Dr. Riley Smith LAc, DACM

Seasonal Affective Disorder is a thing... even in Southern California. How to the Scandinavians make it through their long, dark winters? Check out my latest blog post to find out!

I just got done filming a great interview with Haunani Chong Drake about Feng Shui, anxiety and how to take some practical steps to incorporate this ancient wisdom into your life. https://youtu.be/N4ZnKmjdKK4

@myanxietydocotor

Let's talk about it. I was actually going to wait until later in the year to talk about the concept of "Crisis Fatigue" but I feel now is the time. This year has been one of the books but even if it hadn't been, there are times in our lives when it just seems like it's one thing after another, right? ... Our bodies are not designed to be in a constant state of fight or flight. While that served our ancestors to avoid danger, we have not caught up from an evolutionary perspective. Perpetual bombardment of stressful news, daily life and our fast paced often malnourished and sedentary lives is like non stop jackhammer beating away at our bodies from the inside out. Get comfy. I go into a bit more on what this means for your body systems and 5 ways you can build systems in your life to strengthen up your resolve to give your body, mind and spirit a fighting chance. Because, guess what? 2020 ain't goin' anywhere anytime soon. What are some ways you have been strengthening your resolve to get through these times? Please share so we can learn from you too! . . . . #stress #covid #2020 #selfcare #fightorflight #crisis #fatigue #crisisfatigue #acupuncture #functionalmedicine #hormones #cortisol #sandiego #sandiegowellness #sandiegofitness #sandiegodoctors #axiety #mentalhealth #endocrinesystem #guthealth

From Clutter to Clarity: The Anxiety-Clutter Connection Often times when it comes to clutter, we don’t even know where to start. If you feel this way I PROMISE there is nothing wrong with you! Most of us and myself included, lead full and busy lives. We have well-made plans and timelines and we want to feel as if we are in control of our lives and projects.... But guess, what. Life happens. Life doesn’t care about our to do lists or plans. If you are feeling anxiety over clutter you are in the right place. Often times just being kind to ourselves and gentle by seeking support and understanding how and why anxiety causes clutter is the best place to start. Our goal is to move forward with kindness and loving compassion. Does clutter at home make you feel overwhelmed? Most people find it difficult to relax in environments that are full of clutter. Sometimes, too, we can be so used to it that we don’t even realize that we are living in clutter or how even just a pile of papers on the kitchen counter we have looked repeatedly leads to anxiety. There is a strong link between clutter and you life force energy. Items that no longer serve us can make our energy heavy and blocked leading to feelings of claustrophobia, shame and depression. This is especially true if there are items in our home that bring up uncomfortable feelings from the past. Often times people end up feeling depressed or anxious at home and aren’t even sure why. Do you feel this way when you are at home? It’s normal if your living environment is cluttered. Its almost impossible to rejuvenate when cluttered surroundings remind you of unfinished tasks or past experiences that no longer serve your highest good. Sherrie Bourg from Psychology Today wrote that clutter can play a significant role in how we feel about hour homes, our workplaces, and ourselves. Messy homes and workspaces leave us feeling anxious, helpless and overwhelmed. Yet it’s rare that clutter is ever seen as the root cause and a significant source of stress in our lives. Often anxiety is accompanied by the feeling of an urgent need to do something. Do you ever feel the frantic need to start decluttering the minute you get home? While your intensions are sincere, the biggest problem this presents is that its very easy to get overwhelmed with this approach. Decluttering projects often require more physical and mental bandwidth than we initially plan on. Its important to remember that it took time for a home to get to that point, so keep expectations realistic, take your time and be gentle on yourself.

These dry Santa Ana winds can really wreak havoc on our lungs and sinuses. The respiratory tract is designed to be moist and with (not too much) mucus. It helps to naturally clear out allergens and viruses. To moisten the lungs and encourage respiratory homeostasis, this Chinese recipe has been a go-to for millennia. Super easy to make and delicious. Keep this one on standby! https://redhousespice.com/pear-rock-sugar/

Still not too late to clean out 2020 clutter! Make space for the new year and all the great things 2021 can bring you. The connection between clutter and anxiety clear when we know what we are looking for and how to see things differently. Holler if you feel like you need a hand making some progress.

I am so excited to bring my additional treatment room online! The breeze, sunlight and energy in this room are off the chart and I know you will love it. Even better, you can select it when you are booking an appointment. Simply select Jungle Bohemian Treatment Room.. if you are partial to my existing room you can choose Sunrise Zen Treatment Room. That room is beautiful too- it won’t hurt my feelings! At first glance you might wonder why I would be expanding during all t...he COVID craziness. Well- I’m doing it for you. Having a second treatment room means that patients are not in the same space one after the other breathing the same air. What makes both my treatment rooms unique and much safer than a standard clinic is the tremendous amount of outside air that comes in. This beautiful building I work out of was built in 1896- they designed homes to breathe back then. It really is almost like being outside! Pair that with HEPA filters and my stringent sanitizing protocols and I have no doubt you are being treated in an office thats as safe and clean as possible. I can’t wait for you to see it! Even if you just want to swing by and check out my office at anytime just hit me up if you’re in the neighborhood

As we slowly but surely and cautiously come back a new normal I have added an additional permanent day to my schedule: Thursday 9-3 Looking forward to seeing you soon!

New Year, New Post.

This was a memory that popped up from 2012! As true then as it is today. I love that this came up because I think its an important reminder. No matter how much work we do on ourselves and our environment there will always be the same triggers. The shift happens when we no longer allow those triggers to control us and lead by reaction. "If August has taken a toll on your energy and life then try to remember that the key to navigating these unanchored times is flexibility an...d patience. Whenever there is a dis-connect happening for you it is because there is "higher" stuff coming in and making adjustments. You are being washed with waves of imaginative power, inspiration, universal love, in-depth understanding and compassion, serenity and even bliss. Attempt to stay in alignment with who you know you really are and the visions and dreams you came here to manifest. We are in the place and time of reconnecting to the Great Light that has appeared to be absent from our recent history. We are leaving the energy of what has so distracted us and moving into a place of sharp focus."- RA See more