It seems that a great number of people suffer from anxiety.
The ADDA – Anxiety and Depression Association of America, says that anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older, or 18.1% of the population every year.
Is it possible to get rid of anxiety or at least reduce it? This is the question people often ask me after reading the posts about peace of mind on this website.
Often, anxiety and worrying about everything become a deeply embedded habit. Some people suffer more from anxiety, and others occasionally and in certain situations.
What Is Anxiety?
Anxiety is a mental/emotional habit. Anxieties are thoughts mixed with fear, negative feelings, and negative expectations. They come uninvited and disturb one’s peace. They take control of the person’s mind and behavior and interfere with his or her actions.
Being anxious, gradually, becomes a habit, and if you do not do anything about it, it will grow and get stronger. It might become a weakening and enslaving habit, which can cause a lot of trouble.
Often, this habit creates a vicious circle of negative thinking, fears and worries, which are difficult or next to impossible to overcome.
If the situation is really grave, you need to look for professional help.
Bear in mind that it is normal to worry or feel anxious about some things in life. It becomes a problem when you cannot stop thinking about the subject that is causing you anxiety.
If the anxiety is mild and temporary it will probably pass away, but if it is not, you need to find the cause and deal with it, either by reading about anxieties and learning how to deal with them, or seeking professional help.
5 Tips for Getting Rid of Anxieties and Enjoying Inner Peace
- Acknowledge the fact that anxieties and worries are just thoughts, which on many occasions, have nothing to do with reality.
- Often, anxieties and fearful thoughts are picked from the outside, from other people or from the media. You don’t have to accept every thought that comes into your mind, especially negative thoughts.
- Developing a certain degree of concentration helps you to control your thoughts and reject thoughts that you don’t want.
- Improving your concentration skills also gives you mental strength and the ability to calm down your mind.
- A certain degree of emotional detachment is most useful. It will help you avoid taking things too personally, protect you from being emotionally manipulated, and prevents you from getting involved with negative thoughts and feelings.
- Do your best to focus your mind on the bright side of life, on finding solutions, and taking action instead of being passive. At all costs, avoid dwelling on negative thoughts and negative events.
- A regular practice of meditation will help a lot in reducing, and even eliminating the level of anxieties. It’s true, it might not be too easy to start practicing meditation while suffering from anxiety, but you can start with just 10 minutes a day, at a time of the the day when you are at your best.
These are simple tips that can help you reduce your anxiety level. They are not too difficult to follow. If you follow them you will build the habit if inner peace, where anxieties and worries cannot flourish.
Anxieties Are Unnecessary Thoughts and Feelings
Anxieties, doubts and fears are not necessary. If you wish to live a happier life you should do your best to avoid them. True, this might not be easy, but it can be done with some persistence and discipline.
Follow the tips here, or you can also read our book Enjoy Inner Peace in the Busy Daily Life.
It is important to point out that for people suffering from a high level of anxiety these tips would not be enough. They might need psychological treatments or taking medications to relieve their anxiety.
The tips presented here are very simple and basic tips, but you can start with them. If you need more help, you might need more professional advice.
If you find these few tips useful, and you see results, continue with them. It is always better, if this is possible, to follow ways that do not involve medications, unless there is no other way.
Remember, anxieties are thoughts together with fears and negative feelings. You can choose to accept them and let them fill your mind, and you can also try to reject them by directing your mind and thoughts to other, happier matters.
