Small Changes That Actually Support Anxiety (Without Overhauling Your Life)
When Anxiety Becomes Part of Everyday Life
If anxiety feels like a constant hum (or loud screeching noise!) in the background of your day, you’re not alone. Many women, especially during busy, stressful or hormonally sensitive times in life (think motherhood, perimenopause, the luteal phase of your menstrual cycle even), may notice anxiety creeping in for the first time. It may not be dramatic or obvious but rather it’s persistent, draining and quietly overwhelming.
You might already be doing all the right things - eating fairly well, taking supplements, moving your body when you have time and trying to rest when you can to get some ‘you’ time. Yet your nervous system still feels on edge. This doesn’t mean you’re failing or that you need to try harder. It often means your body needs gentler, more consistent support and not another life overhaul.
Why Big or Inconsistent Changes Can Make Anxiety Worse
When anxiety is present, the nervous system is already under strain for any number of reasons - maybe it’s work related, financial, an ongoing relationship issue or even nutritional deficiencies. Adding in rigid routines, strict food rules or making major lifestyle changes can unintentionally increase pressure, and with it, stress and feeling anxious. Anxiety responds best to safety, predictability and regular, nourishing meals. That’s why small, realistic shifts often have a greater impact than sweeping changes. They work with your nervous system rather than against it.
How Nutrition Influences Anxiety
Anxiety isn’t always psychological. It’s also closely linked to blood sugar balance, nutrient availability, gut health and hormone signalling. When the body is undernourished, overstimulated or out of a routine, the nervous system is more likely to stay in a heightened state of alert.
Supporting anxiety through nutrition isn’t about perfection, it’s about consistency and adequacy - regularly nourishing your body with what it needs to feel safe. Here are a few gentle, sustainable changes that can make a meaningful difference over time.
1. Support Blood Sugar Levels by Eating at Regular Intervals.
Long gaps between meals can increase cortisol and adrenaline, making you feel shaky, irritable and anxious. This doesn’t mean you need to continually snack throughout the day, as this can worsen blood sugar highs and lows if snacks are based on sugar and carbohydrates. It’s more about having 3 regular, balanced meals which have a foundation of protein and fibre to provide you with the energy and feeling of fullness to get you easily through to the next meal.
Fasting overnight is fine as it is what the body was designed to do and gives your digestive system a rest too, but eating within an hour or so of waking signals to the body it is safe. Trying to eat at similar times each day sets a routine, meaning stability and a regulated nervous system.
2. Prioritise Protein Earlier in the Day
Starting the day with 20-30g protein at breakfast (and with each meal) can help steady blood sugar and mood as well as support neurotransmitter production, which plays a role in mood regulation. Getting more protein in doesn’t have to be complicated. Think 2-3 eggs on toast or an omelette (each egg has 6g protein), Greek yogurt with some fruit and seeds, scrambled tofu with avocado, or a smoothie or pancakes made with protein powder if that is easier for you. Aim to get as much protein as you can from whole food sources - avoiding or limiting highly processed packaged snacks, bars and drinks that market themselves as high protein - they tend to have lots of additives, fillers, sugars or artificial sweeteners to make them edible.
Reducing blood sugar spikes by including protein with each meal can set a calmer tone for the rest of the day for both your body and mind.
3. Slowly Reduce Stimulants (Without Cutting Them Out)
For some people, caffeine can amplify feelings of anxiousness, especially during times of hormonal change or stress. This can be very individual, with some women feeling the effects of caffein after one coffee, and others needing 2 or 3 for the same effect. Some women may like to try removing caffeine entirely to see how their anxiety feels without it (if this is the case reduce it gradually over a few days and weeks, rather than going cold turkey). However if you want to keep your morning cup of coffee going (as many of us do!), consider waiting an hour after waking to let that natural morning cortisol spike go down before adding in the caffeine, reduce the cups (or strength) of coffee you have each day, or perhaps try swapping coffee for a green or black tea for a more gentle caffeine hit.
Coffee can have have amazing health benefits so the goal here isn’t restriction - it’s about awareness and understanding - being aware of how much caffeine you are having each day from all sources (from coffee, tea, energy drinks etc) and understanding how it might be impacting your mood and anxiety levels.
4. Include Foods That Support the Nervous System
Certain nutrients play a key role in mood and nervous system regulation, including magnesium, iron, zinc, vitamin D, calcium, B vitamins, vitamin C and omega-3 fats. Deficiencies, or in some cases excesses, of these nutrients have been linked to mood and anxiety symptoms. Having your nutrient levels checked through a blood test, and supplementing accordingly when deficient, can be a good place to begin.
I would also recommend including a variety of nourishing foods in your meals each day to optimise the nutrients you are getting from different sources. This includes leafy greens, colourful veggies (including root veggies), wholegrains, nuts, seeds, legumes, oily fish, chicken, eggs, seafood and dairy products.
5. Eat in a Calm State
When eating your meals, try and do so in a calm state. Take a few deep breaths before eating, chew your food mindfully, take your time when eating and avoid external stimulation where possible. Eating and socialising with others can also help to put the body in a relaxed state to eat.
This helps reduce feelings of anxiety in itself and supports your digestive system to work more effectively, meaning your body digests and absorbs food more efficiently and you get the most out of the nutrients you are eating.
6. Create One Small Moment of Calm Each Day
Nutrition sets a great foundation for a calmer body and mind, but it doesn’t work alone and is best paired with gentle nervous system support and talk therapies. This doesn’t mean you have to do hours of meditation, long routines or wait weeks for your next counselling session before starting to work on your anxiety. It could be as simple as drinking your morning tea or coffee while sitting in nature (a garden, balcony, park or even just looking out of the window), taking some deep breaths while stuck in traffic or on the train, noticing when and where your body is tense and trying to purposefully relax it, going for a walk while noticing what is going on around you or catching up with a friend. These moments help signal safety to the body, working alongside the benefits of the nutritional foundation to reduce feelings of anxiety.
When to Seek Personalised Support
If anxiety feels persistent, or if you’re navigating postpartum recovery, perimenopause, or chronic stress, personalised support can help you understand why your body is responding the way it is. Anxiety is often a warning signal we are sending ourselves so it is our job to notice why and what is causing it. A whole-person approach considers not just what you’re eating, but how your life, hormones, and emotional load interact with your health.
Supporting anxiety doesn’t require a complete lifestyle overhaul. Small, gentle and consistent changes can help your nervous system feel steadier, safer and more supported. You’re not broken. You’re not behind. Your body is simply asking for care that meets you where you are.
If you’d like support creating a nutrition approach that feels supportive, realistic and aligned with your life, you’re welcome to click here to book a discovery call or explore my current consultation packages.
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