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One thing you should know about me is, I’m going to have anxiety about having anxiety. There are no “relax, meditate…center yourself” situations going on here. I’m high strung and I function best walking a tight line above chaos and destruction. 

Call me crazy. Most people do. But I digress. 

With my level of OCD, ADHD and all around anxiousness, I get a lot of “hacks” and tips on how to improve things. 

Things like my sleep, mood, attention, focus…whatever the ailment, someone has something to offer that is supposed to help curb or cure those things. 

There is always one tip for a supplement that stands out the most. 

Let me first tell you, there is an art to taking supplements. As you’ll find out later, you can’t just jump right in without a little research. 

I’ve taken the liberty of doing some of that for you. Keep in mind, I’m not a doctor and I don’t play one on TV. 

I do however lack “moderation” and can teach from the hard lessons learned in my adventures. 

Magnesium has entered the chat.  

Magnesium. The unsung hero of mellow moods and easy snoozes. It helps you sleep like a baby and poop like a champion. 

If you've ever had that moment where your brain feels like a browser with too many tabs open, or you just can't get your body to do anything more than zombie-walk to the coffee pot (or Dr. Pepper in my case), magnesium might just be the missing puzzle piece in your search for a fog free brain in the mornings.  

Here’s why this humble mineral deserves a standing ovation—if you have the energy to stand, that is. 

Magnesium: Your Chill Pill in Mineral Form

There are different types of magnesium, and they all have their own special superpowers, especially for folks battling ADHD, anxiety, sleep issues, and that general "Why am I so tired all the time?" feeling. 

Let's break down the magnesium cast and crew for you with wild animal pictures to keep your attention:

1. Magnesium Glycinate: The Zen Master

• Best for: Anxiety, ADHD, and Sleep

• Vibe: That friend who just seems to have their life together and never freaks out, no matter what.

• How it helps: Magnesium glycinate is like a cozy weighted blanket for your brain. It helps reduce anxiety, calm ADHD-fueled restlessness, and gently nudges you into dreamland. It's like pressing the "chill" button in your body without the "why am I drooling?" side effect you get from other remedies.

• What I tried (and still take): Pure Encapsulations Magnesium (Glycinate)

• What I tried (and still add to morning shakes): Nutricost Magnesium Glycinate Powder

2. Magnesium Citrate: The Energizer

• Best for: Sluggishness, Muscle Cramps, and Getting Things Moving (ahem, yes, in more ways than one…)

• Vibe: That overly enthusiastic gym buddy who won't let you skip leg day.

• How it helps: If you’ve been feeling more sluggish than a Monday morning, magnesium citrate can help give you a little pep in your step by supporting energy production. Bonus: It can also keep things moving in the digestion department—let’s just say it’s helpful if you’re feeling "backed up."

• What I tried: Nature Made Magnesium Citrate 250 mg

• What I switched to: Natural Vitality CALM Magnesium Supplement Drink Mix Plus Calcium

4. Magnesium Malate: The Morning Coffee Replacement

• Best for: Sluggishness and Fatigue

• Vibe: The perky morning person who wakes up singing before they’ve even had coffee.

• How it helps: If you wake up feeling like you hit the snooze button on life, magnesium malate can help combat fatigue by supporting energy production at a cellular level. It’s basically like drinking a latte made of sunshine.

• What I tried (and still take, it covers Citrate & Malate): Pure Encapsulations Magnesium (Citrate/Malate)

5. Magnesium L-Threonate: The Brain Whisperer

• Best for: Cognitive Function, ADHD, and Anxiety

• Vibe: The wise old mentor in every movie who always knows just what to say.

• How it helps: This form of magnesium knows its way to your brain cells, supporting learning, memory, and focus. If ADHD is making you feel like you’ve misplaced your own thoughts, this could help you keep your mental ducks in a row. Plus, it helps with anxiety by giving your nervous system a calming "shhh." 

• Note - Magnesium L-Threonate and Threonate are actually the same thing. They both refer to the same form of magnesium, which is specifically designed to cross the blood-brain barrier and support cognitive function. So whether you see it labeled as "threonate" or "L-threonate," it’s like saying “possum” for “opossum” here in the US. It's the same thing - dropping a letter for the same outcome. 

• What I tried (and still take): Magnesium Threonate Liquid 500mg 

Magnesium Oxide: The Bathroom Overachiever 

• Best for: Occasional constipation and indigestion relief

• Vibe: The workhorse who does the job, but sometimes skips the details.

• How it helps: Magnesium oxide is great for helping with digestive issues like heartburn or constipation. While it's not the most absorbable form for boosting magnesium levels, it excels in giving your intestines that "go-time" signal. Just make sure you're near a bathroom—this one doesn’t mess around!

• What I tried (and learned to take sparingly): https://amzn.to/4hoqmHM

Where moderation would have been key. 

Although I had done SOME research, I ordered every variety of table, capsule, powder and elixir. I was going for gold.

Being regular isn’t really an issue for me. The benefits of this magnificent mineral were sought out for my foggy brain and zombie mornings. 

Sure, I understood that forms of magnesium are literally the gentle nudge your digestive system needs when it’s being a little too "stubborn." 

The first thing that ever comes to mind is the chalky mustache from the old Milk of Magnesia commercials. 

I wasn’t necessarily seeking that type of relief. I was looking for energy, focus, regularity, flexibility and that unicorn feeling of zen everyone talks about on Instagram in their “soft girl era”. 

Adding magnesium to my daily supplements routine seemed like a no brainer. 

What could go wrong?

Obviously taking ALL of the different varieties of magnesium in one go would be ridiculous. Not wanting to miss out on any of the benefits I instead spread them out in different ways across the entire day. This was what I believed to be logical.

The best way to describe my supplement routine is in shifts. 

• Morning Shift - supplements in pill/capsule form and breakfast shake filled with powdered versions of all the things. Taken with my morning protein and supplement shake.

• Mid-Day Shift - supplements in pill/capsule form

• Evening Shift - supplements and prescription meds in pill/capsule form 

• Nitey Nite Time Shift - gummy (later conversation)

Both morning and mid-day supplement shifts had a form of magnesium included in the bunch. I also added powdered magnesium to my morning shake. The evening did occasionally if I added a little powder to a hot chocolate, but not always. 

This routine had been going on quite a while, several months actually. The truth is, I was absolutely able to tell I had missed taking them on days I skipped. I noticed a more sluggish start to the day as well as just a feeling of being low. Confirmation that the supplements were working!!

On stressful days, like having an animal almost take your face off, I'd add a little Calm powder to a Grape Liquid IV powder and drink up.

And then it happened. 

Folks, there is absolutely such a thing as consuming too much magnesium. 

The improved focus and calming benefits are there just enough to take the edge off. I can’t say it's incredibly life changing, but I'm not stopping them. As I said before, I can tell when I've forgotten to take them. The relief I feel is definitely worth keeping up the chore of sorting out the various pills each week into pink snappy containers. 

However. 

The day came when my regular supplement routine AND a lil extra became playing a game of chicken.

While decluttering the craft room to make space for a new embroidery machine toy, I was placing items in groups of keep, sell, toss, move to another room. Normal decluttering process. Nothing too strenuous.

With a few things in my hand I went to turn around and it happened.

So suddenly yet slowly. A calm came over my body and a warmth spread through my leggings. 

I shit my pants. 

This was not the moment to sit in my thoughts to try to understand why this was happening either. Reflection can come after I’ve stripped and scrubbed. 

I had officially, after months of taking magnesium multiple times a day, found my breaking point. 

Sure some of you are thinking, “that's disgusting, I’ve never had that happen” and I love that for you. 

The lesson here is, magnesium could be exactly what you are looking for to help you with MANY day to day struggles, but you need to understand what does what.

For example, what will make you feel calm and what will make you have protein shake explosion in your pantaloons.

Benefits Breakdown:

• ADHD Support: Magnesium helps improve focus, reduce hyperactivity, and calm impulsive behavior. It’s basically like giving your brain a timeout—without the tantrums. (or as many anyway)

• Anxiety Relief: Feel like your anxiety is driving the bus? Magnesium can take the wheel by calming your nervous system and helping you manage those fight-or-flight freakouts.

• Better Sleep: If counting sheep just isn't cutting it, magnesium can help relax your body and quiet your mind, making it easier to fall (and stay) asleep. Adding a true crime documentary to your routine never hurt anyone either. 

• Energy Boost: If you've been dragging yourself like a zombie through the day, magnesium can support energy production and give you that extra oomph without the caffeine jitters. Taking caffeine WITH it, doesn’t seem to cause any issues either. 

• Muscle Relaxation: From restless legs to full-on muscle cramps, magnesium’s got your back. Literally. What I haven't’ mentioned yet are the magnesium tablets I take when my lovely RLS is acting up - Hyland’s Restful Legs Tablets - they are fantastic. 

• Constipation and Irregularity Relief: You don’t need much more explanation on this one. 

Final Thoughts: The Magnesium Glow-Up

Magnesium may not be the flashiest of minerals (you’re more likely to find it hanging out in a banana than on Instagram), but it’s got some serious game when it comes to helping you chill out, sleep better, and finally cross a thing or two off your to-do list. 

Whether you’re trying to tackle ADHD, anxiety, or just the constant state of “why am I so tired?”, magnesium might be your new best friend. 

Before you blow your butt up, start with what benefits you need the most and work in more a little at a time. I'm still taking almost everything listed above BUT have started reserving M. Oxide for those days where my intestines are actually sluggish. (and when I'm not leaving the house...)

So go ahead, invite a LITTLE magnesium into your life - and prepare to feel a whole lot better.

Just don’t forget to toast to your new zen life…with a magnesium-rich shake, of course!