Why You Should Quit Sugar, Appreciate Anxiety, and Experiment With Everything | Sarah Wilson

The video is an interview with Sarah Wilson, a bestselling author and philanthropist, discussing her journey with anxiety and bipolar disorder, her decision to quit sugar, and her belief in experimenting with different approaches to life.

The video features an interview with Sarah Wilson, a bestselling author and philanthropist, who discusses her journey with anxiety and bipolar disorder. She talks about how she shifted her perspective on anxiety from seeing it as a disorder to embracing it as a part of her and thriving because of it. Wilson also discusses the importance of quitting sugar and experimenting with different approaches to improve one's health and mental wellbeing. The interview delves into Wilson's book, "First, We Make the Beast Beautiful," which explores her seven-year journey to find a more beautiful way to live with anxiety.

• Sarah Wilson experienced numbness, mania, depression, and feeling stuck all at the same time.
• She adopted the notion of experimenting and seeing what happens as her motto for the next 10 years.
• The beast is essentially anxiety, and people have grown up with the idea that anxiety is a disorder that should be shut down or eliminated.
• Sarah Wilson decided to quit sugar after being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease.
• Sarah Wilson believes in experimenting with different approaches to life.
• Sarah was diagnosed with childhood anxiety disorder and bipolar disorder at 21.
• Sugar is addictive and affects the brain in the same way as drugs.
• Anxiety is a natural response to stress and can be helpful in certain situations.
• Experimenting with different approaches to life can help find what works best for each individual.

Why You Should Quit Sugar, Appreciate Anxiety, and Experiment With Everything | Sarah Wilson - YouTube

Sarah Wilson's Journey with Anxiety and Bipolar Disorder

• Sarah Wilson experienced numbness, mania, depression, and feeling stuck all at the same time.
• She was lying on her bedroom floor, ready to die, and saw emptiness when she looked at herself in the mirror.
• A thought dropped into her head, suggesting she start again with just the clothes on her back and do it her way.
• She adopted the notion of experimenting and seeing what happens as her motto for the next 10 years.
• She has bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and general anxiety since the age of 11.

The Beast: Anxiety and Making It Beautiful

• The beast is essentially anxiety, and people have grown up with the idea that anxiety is a disorder that should be shut down or eliminated.
• Sarah Wilson went on a seven-year journey to find a more beautiful way to deal with anxiety.
• She wanted to create a conversation around not just living with anxiety but thriving because of it.
• Throughout history, many great thinkers, including poets, scientists, artists, and philosophers, had bipolar disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
• Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder that sees people swing from mania through to depression.

Quitting Sugar

• Sarah Wilson decided to quit sugar after being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease.
• She found that quitting sugar helped her manage her anxiety and bipolar disorder.
• She started the "I Quit Sugar" initiative and donated all of the profits to charity.
• Quitting sugar is not just about cutting out sugar but also about changing one's relationship with food.
• Quitting sugar can help people feel more in control of their lives and improve their mental health.

Why You Should Quit Sugar, Appreciate Anxiety, and Experiment With Everything | Sarah Wilson - YouTube

Experimenting with Different Approaches to Life

• Sarah Wilson believes in experimenting with different approaches to life.
• She has tried various approaches to managing her anxiety and bipolar disorder, including medication and therapy.
• She has also experimented with different diets, exercise routines, and mindfulness practices.
• She encourages people to find what works for them and not be afraid to try new things.
• Experimenting with different approaches to life can help people find what makes them happy and fulfilled.

Sarah's Journey with Anxiety and Bipolar Disorder

• Sarah was diagnosed with childhood anxiety disorder and bipolar disorder at 21.
• She aims to create more space in her life and modulate certain aspects to use her condition as a superpower.
• Being rendered choiceless guided her to make a decision to change her perspective.
• She quit her post as editor of Cosmo due to Hashimoto's disease and was unable to walk for nine months.
• She was diagnosed with peri-menopause at 34 and ignored it until her health ran down to a point where she had no thyroid hormones.

Why You Should Quit Sugar

• Sugar is addictive and affects the brain in the same way as drugs.
• It causes inflammation and is linked to many health problems such as diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.
• Quitting sugar can improve mental health, reduce anxiety, and increase energy levels.
• It can be challenging to quit sugar, but it is worth it in the long run.
• There are many alternatives to sugar such as stevia, monk fruit, and xylitol.

Appreciating Anxiety

• Anxiety is a natural response to stress and can be helpful in certain situations.
• It can be a superpower if used correctly and can help with creativity and problem-solving.
• It is important to understand the root cause of anxiety and address it rather than just treating the symptoms.
• Practicing mindfulness, meditation, and breathing exercises can help manage anxiety.
• It is essential to seek professional help if anxiety is affecting daily life.

Experimenting with Different Approaches to Life

• Experimenting with different approaches to life can help find what works best for each individual.
• It is important to be open-minded and try new things, even if they seem unconventional.
• Failure is a necessary part of experimentation and should be embraced as a learning opportunity.
• It is essential to listen to your body and intuition and make decisions based on what feels right.
• Experimentation can lead to personal growth and a more fulfilling life.

Challenges in Life

• Magazines were more about satisfying advertisers than creating amazing content.
• Had to make decisions that did not align with values.
• Internal mechanism explodes if values are not listened to.
• Became redundant and invisible in the public eye.
• Chronic illness caused friends to drop off.

Experimenting with Life

• Thoughts were coming in and out, resulting in numbness and freeze mode.
• Looked at herself in the mirror and saw emptiness.
• Decided to start again with just the clothes on her back and live by her values.
• Committed to remembering her promise and never getting caught up again.
• Explored different approaches to life and asked questions to people like the Dalai Lama.

Reframing Mental Health

• Ability to reframe is important as mental health issues appear to be on the rise.
• Painting a new picture and creating a new perspective can invite people to experience their own life differently.
• Conjecture as to whether mental health issues are actually on the rise.
• Everyday anxiety is on the rise.
• Questioning whether disorders such as bipolar and obsessive-compulsive disorder are actually on the rise.

Anxiety as an Evolutionary Quirk

• Anxiety has been around throughout history, suggesting it's an evolutionary quirk.
• Anxiety can be a driving force for some of our greatest thinkers.
• Everyday anxiety, the fight or flight response, is perceived as being on the increase.
• The way we live our lives now emulates the anxious experience.
• We lack resilience, especially amongst young people.

Using Anxiety as a Force of Good

• Excitement and anxiety stimulate the same chemical response in the brain.
• There are techniques to choose to see anxiety as excitement.
• Anxiety can be a self-reinforcing loop, but there are elements that can be useful.
• People with anxiety disorders in the past would become shamans in certain societies.
• Anxiety can force you out of a framework and lead to new ways of thinking.

Quitting Sugar

• Sugar is addictive and can lead to health problems.
• Quitting sugar can improve mental health and reduce anxiety.
• Quitting sugar can improve physical health and reduce inflammation.
• Quitting sugar can improve sleep and reduce cravings.
• Quitting sugar can lead to experimenting with different approaches to life.

Experimenting with Different Approaches to Life

• Experimenting with different approaches to life can lead to personal growth.
• Experimenting with different approaches to life can lead to finding what works best for you.
• Experimenting with different approaches to life can lead to a more fulfilling life.
• Experimenting with different approaches to life can lead to a better understanding of yourself.
• Experimenting with different approaches to life can lead to a better understanding of others.

Challenging the Notion of Reframing Anxiety

• Reframing anxiety as excitement doesn't always work.
• Anxiety can create a positive feedback loop that leads to more anxiety.
• Being anxious about anxiety is a common experience.
• Interrupting the mode of anxiety is necessary to prevent spiraling.
• Creating an endpoint for anxiety is important.

Learning to Manage Anxiety

• Panic attacks only last 20-30 minutes.
• Learning this fact can help you sit through a panic attack.
• Reading, learning, and having new conversations can help manage anxiety.
• Looking for outward fixes is part of the anxious condition.
• Coming inward and doing the work is necessary to manage anxiety.

Trusting the Journey and Experimenting with Life

• Trust that the journey will lead somewhere.
• Reframing things during anxiety spirals takes practice.
• Over time, remind yourself of what works and what doesn't.
• Meditation is non-negotiable for managing anxiety.
• There is a two-pronged approach to managing anxiety: maintenance and wilderness management.

Watch the video on YouTube:
Why You Should Quit Sugar, Appreciate Anxiety, and Experiment With Everything | Sarah Wilson - YouTube