale for 4 counts, hold your breath for 4 counts, exhale for 8 counts. Lather, rinse, and repeat 5-10 times until a sense of calm comes over you and the anxiety abates.

Instead of thinking of this as a dark and depressing time and totally leaning into it and giving it all your power, why not use it as a time for reflection and introspection with the tacit understanding that there’s a divine purpose in all of this? When I catch myself in a state of overwhelm, this is the best time to flex my “No” muscle and say no to things that drain or overwhelm me. This is the time to prioritize what really matters in life and only focus on those things – to the strategic ignorance of everything else.

Spend 20 minutes thinking about a really amazing, happy event that happened. We are wired to remember the negatives in our life and those memories often outweigh our happy ones. I shift out of the funk and get my endorphins going thinking about the amazing time I spent in Bonaire with my family over the summer. Just us 3, scuba diving with the fishes and napping on hammocks… bliss.

Daily movement and exercise is non-negotiable. This can literally save your life. It’s beyond easy for me to sit my tush on the couch and cry when I’m feeling down, but that’s the equivalent of having a cup of coffee when I’m tired. For sustainable happiness and energy, movement and momentum is key – especially in nature.

Talk to yourself in 3rd person. Brendon Burchard spent the past 3 years doing research on high performers. He regularly talks to himself in the 3rd person to shift into a more powerful place. I’ve tried it and it works with both me and my clients. “Esther, you’ve helped thousands of people make the connection to between food and their bodies and heal from chronic illness. What more can you do today to contribute to your mission?”

If you’re ready to put the kibosh on depression and anxiety because you are sick and tired of feeling this way and want to heal and feel better, click here so we can get a clarity call on the calendar and talk about how you can finally get these results for yourself.

Live Gorgeously,