Anxiety Expert Jennifer Komis Shares Her Therapy Journey
Mindful living improves mental health.
Mindful living improves mental health. Jennifer discusses the impact of anxiety and chronic illness on the body. Jennifer shares her personal experience with Lyme disease and how it led her to adopt a more mindful approach to life.
Before being diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2018, Jennifer was constantly on the go, prioritizing productivity over rest and self-care. She rarely allowed her body to rest or heal, always pushing herself to do more. However, her experience with chronic illness taught her the importance of rest and self-care. She realized that her constant forward motion was contributing to her symptoms.
Jennifer emphasizes the significance of living mindfully to decrease anxiety and improve overall health. By adopting a more mindful approach, she now exercises less, eats healthier, and prioritizes sleep. Surprisingly, she finds that she is physically healthier despite doing less. This serves as a powerful reminder that taking care of your mental and emotional well-being can have a positive impact on your physical health.
Societal pressures contribute to stress and anxiety. The societal expectation to work out intensely, eat super healthy, and constantly push oneself is constantly having us on the go. There is great importance in finding moderation and not beating oneself up for indulging in treats or missing a workout. Optimal health and well-being don’t need to be solely focused on physical achievements but could also consider mental and emotional well-being.
She discusses how she was not believed by doctors and had to seek alternative treatments. She knows the challenges individuals with chronic illnesses face when searching for the right healthcare providers who will listen and provide appropriate treatment. Jennifer echoes this sentiment, emphasizing the need for support and validation from physicians and researchers.
They shed light on the importance of mindful living for mental health and emphasize the need to prioritize rest, self-care, and moderation in daily life. By practicing mindfulness, individuals can reduce anxiety and improve their overall well-being.
Open-mindedness in healthcare choices.
One aspect of mindful living is the importance of being open-minded when it comes to healthcare choices. We discuss our own experiences with functional medicine and how we find it fascinating. There is a need for healthcare providers who have an open mind and are willing to explore different approaches to treatment.
Traditional medicine may sometimes have a narrow focus and may not always have all the answers. Looking for providers who are open to alternative practices and have had success with them can be beneficial for individuals dealing with chronic illness or anxiety.
There are various healthcare practitioners who have been found helpful, including therapists, massage therapists, energy healers, functional medicine doctors, and acupuncturists. There is also an importance of combining Eastern medicine with traditional medicine for a holistic approach to healing.
In their work at the Mindfulness Center, Megan and Jennifer focus on helping clients identify and make conscious their unconscious thoughts and assumptions. They encourage clients to sit with their energy in the present moment, rather than constantly driving it forward or backward. This approach allows individuals to be more restful and present in their lives, reducing anxiety and stress.
There are always choices.
Megan and Jennifer emphasize the idea that there are always choices available to individuals when it comes to their healthcare and overall well-being. They begin by discussing the importance of deciding which thoughts to hold onto and which ones no longer serve a person’s current phase of life. This suggests that individuals have the power to choose their thoughts and beliefs, and that they can actively let go of thoughts that are not beneficial to them.
They then discuss the concept of attachment to certain thoughts and the need to learn how to let go. They use the example of being 16 years old and needing to be faster for a state competition. At that age, it may be possible to achieve that goal, but as a person gets older, their capacity may change.
