Lizard Brain Treats Help You Feel Better Quickly!
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A Lizard Brain Treat is a key intervention to help you feel better now.
When you’re feeling on the edge and having a hard time with acute anxiety and worry, it’s hard to remember what you can do in the moment to help yourself.
If you are experiencing any of the below, try a Lizard Brain Treat! Even though you may not feel hungry, fueling your brain will help you reduce your anxiety and symptoms.
Are you having a panic attack?
Are you uncomfortably anxious or irritated?
Are you waking at 3am in the morning, with your mind racing?
Are you overly or underly emotional for the situation?
Have you not eaten for more than 3 hours?
Do you want to feel better in 10-15 minutes?
Lizard Brain Treats
A Lizard Brain Treat is a snack of sugar (a quick fuel) and protein (a longer lasting fuel). You want the quick fuel to get to your brain almost immediately, which will start to reduce the adrenalin causing you to be in your reactive lizard brain. Following this with protein extends the amount of time you’re in your responsive cortex brain, before needing to re-fuel. Choose one quick fuel and one protein from the lists below – or from your favorite foods.
Ideas for Quick Fuels:
¼ cup of juice
1 piece of hard candy
¼ cup of soda
Honey stick
1 tbl of jelly
Ideas for Protein:
¼ cup of nuts
¼ cup of nuts
A stick of jerky
¼ cup of cottage cheese
2 tbl of peanut (or other nut) butter
Combined sources work too (as long as they aren’t sugar-free)!
½ cup of a protein shake
Protein bar
½ a PB&J sandwich
Generally speaking, your anxiety will drop by 10-20% within 10-15 minutes.
Download this information as a handout and post it on your fridge or keep it near your desk.