Kathy Best – Intuitive Life Coach & Quantum Reiki Master

October 22, 2022

Chronic worry, stress and anxiety can have extremely detrimental effects on physical and emotional health. I know firsthand. I used to be a chronic worrier and always anxious about everything. For years I worried and stressed about finances, jobs, relationships, what people thought of me, how clean or messy my home was, how to please everyone, the future, the past and everything in between. I picked up the only coping mechanisms I was aware of as a child, teen and young adult – food, smoking and drinking – and while they seemed to help at first they only made my anxiety worse in the long run. I developed digestive problems, chronic migraines, infections, exhaustion, depression, and a host of other side-effects. I made the decision over 20 years ago to quit smoking and drinking. (It wasn’t easy and I probably would not have been able to quit if I hadn’t focused on developing a strong spiritual foundation and supportive relationships.) I dedicated myself to the discovery and implementation of holistic wellness. Even so, there can often be long-term side effects from decades of abusing our physical and emotional self. It wasn’t until I started regularly meditating and doing energy work like quantum healing, angel energy sessions, Reiki and consciously changing my expectations and responses to life that my health and well-being improved dramatically.

Causes of Anxiety

So what causes chronic worry and anxiety? According to The Mayo Clinic, Harvard and Medical News Today, there are lots of factors:

• Environmental
• Family structure
• Culture
• Religious upbringing
• Childhood trauma
• Social situations
• Bullying
• Sexual identity
• Gender
• Racial discrimination
• Socioeconomic deprivation
• Medical conditions
• Medications
• Current life situations
• Recreational drug use

Symptoms of Anxiety

People with anxiety can experience a range of physical and psychological symptoms. The most common include:

• feeling nervous, tense, or fearful
• Feelings of apprehension or dread
• Feeling tense or jumpy
• Anticipating the worst and being watchful for signs of danger
• restlessness
• panic attacks
• a rapid heart rate
• fast breathing or hyperventilation
• sweating
• shaking
• fatigue
• weakness
• dizziness
• difficulty concentrating
• sleep problems
• nausea
• feeling faint
• lightheadedness
• tingling
• obsessive thoughts
• feeling too cold or too hot
• chest pain
• compulsive behaviors that aim to reduce the anxiety caused by the thoughts
• periods of temporary relief, which follow the compulsive behaviors
• substance misuse disorders
• suicidal thoughts

Effects of Chronic Anxiety

According to the Mayo Clinic and Medical News Today chronic worry and anxiety can harmfully impact physical and mental health. It can affect the cardiovascular, urinary, digestive, and respiratory systems, and it can increase the risk of chronic infections. Long-term anxiety and stress can lead to:

• Adult ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactive disorder)
• Bipolar disorder
• BDD (body dysmorphic disorder)
• Eating disorders
• Fibromyalgia
• Headaches
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Sleep disorders
• Stress
• Substance abuse
• Heart disease
• Urinary incontinence
• Acid reflux
• Colds flu and infections
• Digestive disorders
• Depression
• Chronic pain conditions
• Struggles with school, work, home and socializing

Solutions to Chronic Anxiety

The good news is there are lots of solutions to help reduce or eliminate chronic anxiety. My favorites are meditation and energy work, like Reiki, Quantum Touch, Tuning Forks and Life Coaching. Addressing bad habits, getting more conscious about our mental chatter, our responses to stress and taking time to look at our triggers and create new patterns, new responses and new behaviors that support our well-being and happiness. Quitting alcohol, cigarettes, caffeine and refined sugar plays a huge role in physical and mental wellness. Diet and exercise are key components in handling stress and anxiety. Herbal remedies like lemon balm, passion flower, rhodiola and schizandra can also do wonders in proper dosage.

• Massage
• Reiki or other healing sessions
• Meditation, Yoga, Qi Gong
• Deep breathing
• Aromatherapy
• Herbal supplements
• Quit Caffeine, Alcohol, Cigarettes
• Counseling or Life Coaching
• Regular Exercise
• Balanced Diet

If you’ve never tried meditation or Reiki I would be honored to give you a session or several. You can call or email me with questions or schedule an appointment on my website:

You can also visit my booth at The Festival of Light on November 5th and 6th or register for an online healing event I am doing with Healing With Yvette. For more information click on the link below: