Finding Inner Peace in times of Anxiety

We live in an age of many conveniences. Most things are just a few clicks away from home. Despite this, it is very unfortunate that we are one of the most stressed-out generations of people to ever live.

With the overwhelming amount of content on the internet, unrealistic expectations on social media, and constant messaging, our generation as a whole have become more anxious, fearful, and stressed out than our forefathers. Finding Inner peace in times of anxiety has become a real challenge especially among young adults who are just getting started with their adult life and responsibilities.  

Almost everyone I know seems to be struggling with anxiety and fear, especially during times of uncertainty and change. Global anxiety seems to be on the rise and many people are finding it challenging to keep up with the stress and fear that comes along with it. 

There isn’t one magic formula to fix your anxiety and feel great at all times, but there certainly are habits that you can establish and work on regularly to find inner peace in times of anxiety. Before we move on to these habits, let’s try to understand some of the things that are keeping us in a space of fear and making us feel like things are out of control. Some of them can look like:  

• Getting diagnosed with some form of mental or physical illness
• Losing a family member, friend, or a loved one
• Someone close to us is going through a health crisis
• A relationship with our spouse or partner seems to be falling apart
• Losing our job and our career seems to be going nowhere
• Getting into debt and struggling to make ends meet financially

There are many more examples like this, but you get the general idea behind all these situations. Things are uncertain and you don’t know what is going to happen. You feel like things are beyond your control and it could come crashing down any moment. Hence anxiety starts to take over and your stress levels start blowing up the roof.

So, what can you do in times of such anxiety and uncertainty?

The key is to understand that anxiety and stressful situations cannot be eliminated from your life entirely but to work on developing resilience towards such situations. This doesn’t mean you won’t be stressed under such circumstances but you will face them with courage and it becomes a little easier to deal with. They can still stress you out a bit, but you will be able to remain more grounded and hence continue living a normal life during these stressful times. With this in mind, below are few things that you can start doing if you’re currently going through any hardship and it’s making you anxious.

1. Acceptance:

If you’re unable to accept something that has already happened, it’s like you’re still fighting in a war that you have already lost. The only possible outcome of it is more pain. I do understand you cannot just magically get over hardship, but accepting and getting over something is a little different. By accepting, you are telling yourself that whatever happened has happened and you are ready to accept it for what it is. This mentality can train your mind to start adapting to the new normal (which is the only right thing you can do right now) and assist you in your journey to feel happy and content with your life again.

2. Don’t ignore the difficult feelings:

Our life circumstances have rewired our brain in such a way that we try to ignore difficult thoughts and feelings as it arises. We see a lot of advice on the internet saying keep yourself distracted when you’re going through hardship. This advice should be taken with a pinch of salt. Distractions are only good to a certain extent. For instance, while going through a breakup, it is good to use healthy eating, cooking, or exercise as a distraction. Spending the entire day watching Netflix and stuffing your face is only a band-aid on a much deeper wound. The best way to go about it would be to find the balance between distracting yourself and then feeling every uncomfortable feeling in full until it starts to lose its power over you. To heal and feel better, you need to face your fears.

3. Always know that you’re not alone:

At any given time, chances are many people are going through similar hardships in life or have gone through them already. Humans have an extraordinary capability of adapting to change. Every now and then you hear about someone’s amazing story of how they overcame life-changing accidents and events. Draw inspiration from such stories and know that these are real people who went through real problems just like you. If they can overcome, so can you. Believe in yourself and keep giving life a chance every day. Remember, slow and steady wins in life.

4. Forgive:

Sometimes, the cause of your pain and misery may be another person. Perhaps the person who you thought would be your life partner or maybe a family member or close friend. Under such circumstances, it may cause more pain and suffering. However, a lesser obvious yet great antidote is forgiveness. You may think why should I forgive this person who causes me so much pain? That’s crazy! But think about it, holding anger and resentment towards someone else is only draining your energy and joy in the long run. Think about it this way. You aren’t forgiving them because they deserve forgiveness, (maybe they do, sometimes) But because letting go of that anger and resentment is important for you to start feeling better again.

5. Believe that you will bounce back and be happy again:

I know it can be very difficult to believe this right now. But think back to your life. Is this the first time you are going through something like this? Maybe what has happened this time is a bit different or even it could be the first of its kind. (I wish I knew what you were going through more so that I can be of better help). Modern science is showing today that belief can sometimes really make a difference in how someone adapts to change and recovers from hard situations in life.

Life can sometimes throw you into situations that can truly test your limits. And sometimes, it can be really unfair too. However, such is the nature of life and you should always have that inner balance and wellness within you to move through life with less friction. Most things in life, yes, even the bad ones happen to you to eventually show you how it led to something better. Be grateful that you’re alive and start your journey towards becoming a human being filled with life and joy.