) SLEEP. Kyle didn't have a sleep routine. He stayed up late and went to bed at random hours each night, checking his laptop and cell phone while he was laying in bed. He also occasionally drank coffee and energy drinks late in the day, which gave him a boost of caffeine that remained in his bloodstream for several hours. My recommendations: Set a daily reminder on your phone to GET READY FOR BED at the same time every night (say, 9:30pm). Drop whatever you're doing, brush your teeth, change out of your clothes, then get in bed. Don't stare at bright lights (i.e. screens) for at least one hour before going to bed. Plug your cell phone charger far away from your bedroom, so you can't be tempted to check it while lying in bed. Download the Flux app (justgetflux.com) to have your computer screen automatically turn off the blue light in the monitor and switch over to an amber hue in the evening. Cover up all the windows in your room. Make your room as pitch black as possible (cover up any source of light, including digital clocks and the light on fire alarms) and lower the temperature (68 degrees is ideal). Finally, take a 20-minute nap after lunch, laying on your back and covering your eyes with a pillow (I do this every single day). Don't TRY to fall asleep; just observe the rhythm of your breathing so you can relax. Avoid alcohol during the week (it disrupts your sleep if you drink within 4 hours of going to bed) and DON'T drink caffeine past 4pm. 2) DIET. Kyle is mostly vegetarian and believes he's eating healthy. He mostly eats fruit, vegetables, tofu, and sandwiches. He drinks water, Diet Coke, and coffee. He rarely eats meat, avoids food with tons of sugar, and limits his drinking to a few beers on the weekends. But there are a number of problems with his diet: (1) He's consuming toxic and unnatural substances every day -- specifically food and drinks that contain gluten, which tears up the intestines and drastically lowers energy levels, and drinks with caffeine and aspartame, which fuel his anxiety. (2) He is completely deprived of healthy sources of FAT (critical to keeping the brain functioning properly), and vital nutrients that can only be obtained by ingesting animal sources. My recommendations: Don't eat or drink anything with wheat / gluten for six weeks (no bread, pasta, pizza, beer, ketchup, mustard, soy sauce, BBQ sauce, processed meats). Check the label for the words "wheat" and "gluten" before you eat anything (when I went 40 days without gluten, my energy and happiness went through the roof). Here's how I eat during each meal now- I have one "happy" meat source (cage-free eggs, grass-fed beef, etc.), eat a ton of one type of vegetable, and have a handful of a healthy side (like blueberries or almonds). I also aim to eat a lot of fat at lunch and dinner by cooking with Kerrygold butter or coconut oil. I only drink water, coconut water, or tea (no milk-based drinks, sodas, and limited caffeine). If you want, you can cheat for one day of the week with wine, hard alcohol, chocolate, etc. Just don't have wheat or anything with gluten for six weeks. It's a challenge, but it's totally worth it. 3) FIXING NUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES. I can almost guarantee Kyle is deficient in vitamin B-12, which can only be obtained through meat or supplements. B-12 is extremely important, because if you don't have enough, your anxiety is amplified and your brain ages twice as fast (yikes). When I got my micronutrient test, I discovered I was massively deficient in B-12, even though I was eating meat regularly! Once I started supplementing, I felt less anxious and less fatigued within one week. Kyle might be deficient in a few other key nutrients, which are rapidly depleted when a person's mind and body go through extended periods of stress. My recommendations: If you can afford it, get a micronutrient deficiency test through your doctor or a lab testing service (anylabtestnow.com). But if you can't, I'd suggest taking a vitamin-B complex pill and fish oil every day for the next month (which will cost you roughly $1.33 per day). Those are two of the most common deficiencies that anxious people have. I take TwinLab's Stress B Complex Caps ($20), and Coromega Omega-3 Squeeze Packets ($20). You can find them both on Amazon or at Whole Foods. Within 30 days, your brain will feel much more at peace. 4) PLAY / EXERCISE. Kyle is sedentary for most of the day, because his work requires him to sit and type. He goes on long runs a few times each week, but thinks he should be exercising more. For fun, he goes out with friends to movies and concerts, and enjoys reading at home. He feels anxious around people, and worries about "cracking" (making a fool of himself, breaking down). My recommendations: Exercise is SO important for curbing anxiety (I try to lift heavy weights 3-4 times per week). But exercise isn't sustainable if it feels like a miserable chore. Exercise should be fun; it needs to be play! Running can be fun for some people, but for me, it's torture. That's why I play homerun derby, catch, basketball, and other games that are fun and mildly competitive. If you're going to run, do it while playing a sport -- sprinting in short bursts is much better than jogging (who looks healthier in the Olympics: long-distance runners or sprinters?) Sign up for a co-ed sport where you'll have to run around and wear yourself out (you'll get to have guilt-free fun each week and make friends this way). Or just buy an Aerobie flying ring ($9 on Amazon) and play catch with a buddy. And when it comes to social anxiety, it's extremely easy to stave that off by spending more time around loving people who accept you and want to have fun. Make the effort to see someone you care about every day, and bond with them while playing. Oh, and stay off your cell phone - stop Instagramming your play and just PLAY! 5) CUTTING OUT THE NEWS. Kyle finds himself reading/watching news stories about school shootings, local crime, corruption, the wavering economy, etc. And even though it makes him feel scared, he believes it's important to stay informed. The TV programs he regularly watches are about zombies and the apocalypse. He also plays video games about war, like Call of Duty. My recommendations: The thoughts you allow into your conscious mind determine the quality of your life. You are what you think. And if you give the news permission to determine what you're thinking about, I GUARANTEE you are going to feel scared, depressed, and anxious. That's because it's in the news' financial interest to shock you and grab your attention; they only stay in business when you see their advertisements! If you're still under the assumption that you need to know "the truth" and that you can actually get it from the news or some conspiracy website, it's time to let go of the witch hunt. You will never know for sure what's going on in the world -- ever -- but that lack of knowledge shouldn't affect how you live your life RIGHT NOW. Stop worrying about the news, it's just noise. Make a conscious effort to cut the news and other scary content out of your life, and replace it with things that will make you happy (positive books, uplifting music, inspiring films -- anything but anxiety-inducing content). Only allow good stuff into your mind; keep the stuff that makes you feel bad out (at least for the next month). # # # And those are my top 5 anxiety killers: - Sleep - Diet - Fixing nutrient deficiencies - Play / Exercise - Cutting out the news