 Hello everyone and welcome to depression to expression my name is Scott and today we're talking about seven things You should avoid that will definitely help your anxiety in the long term And some of these are going to help your anxiety in the short term Right away when you implement them after watching this video. I guarantee it now if it doesn't help Please leave me a hate comment in the comment section if you're that type of person and you feel Resentful and angry towards me for wasting your time But I guarantee it that at least one of these is going to help you Tremendously, you know what I really appreciate you click in this video That means you're taking charge of your mental health and that's what we do here on depression to expression We have an honest dialogue about mental health by educating and inspiring people to express themselves freely with confidence and I applaud you for Wanting to take care of yourself when anxiety becomes a little too much. I can empathize with you that it is a very Uncomfortable isn't even the right word. It's a very gross feeling. It's a disgusting feeling It can be a debilitating feeling and a lot of the time we want to add to our lives We want to add things that may help our anxiety, right? We should exercise more We should go to therapy, but we don't really think about things that we should stop doing Right and that's what this video is all about. So again, I welcome you to depression to expression and Let's start with number one. Oh, and if you haven't subscribed, please subscribe number one now This may be obvious to most and maybe not obvious to some but it needs to be said because this is huge when it comes to anxiety And that's coffee. That's caffeine. You have to get rid of it You have to avoid it and hey, I love coffee just as much as the next guy or gal Switch to decaf or switch to something less caffeinated like a green tea Now if you're really prone to anxiety Well, you're gonna have some type of caffeine sensitivity. Most likely you ever meet those people where they can have a coffee after dinner Have an espresso after dinner drink a whole pot in the afternoon and sleep fine We all know these people if I have a coffee after 12 o'clock After 11 o'clock even I can't sleep. I can't sleep and rarely do I have coffee now It's kind of like a little treat. But if I have too much, that's when my anxiety levels The benefits of the taste don't outweigh the cost of feeling like garbage. So number one is caffeine What caffeine really does is it blocks this neurotransmitter transmitter called Adenosine and this this neurotransmitter adenosine is responsible for making you feel sleepy and tired Caffeine works by blocking this baby, right? So when you don't feel sleepy and tired at the right times, guess what now your sleep is gonna be messed up And what happens when you have a bad sleep? A lot of you may say well the next day I feel more anxious sleep is crucial to hitting that reset button and letting your brain rest. So Coffee, please do your best to avoid this. This is number one for a reason This will make a tremendous difference in how you feel The other thing I want to mention too is that there are actually a bunch of disorders mental illnesses that are attached to caffeine consumption Can you believe it or not the DSM 5 the Diagnostics Diagon can I speak today that? Whoo, I'm not gonna cut this the diagnostic statistical manual of mental disorders and Caffeine intoxication is in there as a mental illness caffeine induced anxiety disorder caffeine induced sleep disorder and caffeine withdrawal Very interesting So I think the moral of the story here is those are extremely specific cases that have to do with caffeine if I Can't believe these are these are actually in the DSM as illnesses, but We've all gone through caffeine withdrawal We've all had sleep disorders when we drink too much coffee and we've all had anxiety because of this consumption So my advice not advice my invitation to you because it's worked for me is cut out the caffeine number two I'm gonna stick with the theme of diet for just a few more refined sugar Have you ever had a you know, I'm not gonna lie coca-cola is delicious whole have you ever had a coca-cola and Just it just was very mindful of that taste that beautiful delicious Fizzy bubbly sensation in your mouth that very sweet yet caramel and sour taste going down your esophagus and soothing the lining of your stomach That's really not the reality though. It actually does quite a bit of damage But when we talk about anxiety and refined sugars what you're doing is you're you're having your blood sugar level spike And what that does is basically the same same as caffeine. It's going to give you that rush that instant gratification that instant spike of energy and then you're going to crash and what happens during the spike of energy is a Lot of you know Sometimes if you're very sensitive to caffeine and refined sugar It can almost give you a feeling of a panic attack a very light panic attack And what happens and even if you have the smallest sensation of anxiety or panic Then you start panicking about the panic and that just escalates things and makes things worse So I would really recommend getting rid of refined sugar now If you go in your grocery store almost everything has added sugar and it can be difficult to avoid But if you're drinking soda pop If you're if you're eating gummy bears and gummy worms and anything gummy yummy if you're eating anything sour You know just just get rid of the stuff in packages and the candies and going to your local bulk barn and filling up ten bags Hey, I love candy. I love cake. I love sugar But when it comes to anxiety Getting rid of that has been a blessing. So there was this study that I just want to talk about in 2008 and 2009 That was ten years ago. Now. I'm getting a panic attack because holy crap. What have I done with my life? Oh, I can't believe that was ten years ago. That is that's something it doesn't feel like that so what they did with these rats is one was fed sucrose and The others were fed this high antioxidant honey still lots of sugar in it But you have the natural sugar versus versus the the refined sugar and what happened was these rats displayed Symptoms and signs of anxiety and stress right away and what happened was they all so fast And they wouldn't eat their regular food for quite some time versus the rats that had the honey Metabolized it faster and we're hungry once again with really no signs of anxiety So, you know, we always look to rats for these kinds of experiments But experiment for yourself. See how you feel getting rid of refined sugars. I guarantee you you will feel better number three Things that you should avoid that will help anxiety is rumination Wow If you've you've met me in person, you'd probably want to punch me in the face Scott Of course, I know I shouldn't be ruminating. Of course. I know I shouldn't be thinking about the future overthinking That's why I'm watching the video It is so difficult to stop thinking about the future Obviously, if we knew how to avoid this, we wouldn't be here in the first place, right? But let me just give you a perspective about rumination rumination just just to find as being In thought being deep in thought and thinking about something and when we think about anxiety We're really considering what's going to happen in the future. Can I predict the future? Do I know what's going to happen? Can I think about every single scenario? What if that happens? Okay, how am I going to react if that happens? You know, I see that person What am I going to say and if okay the location changes here with this event? Am I going to be comfortable here? Do I have an escape route? Do I have someone to call if that happens? Okay, Uber is going to be cancelled that night. The rates are going to be higher So did I just get a regular cab or should I call my mom and dad to pick me up? You try to plan and plan and plan but the truth is we're not fortune tellers when you find yourself ruminating The biggest thing to do is first of all be self-aware know that oh my gosh I'm still thinking about this and that's when we need to have a pattern break. That's when you need to change your environment Immediately it doesn't help to go from one cushion on the couch to another and think that your thoughts are going to change What I challenge you to do to avoid rumination is To change your environment go outside for a walk right away. Do something physical Go play tennis with a friend call a friend, but change your immediate Environment okay, it's difficult to stay in the same place and think that your mind is going to change instant change instantly Right, I challenge you to change your environment, and that's one thing we all have to do a better job at is ruminating Circling around the same situation the same thought over and over and over again and guess where it gets you It doesn't get you anywhere because the event hasn't happened yet And what you probably have realized by now is by ruminating over something and worrying over something The thought is usually worse than the actual event that's going to happen once something happens that you've been worried about You're probably like oh my gosh I can't believe I worried for a week about that presentation now that it's done that wasn't so bad It's like home alone Macaulay Culkin Kevin McAllister talking to the old man He's like I used to be scared of basements, and then I or my basement Then I had to go to the basement to do some laundry and once you turn on the lights. It's not so bad, right? So, you know think about how the thought is always going to be worse than the actual scenario and have a pattern break Change your environment, so I'm doing this video without the AC on because then you'd have the fan of the background And it's really annoying So give this video a thumbs up if you appreciate me sweating for you Now I got to do the laundry and I got to change my clothes and my back is just soaked. I love you all number four social media Avoid social media Especially Instagram now there have been studies with elementary school kids and also high school kids where they've been asked and there's been Surveys and I can I'm gonna put the links to all of these resources in the description below if you're curious all Resources below as well as all my social media links, huh? But but seriously they've done studies where they ask elementary school students and high school students Compared to each platform and what you use what makes you feel most anxious afterwards? What makes you feel better about yourself and what makes you feel worse? What makes you feel worse? Instagram is always at the top of the list because it and we all know this it it Just adds to that sense that you're not doing a good job in your life that you're not enough that you play this Comparison game with other people that you're scrolling by and that's debilitating that of course that makes you anxious We don't need scientific proof Ask yourself. Oh my gosh. I'm seeing all of these people on vacations I'm seeing all of these highlight reels and now I'm asking myself Holy crap. What am I doing with my life? Talk about a trip out What have I been doing for the past year that person already owns a house? They've already had kids and here I am single and I'm gonna I'm an account coordinator for a social media agency God damn. What am I doing with my life? It's very easy to make those comparisons What I would do and what I'm suggesting is avoid social media altogether if you can see how you feel if you think you're Not addicted get rid of it for a week If you think you're not addicted to social media, don't use it for one whole week now If you know you're addicted and you love using it, maybe just use it less frequently Right check your Instagram twice a day three times a day versus 50 take slow, you know back it out by increments Okay, I check it 50 times a day. I'll do 25 tomorrow. I'll do 20 next week I'll do you know five by the end of next month. Okay, these Instagram there's been studies over study over study over study saying that Instagram is not benefiting people's mental health and We don't need to think about why it's so obvious It's so obvious. We're constantly connected to other people that we're not connected to in reality Have you ever been just scrolling through your phone and thinking what the hell am I doing? You're looking at other people's lives pixels on a screen there's There's people in front of you in real life, and there's trees and there's things to do and and you're just Flipping through it's a strange world. We live in number five avoid your ass Run away from your ass. Stop using your ass Scott what do you mean? I can't go to the bathroom. No, I mean get moving stop sitting Stop sitting so much. We sit a lot and again actually worse. Hey, I'm gonna use my backdrop here There is a book spark that I would really recommend if you check out the video the bookshelf tour I go through every one of these books I have on this shelf The revolutionary new science of exercise in the brain. It is so clear Study after study. We need we don't have to do studies anymore We know that exercise does wonders for depression and we know exercise helps anxiety tremendously anxiety is an illness and anxiety can be Can hold symptoms that have Extreme power and extreme energy that you need to express That's the name of the channel. You need to express these things if you're feeling anxious Sometimes deep breathing while you're sitting Sometimes that's the right move other times you have so much pent up energy. You feel so tense You your muscles contract you feel like you just need to explode So you do it Your body is telling you something go for a run go for a walk Avoid your ass number six avoid alcohol. I know it's not fun Did you know in in the United States? 20% of people who have a social anxiety disorder also have an alcohol abuse problem That's that's a large amount because we know when we feel anxious have a shot or two You feel relaxed, right? You're not as worried about other people. This is a short-term solution to a problem that is Treatable in other more healthy ways and if you're like me if you drink to avoid facing your fears and avoid Not maybe avoid but temporarily Lower your anxiety levels. I can't blame you. I can't blame you. I've done it before it Anxiety it can be so debilitating and so gross that you just want to get rid of it So you take a few shots the next morning personally. I'm always a hundred times as anxious Always so ask yourself is alcohol really solving the problem is alcohol solving the problem Are you dependent on alcohol as a solution to this anxiety? So I would avoid it all together and look for more healthy solutions number seven saving the best for last and It's pornography avoid porn avoid porn I Know and this is out to the this is this is a shout out to the men and women we watch porn and you know what I Think personal testimony is just as powerful in this case as the science and there's plenty of science check out The description below for your brain on porn Resources there's TED talks. There's all sorts of studies Studying your brain on porn what it does to brain chemistry how it? I'm not going to say ruins it inhibits your way to function as well as you really could it hides you from your potential Just think of what porn does to your brain You're thinking your body's thinking that there's there's a mate in front of you and that you're about to have sex and Doing this multiple times a day. You have dopamine depletion, right? You become insensitive to you become desensitized to Porn you used to watch so you need to go more hardcore a lot of erectile dysfunction There is a result of of people watching too much porn think about how that could cause anxiety for you and your partner now There's a subreddit called nofap if you want to check it out It's also in the description below and there's people that avoid porn and masturbation together but there's also people that just stopped watching porn and personal testimony in this case blows my mind it is Amazing how people's lives have been turned around The they they say that their their concentration has increased Their their willpower their motivation their their energy levels it's Unbelievable what getting rid of porn can do for your brain and the social anxiety symptoms that have been Improved by getting rid of porn Just check out the subreddit. You'll be amazed at what people are writing and if you suffer from social anxiety or anxiety Pornography is definitely something I would urge you to avoid so that's it seven things that I would encourage you to experiment with Eliminate for just a certain timeframe and see how you feel now I would have made that the title of the video but YouTube wouldn't allow it so experiment with these seven things and Just literally jot down in a journal. Okay. Have an ad refined sugar in one day feel terrible because I'm going through some Carb withdrawal. How do you feel after three days? How about a week? Okay? I didn't use Instagram for a day or two I'm really craving it, but at the same time. I finally noticed the trees outside my window today, right? Journal it see how you feel and and write back to me Let me know so on behalf of everyone at depression to expression Which is me and all of the patrons who support this channel all the links are below if you want to support this channel Thank you so much for watching. Stay strong Keep being you and don't forget to express yourself