Using Prayer and Meditation to Calm Anxiety

If you feel anxious from time to time, that's completely normal. When anxiety becomes overwhelming, you may be tempted to seek solace in prescription medication, alcohol, or drugs. These methods, though, inherently bring problems of their own.

The good news is you can get through anxious moments on your own without mind-altering drugs. Your worries can be transformed into peace with simple, natural strategies. One of these techniques is using prayer and meditation.

Which is Better: Prayer or Meditation?

The answer is simple: Use whichever you prefer. Some people have a close relationship with a higher power, while others do not. No matter what your religious belief, you can conquer your anxiety through your thoughts and affirmations - no medication required! If you like to pray, that's great. If you want to meditate instead, then do whichever technique makes you feel the most comfortable is acceptable. This is about getting better, and you know best what will make you feel at ease.

How to Get Started

You can start on your path to an anxiety-free life right away; it all begins with a deep breath. Pull the air deep down into your diaphragm, and let it out slowly. Do this several

times and you'll start to feel calmer.

Are you breathing effectively? When you take in air, if only the top part of your lungs expands, your chest rises and falls. When you live the right way - the calming way -your belly rises and falls, not your upper chest, because your entire lungs are being filled with fresh air.

Avoid breathing from your upper chest only and,u'll already is on the road to feeling calmer and less anxious. It's a simple thing to do and a great way to get started. The more you do it, the more it'll become automatic. Soon, you'll feel calmer without even thinking about your breathing anymore.

Here are some other tips to help you feel calm while praying or meditating:

1. Use your breathing like a mantra. Inhale while you give yourself positive thoughts and feelings. Exhale anything negative you're in or feeling. Breathing is the

rhythm of life. Use it to your advantage.

2. Pray or meditate at the same time each day. Spend a few minutes - it doesn't have to be a long time - in quiet reflection. Say good things to yourself. You can focus on your health, finances, family, or anything you want to make stronger. Avoid negative thinking during this time.

3. Laugh. Try saying "ho, ho, ho, he, he, he, ha, ha, ha" and other silly phrases out loud.

When you do, you'll start to smile, then grin, and then laugh for real! And when you're laughing, you can't frown or feel anxious!

4. Pray or meditate with others. Join a church, take up yoga, or find a support group for anxiety. Many others share your struggle, and you can feel better about yourself

and more in-tune with others when you share your feelings.

Next Steps

When you start your journey toward personal peace through prayer or meditation, expect to conquer your anxiety. However, avoid the trap of assuming you'll do it in one day or even in one week. It took time to get where you are, and it'll take time to get back to where you want to be.

The important thing is to take that first step and then enjoy and appreciate the journey.

Every journey begins with that first step, and once you make it, you'll be on your way.

Breathe. Laugh. Meditate or pray. Find time to think about and interact with others, rather than concentrating on your worries.

When you do these things, you'll become calmer and more focused. Most importantly, you'll be back to being happy again, and there's no greater gift you can give yourself than joy!

About the Author: Netsanet Tegegn, LCSW Is a Psychotherapist in Virginia Beach who provides individualized counseling services for those who wish to create long-lasting and positive changes in their lives...

9 Myths About Anxiety Debunked

Do you feel like you’re struggling with too many worries? Do they interfere with your sleep and keep you from enjoying the life you deserve?

If so, know that you’re not alone! Millions of people in our country are stressed out and worry needlessly. Because of this prevalence, much research has been done to discover how to help.

You don’t have to suffer in silence, hoping that your worries will just go away. There are things you can do to alleviate your struggles!

Learn more about anxiety and the myths that surround it:

1.Myth: Anxiety isn’t a real illness. Although there isn’t a medical test, you can take to see if you have anxiety, all of your worries and the physical consequences that go with them are very real. If your fears are negatively impacting your life, you can get help and take steps to treat it.

2.Myth: You can pass out when having a panic attack. A panic attack won't cause you to pass out, as fainting will usually occur when there is a drop in blood pressure. The opposite occurs when you experience a panic attack, with your heart rate and blood pressure increases.

3.Myth: You should avoid stressful situations if you suffer from anxiety. The issue with this is that it is almost impossible to avoid stressful situations. Life is full of stressful, and often unexpected, problems that you simply cannot avoid.

• Trying to avoid situations that cause stress can make anxiety worse.

• However, you can learn coping mechanisms that can help you to deal effectively with these situations.

4.Myth: Some people just worry and cannot be treated. While some people stress more than others, there are plenty of treatment options available for all cases.

5.Myth: Anxiety disorders are rare. You may think that you are the only person that suffers from such worries, but research has found that as many as one in five struggles with an anxiety disorder.

• Many people feel that they are alone with their struggle, and without actively seeking help, they will continue feeling alone.

6.Myth: My anxiety will get better on its own. Many people put off seeking treatment for concern as they can go about their daily lives without too much issue. Yet, over time the condition may get worse.

• It’s essential to get treatment and learn coping mechanisms - the sooner, the better because you don’t have to suffer.

7.Myth: I only need a little drink to get through this. Many choose to self-medicate to get themselves through a stressful event, often opting for drinking alcohol or taking or a recreational drug.

• While this may work in the short term, over time, you can become addicted to these while the anxiety will remain.

• There are also additional health risks associated with these choices to think about too.

8.Myth: Anxiety treatment will take forever. You may start to see improvements just with a few sessions of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT).

9.Myth: You can overcome anxiety overnight if you want to. If you have ever heard someone say to just “get over it” when it comes to your concerns, then they likely don’t understand how much worry anxiety can cause.

• This lack of support may lead to you avoiding the subject entirely and cause you to suffer in silence.

• Seek treatment to help overcome your worries. A professional counselor or therapist understands that your fears are real and how they can debilitate you. They have techniques that can help you.

Anxiety can be a serious condition if left untreated and can prevent you from living a fulfilled life. Don’t let these anxiety myths stop you from seeking appropriate treatment.

About the Author: Netsanet Tegegn, LCSW Is a Psychotherapist in Virginia Beach who provides individualized counseling services for those who wish to create long-lasting and positive changes in their lives...