Overcoming Anxiety: Asha Patel of Leely Chai Co On Five Effective Strategies for Mental Well-Being

An Interview With Nancy Landrum

As someone who loves animals and learning about entrepreneurship, I would love to have a private meal with Dr. Jane Goodall, a Zoologist, Primatologist and considered the leading expert on Chimpanzees. Her decades of knowledge on animal sentience, factory farming, climate change, environmental issues, starting and running a non-profit, which is essentially a business, would give me a lot of insight in my personal and business growth.

Anxiety seems to be the dis-ease of our times. More people than ever are taking medications to help them cope with stress. Nearly everyone I talk to is consumed with anxious feelings that hijack any pleasure they could be getting from their lives. The pressure to “produce” combined with a perception of “not enough time,” combines to create anxiety, self-doubt, frustration and resentment. Resentment, then, is often taken out on your closest, most important relationships. As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Asha Patel.

Asha Patel is the founder of Leely Chai Co, a chai and superfood blends company, based in the suburbs of Chicago, IL. Prior to her entrepreneurial journey, Asha worked in marketing and client services for over 15 years. Asha holds a BA in Political Science and an MBA in Marketing and Information Systems. Asha currently resides in Glen Ellyn, IL, with her family and their sweet Bernedoodle Cody.

As someone who suffered with anxiety during my youth and 20s, I would say I suffered and avoided many events due to the anxiety I experienced. Luckily, I found transcendental meditation (TM) in my 30s which changed my life. The practice is very simple, and does not take a lot of effort. There is a misconception about meditation that you have to really be focused or it won’t work. But TM Is the exact opposite. It is effortless and easy, so easy that it is taught to kids as young as 10 years old. I was convinced to try it after I found research by universities like Harvard and Stanford that proved the benefits of TM for anxiety, ADHD, addiction, depression and even physical issues like high blood pressure and insomnia. For me, it changed my life and I would recommend everyone to try it as it is non-invasive and natural.

As a successful person in your field, have you or do you experience anxiety? And if so, how do you manage, reduce or eliminate anxiety so you can work efficiently and enjoy your non-work hours?

I have dealt with anxiety in my life and what has helped me tremendously is transcendental meditation (TM). It is an effortless and scientifically proven form of meditation. By scientific, I mean various studies have been conducted from institutions like Harvard and Stanford to prove the benefits of TM. I encourage everyone to try it, even if you don’t suffer from anxiety, it is extremely beneficial for overall wellbeing and health.

Have you gone through a period of time in your life where you felt as though you were drowning in anxiety? If so, please share your experience and what you perceive as the reasons.

It was a time when there were a lot of changes in my life, moving, new job, family was also moving from my childhood home, there was a lot of uncertainty.

What or whom did you lean on to help you cope with anxiety?

I initially spoke to my dr about it and unfortunately, her only solution was to offer me a prescription drug, which I did take for a few months. It was not right for me. For me, what worked best was practicing the TM method.

What lessons did you derive from that dark period of time that serve you now?

The simple things like getting enough sleep, eating well, exercising, having a small but strong network of family/friends and of course the TM method. All these help me with coping and overcoming any anxiety I experience.

Do you have days or circumstances that still cause excessive stress?

Yes, of course. I think it is normal for all people to experience anxiety, whether it is because you need to look for a new job, problems in a relationship, deadlines at work, problems at work…I think all these things are reasons that may cause anxiety for me.

What are your dependable “go to” strategies that you use to restore balance to your emotions?

The TM method is what works for me.

Please name five tips, practices, beliefs or affirmations that you recommend to anyone going through a highly stressful time.

1 . Transcendental Meditation (TM)

2 . Full 8 hours of sleep

3 . Exercise

4 . Talk openly with close friends/family

5 . Whole Foods eating, minimal processed foods

On a scale of one-ten, if 8–10 was your former, chronic level of anxiety, how would you score your usual level of anxiety today?

2

Do you have daily practices that support you in maintaining peace, calmness or balance in your life?

Yes, I do TM twice daily, for 20 minutes each time.

Was there any particular saying, person, or book that taught you the skills that enable you to escape or avoid the higher levels of anxiety that used to plague you?

The TM method, when practiced daily, twice a day, really helps with managing any anxiety.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why?

As someone who loves animals and learning about entrepreneurship, I would love to have a private meal with Dr. Jane Goodall, a Zoologist, Primatologist and considered the leading expert on Chimpanzees. Her decades of knowledge on animal sentience, factory farming, climate change, environmental issues, starting and running a non-profit, which is essentially a business, would give me a lot of insight in my personal and business growth.

Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.

About the Interviewer: Nancy Landrum, MA, Relationship Coach, has authored eight books, including “How to Stay Married and Love it” and “Stepping Twogether: Building a Strong Stepfamily”. Nancy has been coaching couples and stepfamilies with transformative communication skills for over thirty years. Nancy is an engaging interviewer and powerful speaker. Nancy has contributed to The Washington Post, Huffington Post, Authority, Medium, Yahoo, MSN, Psych Central, Thrive, Woman’s Day magazine, and more. Nancy is the Founder of the only one of its kind online relationship solution, www.MillionaireMarriageClub.com. Nancy coaches couples across the globe in person and via Zoom. Nancy’s passion is to guide couples and families to happy lasting marriages where children thrive and lovers love for life.