Life without anxiety
Life without anxiety. When it comes to the number of people affected by this disorder, anxiety is the second most common condition in modern America. Last year, one in ten people in the US suffered from anxiety attacks, fears or other disorders that cause mental discomfort. Almost all of us are also familiar with the problems of anxiety and worry. Anxiety undermines human health.
It sucks out vital energy, complicates relationships between people, reduces productivity, the ability to perceive knowledge and a sense of humour. But do not despair, because there is a way out! You can move from anxiety to peace, from emotional paralysis to effective living.
And I want to give you 26 antidotes that will help you and those you care about. But first of all, you need to better understand what anxiety is. Here’s how those who suffer from a mental disorder that manifests itself as anxiety or worry describe their feelings.
Sheila, a mother of three young children, struggled with what she calls social anxiety for years before she received help. Here’s how she describes a typical incident of this struggle: “I was at a church meeting last night and people started talking about themselves in a circle. I was suddenly seized with panic. My face ‘lit up’, my heart started beating fast, and I started sweating. I couldn’t sit still. So I got up and went to the toilet.”
A college student named Jed suffered from panic attacks. He would panic whenever there was a communication skills class because he was afraid to speak in front of a large group of people, read aloud in public, or express an opinion on a particular subject. He often had a rapid heartbeat, difficulty breathing, sweating, dizziness, difficulty orientating himself in space, and Jed thought he was going crazy or dying.
Biana, 26 years old, had symptoms similar to those of Jed whenever she was afraid of being embarrassed in a public place. She had what is known as a fear of space, and she didn’t want to leave her house or car in the presence of other people, without her husband or her mother, even if she just needed to go to the store. She explains why: “My trolley was full of different products. I was ready to pay, but I saw that there were a lot of people everywhere at the cash registers. I was in a panic. I was afraid I would trip while standing in line. What if I had a seizure? It would be so humiliating. I just left my wheelchair in the aisle and went home.”
Randy was overcome with fears about the safety of his 10-year-old daughter. Every day he visited her at school, peeking through the window to make sure she was okay. Every night, he checked many times to make sure the door to their home was locked. Randy suffered from an obsession.
Even if you don’t suffer from social anxiety, panic attacks, fear of space or obsessions, you may still have significant problems in your relationships with others or at work because of your anxiety. Ask yourself (and your friends, family members, and those who care about you) if you or your loved ones have noticed any of the following symptoms of anxiety in your behaviour.
- Anxiety, impatience, restlessness, feeling tense
- Irritability
- Inability to concentrate for a long time, on anything
- Fatigue is a problem
- Body tension, pain, or muscle itching
- Sleep disorder.
What causes anxiety? Chronic or debilitating anxiety, like all other serious emotional and behavioural problems, has many causes.
By definition, anxiety is a secondary emotion when primary emotions, such as anger, fear or grief, are suppressed. Without denying this, I would like to point out that anxiety is usually caused by a combination of factors.
Hereditary predisposition and biological factors. Some people are born with an anxious and reactive personality type. Their nervous system is extremely susceptible to stress. Many medical factors, as well as reactions to medications, can cause anxiety symptoms. Upbringing environment. Usually, adults with anxiety have grown up in an environment where they often utter phrases that explicitly or implicitly contain negative, disturbing information, such as
- “If you fall off the swing, you’ll break your neck.”
- “If you get a D in dictation again, no one will hire you when you grow up.”
- “Don’t touch the drill, or you’ll drill your finger.”
- “You have to be careful, the world is full of dangers.”
- “You need to take care of yourself, no one else will take care of you.”
Anxiety caused by personality traits. Typically, people who are prone to anxiety due to their personality traits are most susceptible to information from their upbringing.
They learn from their parents one or more phrases like the ones above. These phrases constantly determine their self-esteem, as well as their assessment of all events in the world around them, on a subconscious level. When stress comes, they find themselves unable to properly assess their feelings and instead become frightened and dysfunctional.
Cumulative, i.e. accumulating stress. We are all familiar with the state of stress, some of us to a greater extent and some to a lesser extent. Stress is triggered by problems that suddenly arise, various life situations that hurt, or changes. We cannot avoid stressful situations, but we can respond to them with a healthy attitude.
So here are 26 antidotes to anxiety
I know a lot of people who have either overcome anxiety or have achieved a significant reduction in its manifestation. But in each case, they need immediate and effective, all-encompassing help: body, mind and spirit. Below are 26 different antidotes to anxiety, divided into 4 categories, according to the type of help they provide: emergency, physical, psychological, and spiritual. Applying these antidotes will help you regain a sense of peace and energy for work and effective relationships with others.
Emergency medical care
1. Prayer. The Bible offers the most powerful remedy for anxiety: “Do not be anxious about anything, but always by prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).
2. You must accept the idea that you may need medical help. Randy took his prescribed medication and it helped him to get rid of the obsession that his daughter was in constant danger. There are many different drugs that have a quick and effective effect. But, of course, before taking any of these drugs, you need to visit a doctor, undergo an examination and get an appropriate prescription.
3. Shifting your attention. If you are experiencing panic or fear attacks, use this technique to overcome them. Focus your attention on something that can take your mind off the anxiety until it subsides. This could be reading or watching a positive programme, for example. Think of something interesting that you would like to do. Later, when you feel able to do this, try to master your feelings.
4. Drifting. People who are prone to panic attacks make the mistake of trying to control the symptoms of an attack. It is almost impossible to stop an attack once it has already started. Instead, concentrate on the positive thought that you will win anyway, because God is with you. And then drift with this thought, through all the manifestations of the attack, until the panic stops.
5. Breathing exercises. People prone to anxiety inhale frequently and shallowly. Slow, deep breathing with a full chest helps to calm down. Take a deep breath, filling your lungs with air, count to ten, and then exhale slowly. Repeat this exercise until you feel relaxed in your body.
6. Muscle relaxation. Anxiety causes tension to build up in the body. This tension needs to be released. Sit or lie down in a comfortable position. Do some breathing exercises. Then, moving from one muscle group to another, concentrate on each of them, counting to ten, and when you finish counting, relax them. You can go through your entire body from head to toe or focus only on those parts of the body that feel tense due to anxiety: forehead, jaws, neck, shoulders, back, arms.
7. Retreat. Biana, who was prone to fear of space, has learned to use this method. Instead of running home from a crowded place where she had an attack without finishing her work, Biana returns to her car and waits until the attack subsides. Then she makes an effort to control herself and leaves to finish the work she came to do. Retreating to the car gives her the opportunity to hide in what she sees as a safe place to regain her calm and then return with renewed vigour to the subject that is causing her anxiety. Attempts to overcome fear head-on by staying in the place where the attack began are ineffective. They take away strength, and eventually, fear can paralyse a person.
Lifestyle
8. Rest. Modern people try to do too much in too little time. We need to learn to be more realistic about our capabilities in order to have enough time to rest. Keeping the Sabbath is one of the Ten Commandments of God. And today, setting aside one day for God, taking a break from our daily routine, is just as important, if not more important, than it was 3000 years ago.
9. Restrictions on food. Caffeine and nicotine consumption are especially harmful in anxiety. You should also reduce your sugar and fat intake.
10. Massage. A deep massage or even intensive rubbing of the shoulders and neck helps to calm and relax.
11. Exercise. Run, cycle, weightlift, walk or do any other physical activity for at least 30 minutes three times a week. And you will notice a surge of energy and an improvement in your overall health. You’ll start to feel more confident, and the tension of stress will gradually ease.
12. Put your feelings into words when talking to a trusted person. At least daily, analyse the events that have happened to you. Share your feelings with an attentive listener. This is one of the most important ways to put your thoughts and feelings in order.
13. Change your life priorities. Get rid of indiscipline and spontaneity in your actions. Anxiety often comes from a state of confusion in thoughts and actions. Sometimes it’s good to take a step back and reconsider your priorities. You can even make a list of urgent tasks, in order, from the most important to the least important. Concentrate on each task in sequence and don’t try to do more than one thing at a time.
Psychological help
14. Analyse the causes of anxiety. By understanding when you start to feel anxious and what triggers your anxiety, you can find the help you need before the situation becomes a crisis and gets out of hand.
15. Admit how you feel. When you are angry, frightened, anxious, etc., admit to yourself how you are feeling. Talk about it with your doctor, someone you find supportive, or a friend.
16. Recognise that your capabilities are not unlimited. If you learn to say no from time to time, you will be better able to fulfil your commitments. You can’t do everything you want to do, and you can’t please everyone by doing everything with the same perfection. Instead, focus on the one thing that is most important at the time and work on it until you are done.
17. Tune in to your inner voice. Try not to allow negative thoughts about yourself in your subconscious mind. On the contrary, tune your inner voice to a positive tone. Sheila learned to do this to overcome social anxiety. Instead of mentally saying: “They will see my shyness right away. I’ll make a fool of myself.” She tried to think: “I don’t need to impress anyone. I am no worse than anyone else.” Here are more examples of replacing an anxious inner voice with a self-affirming thought: “What will they think of me if I get anxious and can’t do it?” -> “If I am overcome by anxiety, I will be able to win and no one will even notice my inner struggle”… “Oh no, this fear again, what is happening to me?” -> “Anxiety is attacking, but nothing terrible is happening, the Lord is with me, I can cope”… “I will never be able to cope with this condition” -> “I have enough faith to get rid of anxiety, after a while it will be easier”… “I am too weak” -> “I have enough courage to fight this problem”… “I am miserable and weak” -> “I am loved, I am forgiven, God values me very much”.
18. Get your relationships with others in order and set boundaries. Most people who suffer from anxiety are afraid to get into any kind of conflict with other people, speculatively fearing their anger, and thus generating anxiety within themselves. Such people need to learn to say no. Be able to express your objections and ask for help if necessary. Don’t be afraid to speak up to those who hurt you, seek to dominate you, or insult you.
19. Prove to yourself that you can. For example, a doctor who was observing Jed helped him learn to avoid anxiety when he was giving a speech in front of a class. The doctor used a technique called step-by-step tension release, whereby Jed gradually overcame his fear step by step. At first, he just imagined himself speaking in front of the class. Then he learnt to give a speech when he was alone in the house, standing in front of a mirror. Then he practised by addressing his roommate. Then, addressing the teacher while in the classroom, where there was no one else but the two of them. And finally, he was able to speak in front of the whole class.
20. Special methods. There are methods used by doctors with special skills that, with the help of various electronic and mechanical tools, help reprogramme the psyche’s reaction to stressful situations.
Spiritual life
21. Be thankful. Thank God for all the blessings in your life, big and small. Gratitude teaches us how to use God’s blessings for our benefit. Gratitude is a healing balm for the soul when we are faced with frightening problems.
22. Meditate. Meditation is a powerful calming agent. I offer you Psalm 22 for reflection. Prayerfully, line by line, recite the words of this psalm in your mind. Paint vivid, soothing pictures of it in your imagination. And then entrust your concerns to God, our Shepherd. I also like to reflect while looking at nature. There is a lake not far from my house, with many maple trees growing along its shores. The ground by the lake is covered with different colours and there are almost always birds singing everywhere. There I try to concentrate on meditation and prayer.
23. Focus on the life-affirming. Just choose a calming word or phrase and focus on it, repeating it over and over again. For example, I use the phrase: “I trust You, Lord,” and in this way I hand over to Him, one by one, all the problems that are weighing me down.
24. Study the Bible. The Bible offers many wise words of comfort for those who experience anxiety and fear. Here are links where you can find some of these inspiring sayings to get you started: Psalm 45:11-12, Proverbs 1:33; 19:23, Matthew 6:25-34; 11:28-30, Philippians 4:6-7, 1 Peter 5:7.
25. Do not be passive Christians. Even simple participation in singing together sets your soul in communion with God and reminds you of His wonderful, loving intentions for us. In this way, active participation in meetings helps to calm the soul.
26. Help others. Find someone who is suffering from anxiety or other serious problems in their life. Listen to them carefully, pray for them, and offer any practical help you can. Your own worries will fade into the background, and you will feel much better when you see that with your help, another person’s life is changing.
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