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Maybe This is Why You’re Anxious

Maybe This is Why You’re Anxious

by | Nov 2, 2016 | Anxiety, Purpose |

Teray Garchitorena Kunishi, ND

Dr. Teray offers natural and integrative programs for healing anxiety & depression, chronic fatigue, and digestive conditions. She is a licensed naturopathic doctor, wellness coach, author, and creator of the Deeply Happy Expert Series. She serves clients globally via phone and video consultation.
Get in touch at http://www.deeplyhappy.com/contact/

Latest posts by Teray Garchitorena Kunishi, ND (see all)

The bombardment in Syria. Climate change. Poverty. Racial injustice. Corruption. Make no mistake, there are problems in the world. Terrible, serious problems. I bring these up not because I want you become more anxious and depressed. I’m saying this because, as a living, feeling, and loving human being, you may be more aware of global problems than you realize. Your pervading feeling of dread, grief, or sorrow may not be an illness to be medicated away. It could be a calling from the earth itself; from no less than the human family to which you and I both belong. Will you continue to let it eat you up? Or will you step up to play your part, whatever it might be? I once attended the screening of a documentary by the Pachamamma Alliance – a partnership between westerners and Ecuadorian indigenous people. Their mission is to transform the most environmentally destructive activities on the planet. It was an inspiring video. Afterwards, a woman I spoke to said: I’ve been in therapy for years, but I think I’ve just been tapping in to the pain of the planet being destroyed. Could it be the same for you? It’s hard to think about everything that’s wrong in the world – or even in your personal life. It’s overwhelming to realize that your actions may not be enough to create change. But what I’ve found is that anxiety and overwhelm are rooted in trying to take in too much at once. Wanting to solve too many concerns RIGHT NOW. When the truth is, you can only attend to one thing at a...
What To Do With All That Advice

What To Do With All That Advice

by | Jun 10, 2016 | Anxiety, Books, insecurity, Research, Uncategorized |

Teray Garchitorena Kunishi, ND

Dr. Teray offers natural and integrative programs for healing anxiety & depression, chronic fatigue, and digestive conditions. She is a licensed naturopathic doctor, wellness coach, author, and creator of the Deeply Happy Expert Series. She serves clients globally via phone and video consultation.
Get in touch at http://www.deeplyhappy.com/contact/

Latest posts by Teray Garchitorena Kunishi, ND (see all)

There’s no shortage of advice in the world. Everywhere you turn, someone is telling you the absolute best way to do live your life. Someone says, “Antidepressants are dangerous!” Another piece tells you, “Stop shaming people for taking meds for depression.” Then you read, “People take drugs for diabetes, why shouldn’t you take it for depression? They are both diseases.” “Vegetarians are less depressed.” “Paleo cured my depression.” And something inside you freaks out. I fall into this trap when it comes to baby-raising advice. When one popular baby sleep book stated that “by twelve weeks, your baby should be able sleep up to 10 hours straight”, I could almost feel my blood pressure rising. I’m lucky if baby K does five!!!  I thought frantically. Ever get that feeling? You’re gripped with the fear that you’re doing it wrong. This literally raises cortisol (your stress hormone), because of the sense of urgency created. Interestingly, elevated cortisol is commonly found in depressed and anxious people. Here’s what I do to stay sane and happy amidst the deluge: I hold it all very lightly. Holding it lightly means to take it in…and then pull back and remember that you are figuring out things as best you can. Naturally, even as I write this, the mean voice in my head snarks, “Well, if you didn’t hold it all so lightly, you’d probably be farther along by now!” What does your inner mean voice say? Pull back and hold that lightly as well. In practical terms, it means snapping that baby sleep book shut, setting it aside, and observing where my baby is...
That Moment When Everyone is Secretly Laughing at You

That Moment When Everyone is Secretly Laughing at You

by | Jun 7, 2015 | Anxiety, Enoughness, insecurity, Inspiration |

Teray Garchitorena Kunishi, ND

Dr. Teray offers natural and integrative programs for healing anxiety & depression, chronic fatigue, and digestive conditions. She is a licensed naturopathic doctor, wellness coach, author, and creator of the Deeply Happy Expert Series. She serves clients globally via phone and video consultation.
Get in touch at http://www.deeplyhappy.com/contact/

Latest posts by Teray Garchitorena Kunishi, ND (see all)

If you’re like me, you’ve experienced the fear of looking like a total idiot. It comes up when you’re about to stick your neck out for something you believe in. Or when you’re about to reveal a part of yourself for the first time. Or you’re about to launch a new project that you want badly to succeed. It can happen at a gathering where you don’t know many people, and everyone seems so much cooler and more sophisticated than you. This happened to me, years ago, at a beach party with some new friends. I was having a good time letting my hair down, cutting loose, and dancing, as they say, like no one was watching. Suddenly, I was overcome by a wave of self-consciousness. I was sure that I looked ridiculous, and that the people around me were laughing at me behind my back. Just as I was about to get sucked into a spiral of doubt and insecurity, I noticed something: Nobody was actually looking at me. And then I realized: Everyone’s too caught up in their own inner drama to pay that much attention to me. And I relaxed. I remind myself of that incident everytime my fear of looking dumb threatens to take me out. Why am I sharing this? Because I want you to stop obsessing over whether you’re keeping up, or acting cool enough.  Stop stressing about whether you’re “good enough” according to someone else’s standard. Because A: they’re probably not paying that much attention. And B: It’s distracting you from the inner voice that is guiding you on your true path.  In...
The Most Important Thing About Bruce Jenner’s Confession

The Most Important Thing About Bruce Jenner’s Confession

by | Apr 27, 2015 | Anxiety, Depression, gender, Happiness, identity, Satisfaction |

Teray Garchitorena Kunishi, ND

Dr. Teray offers natural and integrative programs for healing anxiety & depression, chronic fatigue, and digestive conditions. She is a licensed naturopathic doctor, wellness coach, author, and creator of the Deeply Happy Expert Series. She serves clients globally via phone and video consultation.
Get in touch at http://www.deeplyhappy.com/contact/

Latest posts by Teray Garchitorena Kunishi, ND (see all)

Last week, Bruce Jenner, once hailed as the greatest athlete in the world, an all American hero, and father to the most famous reality TV stars, admitted to Diane Sawyer that he is “for all intents and purposes, a woman.” In so doing, he brought the word “transgender” into the national conversation like never before. But what struck me most were not the fascinating revelations about his sexuality and gender. Despite the sensational topic, the most important thing about Bruce Jenner’s confession is that it represents an essentially human struggle: Keeping who you truly are a secret, for fear of being shamed, rejected, or worse. Jenner pointed out the symbolism of his Olympic track and field triumphs: “I was literally running away from all this stuff.” While the world saw the face of success and victory, he saw confusion, and the trap of public identity. He kept his true gender a secret, because he didn’t want to disappoint people who expected him to be someone else. He experienced depression, and at one point, considered suicide. Because it seemed so much easier than facing the truth. Here’s the beautiful part about his journey – he finally realized that he needed to come forward with who he truly was. “I would be so mad at myself if I didn’t explore that side of me…I want to know how this story ends.” Knowing who you truly are and being honest about it, despite the fear of rejection: this is one of the deepest yearnings of your heart. Your soul demands it – at first quietly, and then, if you ignore it, more urgently. Often it comes in the form of dissatisfaction, anxiety or sorrow…an insistent voice that says “This isn’t it. This isn’t you.”...

Taking Over-the-Counter Sleep Aids? They Could Be Putting You at Risk.

by | Feb 28, 2015 | Alzheimer's, Anxiety, Dementia, Insomnia, Medication, Panic, Sleep, Supplements, Uncategorized |

Teray Garchitorena Kunishi, ND

Dr. Teray offers natural and integrative programs for healing anxiety & depression, chronic fatigue, and digestive conditions. She is a licensed naturopathic doctor, wellness coach, author, and creator of the Deeply Happy Expert Series. She serves clients globally via phone and video consultation.
Get in touch at http://www.deeplyhappy.com/contact/

Latest posts by Teray Garchitorena Kunishi, ND (see all)

If you’ve used an over the counter sleep aid in the last year, you’re not alone. Millions of Americans use brands like Zzzquil or  Simply Sleep. These medications contain the active ingredients diphenhydramine HCL, and according to the latest in a string of studies, those who use them may be at a greater risk for developing Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Why? These medications suppress the activity of a part of the brain called the cholinergic system. The cholinergic system keeps synapses firing, triggering alertness, memory and muscle tone. This is why a common side effect of diphenhydramine HLC (also the active ingredient in Benadryl) is drowsiness. The problem is, it’s precisely the cholinergic system that seems to be in decline with dementia – and this is why Alzheimer’s drugs are called “pro-cholinergics.” Because of the latest data, researchers are now warning against the prolonged use of these seemingly-safe medications. Even occasional use, over time, may have a cumulative effect. Thankfully, there are many natural remedies that support restful sleep, without suppressing this valuable part of the nervous system. Here are five sleep-supportive supplements that I use regularly with my patients: Melatonin – This is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland, in response to darkness. It helps you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and also appears to have antioxidant qualities. It is an essential part of your circadian (day/night) rhythm and is great for jet lag. Pro tip: Exposure to light suppresses melatonin. Turn down overhead lights, and stop looking at computer or phone screens, at least 2 hours before you want to fall asleep. L-Theanine – An amino acid found in green tea,...

Five Audiobooks That Saved My Sanity

by | Jan 29, 2015 | Anxiety, Audiobooks, Books, Depression, Inspiration, Support |

Teray Garchitorena Kunishi, ND

Dr. Teray offers natural and integrative programs for healing anxiety & depression, chronic fatigue, and digestive conditions. She is a licensed naturopathic doctor, wellness coach, author, and creator of the Deeply Happy Expert Series. She serves clients globally via phone and video consultation.
Get in touch at http://www.deeplyhappy.com/contact/

Latest posts by Teray Garchitorena Kunishi, ND (see all)

One of the things that really helped me recover from depression was a commitment to saturate myself with inspiring and uplifting ideas. I was viewing everything though a lens of despair, anger and inadequacy. I remembered being a positive person once, and wanted to find that part of me again. Can you relate? In addition to getting 1-1 support, and seeking out friends who were also on a mission to find themselves, my day-to-day lifesaver was listening to audiobooks. Audiobooks are awesome because they turn your long commute into a chance to gain insight and encouragement. They make chores and even workouts go by so much more quickly. Did I mention the inspiration and upliftment? Look, you’re busy, and sometimes sitting down for a few hours with a inspiring book is just not gonna happen. But that doesn’t mean you need to miss out some of the most transformational work out there. Here are my top five audiobooks for coming back to life: Effortless Success by Michael Neill        I picked up this audiobook because, despite outward appearances to the contrary, I felt like a failure. I was also exhausted all the time, so effortless sounded good to me.       The best part about this recording is that it’s not a laundry list of to-dos for achieving success. He teaches a simple method for discovering what truly lights you up, a technique I’ve since adapted to the work I do with clients.        If you’re overwhelmed by the high expectations you’ve set for yourself, give this one a listen. The Power of Vulnerability by Brene Brown,      If you were raised to...