A Cause Of Anxiety No One Talks About | Your Intuition

I was shopping yesterday and I overheard a conversation between two people. I'm not sure exactly what they were talking about but the woman said something along the lines of this: Listening to my intuition was a skill I needed to learn. It was challenging and it took some time for me to learn how to listen to my gut feeling.

That struck me as odd. I grew up with an intuition so strong that it felt like it was pulling me in a certain direction. I can't quit explain the feeling. It just exists within me, I guess.

But this got me thinking about my own experiences of following (or not following) my intuition. I started to see a common thread.

A few months back, me and my friend made plans for a road trip. Just a few days before we were suppose to leave, I worked a 48 hour shift which left me one day to prepare for a wedding and our trip. The next day was a family wedding and the day after that me and my friend were scheduled to leave.

I got up that morning to pack. I knew I didn't want to go. I knew I was exhausted. But I started packing anyways. I began to have a panic attack. I felt overcome, sick stomach, my heart started to race. All I wanted to do was climb in bed and cry.

I knew what I needed to do. I texted my friend and told her that I could not this. Fortunately she understood and went on without me. Upon cancelling my plans, my anxiety immediately lifted. I felt energized and exhilarated.

I'm not sure why but I was compelled to stay home that day. I don't know if it was because, as an extreme introvert, my body, mind, and soul was craving downtime. Or if it was because I needed to do something else such as work on my blog. Or if I was sensing a bad situation by going on that road trip. The possibilities are endless and I will probably never know.

The anxiety I experienced in that moment let me know full well what I ought to do. There was no second thoughts. No questioning the situation. I knew I needed to cancel my plans and I did just that.

This isn't my first time with this experience though. I remember me and my boyfriend were trying to decide between two apartments. One apartment was cheaper and more modern than the other. So it was kind of a no-brainer. We went with the cheaper, nicer looking apartment. I called the landlord and I told him I would be by with the damage deposit.

After the call, I had feelings of anxiety. That apartment, the landlord, or something else did not sit well with me. And I couldn't get the other apartment out of my head. I called my boyfriend in a state of panic and I explained the situation. I told him the idea of signing the lease gave me anxiety and made me feel stuck. He said "well, let's go with the other one then". My anxiety subsided after that.

My intuition does not always present itself as anxiety though. Sometimes it's just a feeling of knowing.

I do believe that everyone has a strong intuition. But I think a lot of people have become disconnected from themselves which results in them not understanding why they are experiencing certain sensations and feelings.

And I believe episodes of anxiety can often be the result of people not listening to their intuition.

I don't have any advice on how to become more in tune with yourself. This is because I never actively sought out how I should do that. But I know that I have done things which have certainly contributed to me understanding myself more. I will look into this further and share another time.

Right now, the only thing I want you to understand is that you do have a gut instinct. Everybody does. And if you have seemingly random episodes of panic or anxiety, there is a possibility you are not listening to your intuition.

Let me know what you guys think. Are you naturally intuitive? Or is this something that you have to work on?

Thanks for reading. And please share with someone you think could benefit from this :)

Ang

Here is a link to my previous blog:

What To Do When You Feel Jealous | Fast & Easy Way To Stop Feeling Jealous

More on anxiety:

Why You Will Never Be Completely Free Of Anxiety

Instant Cure For Anxiety | Quick Tip Entry # 4

What To Do When You Feel Jealous | Fast & Easy Way To Stop Feeling Jealous

You can't be happy for others until you are happy for yourself.

It's so hard sometimes. It seems that your peers, friends, and family are always one step ahead of you. Your friend is getting married while you're just falling in love. Your sister bought her first home while you're only now establishing your career. Your cousin is making a career off his art work while you just enrolled in beginners dance lessons.

You find yourself feeling jealousy towards those who seem to be ahead of you. You struggle with coming to terms with this and your jealousy transpires into resent. You feel disgusted with yourself.

I don't know about you, but I want to be the type of person to feel happy for other's successes. And usually I do! But I am only human and I have imperfect moments. That's OK though. It means I still need to keep searching to understand myself a little better. And I love learning new things about myself.

I had an off day today. I felt bitterness and jealousy which left me in an emotional state. I don't like that feeling so I had to center myself. I mediated. And I came to the realization that we cannot feel happy for others when we are not happy for ourselves. When we are happy for ourselves, then we can feel happy for others.

But isn't that egocentric? Well... yes and no. We really need to learn to love and be happy for ourselves first and foremost. That's part of self love and it's crucial for our well-being. At the same time, we shouldn't just feel happy for other's when we have something that makes us look "equal to" or "better than" someone. Do you get what I'm saying? First, we need to learn to be truly happy and proud of ourselves first. Then, we can learn to be truly happy for others. I have some steps to help you on this journey.

1. Acknowledge That You Feel Jealous

I do not believe in suppressing emotions. Even negative ones. We are human and we reserve the right to feel every emotion and feeling there is. (I wrote a blog on that which I will link below). Acknowledge to yourself that you feel jealous. There is no shame in that. It happens to all of us.

2. Ask Yourself Why Your Are Jealous

Avoid superficial answers and dig a little deeper. Are you jealous your friend is getting married because you are not satisfied with your partner? Are you jealous that your sister is making a career from her art because it reminds you of your failed attempts at publishing your book?

3. Center Yourself

For me today, I centered myself through meditation. I closed my eyes and focused on my breath for 30 minutes. Meditation comes in many forms. It can be a walk or coloring. Just ensure that you are in the present moment and self-aware.

4. Do What You Do Best

In times like this, consuming (TV, media) can make you feel worse. Instead, produce! Do whatever you're good at or whatever you enjoy.

5. Don't Be Hard On Yourself

Forgive yourself for feeling jealousy. It does not make you a bad person. And remember  that comparing different people is like comparing apples to oranges. It doesn't make sense. The only person you can compare yourself to is you.

I hope this article finds you well.

Let me know what kind of blogs your interested in. I'm open to suggestions :)

Ang

Here is a link to my previous article:
My Calling: A "Plant-Based" Joruney | A Personal Story

And another relevant blog:
How To Deal With Negative Emotions

My Calling: A "Plant-Based" Joruney | A Personal Story

Some days I'm vegan. Other days I'm a vegan eating organic, raw honey. On less frequent occasions, I eat wild caught fish and free run eggs.

I worry sometimes that I'm not doing it right, so I eat fish and diary. Sometimes I have cravings and I eat a non-vegan chocolate bar.

The point is that I'm not perfect nor is my diet perfect. And that's why I don't like labels such as "vegan". They're too rigid. But one thing that is definitely true is that my diet is plant-based. So that is typically what I call myself with regards to my food choices. I wanted to clarify that before I discuss my food journey.

Up until the age of 19, I never questioned what I ate. I never wondered where this piece of chicken came from. If it was treated humanely. If it felt scared or pain when it was killed. Well... I never thought of it enough to stop eating it.

In my early teens, I started to care more about the environment and being more natural. I tried to be as eco-friendly as possible. I started to remove toxic, non-organic products out of my belongings and replace them with more natural alternatives.

I don't know where this interest came from. It just became part of who I was.

I remember it was December 2009 and I wanted Plant Earth for Christmas. It's a collection of DVD's that documents animals across the globe. I can't remember the date, but it was early December and I was watching the trailer for Plant Earth.

While I was watching it, I was in awe. This world and the organisms that inhabit it are so beautiful. Beautiful enough to make a successful documentary about. Yet, people are destroying the world. Organisms are going extinct, toxins and pollution are taking over, and we are killing and consuming these beautiful animals.

"I have to stop eating meat", was my next thought.

I still find it strange. To this day, I feel like this wasn't a conscious decision. It was more like a calling. I am meant to do this and the time is now. I was in a trance, I was moved, and I was emotional. I will never forget that moment.

So for the next week, I didn't eat meat. The problem though, is that I got hungry. I had a diet of poptarts, mac and cheese, chicken nuggets and hot dogs. What the hell do I eat?

So I started to ween. For the next... I want to say couple of years, I only ate poultry, fish, eggs and diary. I also started to eat more grains, fruits, and vegetables.

I was OK with this lifestyle. I thought that would be my diet for the first of my life. But a couple years later, I came across a documentary where I learned that poultry are the most abused animals on the planet.

And that was it. I could no longer eat poultry. I haven't since.

About 3 or 4 years ago, I have been dabbling around in keeping diary and eggs off of my plate. The past couple years I have been eating a diet high in raw fruits and vegetables.

I mentioned in the beginning of this blog that I still sometimes eat fish, diary and eggs. I don't stress about it. My body lets me know when I am ready to take it the next level. And I am a firm believer in taking things to the next level. Especially when it involves your health and the well-being of the planet and its animals.

I remember a couple of years ago, I hit a plateau. I felt tired all of the time. No matter how many healthy foods I ate, I could not get that life back into me. I started to obsess that it was due to not eating meat. So, one day when I was at the mall with my mom, I bought my usual pad thai but this time I added beef. I told my mom why I had beef on my plate. She seemed happy and supportive. Much more supportive than when I told her I wasn't going to eat meat anymore which was disappointing.

So, I ate the food and held back tears the whole time. It might sound so silly to some people but I couldn't get the image of a slaughtered cow with her baby looking at her out of my head. I felt sick to my stomach. And no matter how many times my mom told me I was being ridiculous, the rest of my day was ruined. I ate what was once a living being in order to make myself feel better. I was disgusted with myself.

That was the first and last time I tried eating meat. I really couldn't do it. So why was I feeling tired all of the time? I never looked at the fact that I hated my job. Or that I had graduated with a degree and I couldn't find a career. Or that I stopped expressing myself creatively.

Without me really realizing it, I made some changes. I started writing, drawing, and painting. I finally found a career and I was able to quit my job. I haven't plateaued since.

But keeping meat off of my plate is more than just a decision that I made 8 years ago. It's more than the latest trend. It is more than my health. Being plant-based is my calling. It is part of who I am and it is a deeply spiritual component of my life. Probably the strongest spiritual component of them all.
And I'm pretty confident when I say that it will be this way for the rest of my life. I may never be a purist, but I will never eat meat again.

My plant-based story and journey is very personal. I don't share this with a lot of people. But I had an epiphany a little while ago. To reach people, to be heard, you need to be raw and authentic. You need to talk about the parts of your life that are difficult to share.

I have a lot more on this topic that I can share such as my health, people's reactions, and I how I coped with that. I plan on sharing them soon.

I hope you find this blog inspiring and I hope it helps you understand me a little better. Let me know your thoughts on the topic. I just ask that we respect one another :)

Ang

Here is a link to my previous blog:

How To Get Inspired Instantly | Quick Tip Entry # 6

Another Food Related Blog:

What I Ate Today (As A Struggling Vegan)

How To Get Inspired Instantly | Quick Tip Entry # 6

This is day 3 of not doing much. In one way, I earned it. After all, I worked 72 hours in four days. A few days to veg out will do me good.

But at the same time,  I don't want to waste time. I have the week to myself and then it's back to work for another week and then I'm going on a road trip. I have a blog to write and promote, languages I want to study, and choreography I want to learn. And none of this is going to happen on its own.

I was waiting for inspiration. But at the same time, I believe in making our own inspiration... but I wasn't feeling inspired. LOL! And so the cycle ensued.

But alas, inspiration finally came my way!

I was watching YouTube videos. This man I was watching has a successful channel where he makes food into art. He travels, he speaks several languages, he paints, he does yoga, he does pottery, he plays musical instruments... and I'm sure the list goes on.

I remember thinking that he definitely does not spend nearly as much time consuming as he does producing. And why would he? There is so many things out there for us to learn and do. We are not going to be on Earth forever. Time is precious.

So I turned off my electronics and did yoga and spent about an hour practicing choreography. And now I'm writing my blog.

So what's my advice to you?

Yes. Take time off. But at the same time, be careful not to tip the scales too far in that direction. Pay attention to how many hours that day you spent consuming (i.e.; video games, TV, social media, shopping, etc.). How many other things could you have done in that time? And when it's the end a milestone, will you be OK with the amount of time you spent consuming?

Be mindful of where you put your energy. Your life is precious. Make the most of it.

I hope this helps and I'll write again soon. (Wednesday, fingers crossed!)

Ang

Here is a link to my previous blog:
8 Benefits Of Eating Fruit

And here is another related blog:
How To Stay Motivated | Quick Fix Entry # 1

8 Benefits Of Eating Fruit

My last blog was food-related. More specifically, it was about how eating fruit can combat cravings.

Fruit it a major part of my diet and I have benefited from it so much by having it as a staple in my diet.

Everyone knows that fruit is good for you. But a lot of people struggle with the idea of sugar. If a chocolate bar is so bad for you due to the high amount of sugar, how is a banana any different?

There are a few things we should look at.

Number 1. There are a lot of other harmful ingredients in chocolate bars and other processed sugary foods. They are high in fat, low in nutrients, and they contain processed, refined sugar.

Fruit on the other hand, is natures candy. Full of vitamins and minerals and healthy carbs to keep you fueled.

Number 2. We need to listen to our bodies and not the latest diet trends in the media. We need to focus on how we feel.

I will now share the changes that happened in my body when I started eating more fruit.

1. Your Digestion Will Improve

A lot of people are under the assumption that it's normal to go to the bathroom once a day or every other day. But this isn't true. Eating more fruit will help you with elimination. It will be easier, take a shorter amount of time, and be more frequent.

2. Hello Abs!

Our bodies are 70-80% diet. Why not make the most of your ab exercises by eating more fruit? Because you're going to the bathroom more often, you will lose that excess belly fat and bloat. Your abs will shine through!

3. You Will Be Hydrated

It's important to drink lots of water. Everyone knows that. Fruit naturally has a high water content so you will find yourself needing to go to the bathroom much more. Extra hydration for the win!

4. Your Skin May Clear

Because you are going to the bathroom more frequently, you are eliminating toxins from your body. This can result in clearer skin.

When I tried eating exclusively fruit during the day, my skin cleared lovely.

5. No More Fatigue

I use to always feel fatigued by mid afternoon. I thought that was normal. When I started eating a high fruit lunch, the fatigue went away and it was replaced by energy and a good mood.

6. You Will Power Through Your Workouts

I don't believe in forcing ourselves through a workout if we don't have the energy. So how do we get the energy? By eating more fruit of course! Don't under estimate the amount of energy this can give you. Especially when you eat enough calories. You will have so much energy to burn that you will want to work out.

7. Your Food Cravings Will Subside

I discuss this in my previous blog which I will link here for more information.

8. You Get To Eat Ice Cream For Lunch

Or anytime of the day. My favorite is to blend frozen bananas, mango and chocolate powder. I add chopped dates and some nuts. If that wouldn't put you in a good mood, I don't know what will.

This is based on my own experience so I would recommend you to do your research and pay attention to your body.

Has anyone else tried this? What changes have you noticed?

Take care,

Ang

Here's a blog about how I achieved clear skin:

If You're Tired Of Treating Acne With Diet... Read This!

How To Stop Cravings Instantly! | Quick Tip Entry # 5

Before we get into this blog... I know. I have been writing a lot of short blogs lately. I decided to increase the days I upload at the same time my work hours increased by about 30 hours a week. So a lot is happening.

I am working on longer entries but I don't want to publish them for the sake of having a longer blog here and there.

I'll find balance soon. Patience and perseverance is key.

 So... on to today's blog.

I wanted to talk about food.

I believe in the power of a healthy diet. I believe we are designed to feel happy and healthy and a pristine diet is one of the most crucial ways to achieve that.

I can't really preach though because my diet isn't perfect. I have cravings and I give in to them a lot. Personally, I find that giving into one craving starts a downward spiral of more cravings.

When I eat junk food, or food with little nutritional value, it doesn't matter how much I eat, I still don't feel full.Well, my stomach feels full but I can't stop eating.

I believe that's because the food is empty calories. They fill your stomach but it doesn't satisfy you in a cellular level. Every cell in your body needs and craves nutrition and that's why we still want more food despite having full stomachs. You keep craving more junk food (because it tastes good, it's comforting, and psychologically and physically addictive) and the cycle ensues.

I remember a couple of years ago I decided to trying eating a mostly raw vegan diet. I ate a plethera of fruit during the day and for supper I would have a cooked meal of pasta, stir fry, potatoes with little to no oil (I'll link a YouTube video for more info). I aimed to eat 2000 calories a day.

Something amazing happened when I did this.

I no longer had cravings. I wasn't just using will power of feeling strong. I had no desire to eat junk food after my meals and in the night. For the first time in my life, I felt satisfied.

It was a liberating experience. I recall feeling emotional. It was so nice to not have my cravings and hungry influenced by the "food" industry.

Last night I was having a craving for the cheesiest, refined carbed supper I could conjure up. I didn't eat right away though which gave me time to think. I realized that for these cravings to end, I need to properly fuel my body. And that it was up to me to make that choice.

So I made a smoothie. Two bananas, mango, wheat grass blend, protein powder. Yes, my cravings stopped. I felt great and I ended up completely an intense yoga practice.

So, my advice to satisfy cravings? Eat lots of calories from fruit and don't forget about your veggies

I hope this helps. And please don't be hard on yourself if make a mistake. It's all a learning process.

Ang

Here's a link to my last blog:

Instant Cure For Anxiety

And another food related blog here:

What Happens To Your Body When You Eat Unhealthy (Again)

Follow my social medias!

Instagram: the.awakened.youth
Twitter: Awakened_Youth1

Learn more about a mostly raw diet here:

How To Eat Raw Food Until Dinner

Instant Cure For Anxiety | Quick Tip Entry # 4

It seems that everyone deals with anxiety nowadays. And for good reason.

We live in a faced paced society. We are more connected with electronics than each other. Our diet isn't the best. We are living to please other people (i.e.; our boss, spouse, parents, etc).

These are a lot of things to change. It could take months or years. And maybe some people can't (or won't) change them.

That's OK. For now, I have an easy and instant solution for anxiety.

Odds are, you're feeling anxiety because of something that may happen. You're thinking about work the next day. You're worried about your exam next month. You're nervous about Tuesday's presentation.

It's OK to feel anxiety over these things. It means you care. If you had a neutral reaction, you may not prepare for your exam or show up for work!

But anxiety is still not a nice feeling. Especially when it keeps you from living in the present moment...

I think I hit the nail on the head that time. "It keeps you from living in the present moment".

My response to that? Put yourself in the present moment. Turn off electronics and get rid of distractions. Sit down and really put all your attention on what is happening right now. The sounds, sights, taste, smells, and feels (LOL). Tell yourself that you are in the present moment.

It takes some practice. You may feel a little uncomfortable at first. But once you really grasp what it means to be in the present moment and do it on a regular basis, you will start to feel better.

For me, it feels like my anxiety instantly disappears. It may come back again a little while, but I'll just bring myself back to the present again. :)

And remember. Just because it doesn't work the first time doesn't mean that it will never work. It's a practice. Keep at it.

Ang

Check out the link to my past previous:

Easy Way To Overcome Difficult Times

If you're interested in learning more about anxiety, check out the following links:

Why You Will Never Be Completely Free Of Anxiety

Does Your Job Give You Anxiety? Don't Distract Yourself... Do This Instead!