“Anxiety is described as a sense of uneasiness, nervousness, worry, or fear of what’s about to happen or what might happen.”
I woke up feeling rejected. I’d sprung from a dream in which I desired affection from someone I love, and they would not reciprocate. I woke up feeling nervous. I had court, and even though it was for a simple traffic ticket, I hate any interaction I have to have with the unlawful law. I woke up feeling worried. I needed to go file my taxes but I wasn’t sure if I had all of my paperwork. Typically I have at least five or six different tax forms to submit from having multiple jobs, paying student loans, healthcare, etc; but this year I only had one W-2 and one 1095. What if I didn’t have all of the necessary paperwork? I wouldn’t have another opportunity to drive out to the city because my car isn’t able to make the journey. I only had this rental car for one day. Which brought about a sensation of fear. Would my card accept the charge? I haven’t had a monetary income since I quit my job on December 31st. The idea of running up my credit without an immediately foreseeable way to repay was making me uneasy.
I watched my heart beat through my chest, and not because of my strenuous morning workout. I felt the brew of tears overflowing and not because it was Valentine’s Day and love was in the air. My legs were quivering and not because of my high-heeled boots. In the mid-day I was challenged with unexpected confrontation- something I tend to shy away from as I’ve often equated it with problematic energy. But I approach discourse as an opportunity to grow and put my healing into practice, overcome old habits and trauma responses and lead with a resolution mindset. That can be hard. It can be wearisome to be better than the you that you know. It can be doubtful to interact in ways that you never have but know are more effective. It can be fearful to put your trust in the unknown and crusade for yourself, especially if you are a passive person. This slew of emotions I came to identify as unadulterated anxiety.
What is anxiety? Anxiety is described as a sense of uneasiness, nervousness, worry, or fear of what’s about to happen or what might happen. What a strange feeling? When there’s nothing happening to your vessel it’s reacting to a sense of panic. From a spiritual standpoint, anxiety is the spirit communicating awareness to the body of a shift soon to come. A lot of times anxiety doesn’t show up in the face of direct physical danger. It usually appears in the space of an energetical exchange. As spiritual beings having a physical experience, our celestial body projects farther and knows sooner than our physical body. Our physical body responds with heart palpitations, sweaty palms, muscle tension, and restlessness to communicate to our mind-body that an energetic shift is happening or about to happen. This doesn’t denote that anything is wrong, it simply brings about a sense of awareness of your feelings, your actions, and your equilibrium. Do not respond to your anxiety with fear or worry- that’ll only enhance and intensify the symptoms you are already coping with. Instead, in the face of duress turn to your rituals.
Five rituals you can do to help regulate your anxiety:
- Move your body.
- Shift the energy. Give it a chance to release itself. When I woke up and sensed that I was having an anxiety attack, the first thing I did was exercise. Exercise releases a chemical called endorphins. Endorphins interact with receptors in the brain that reduce your perception of pain and stress. Endorphins trigger a positive feeling that radiates through the body and enhances your sense of well-being. Exercise also redirects focus and takes your mind off of worries. The best kinds of anxiety-relieving exercises are walking, jogging, yoga, and other exercises that prioritize breathwork.
- Meditate.
- Meditation is the practice of relaxation. Meditation teaches you to become aware of your thought forms and processes. When you are still with closed eyes you halt the exertion of your senses. Without these physical distractions, you become aware of your mind-body. What are you thinking? How do narratives about yourself and the world around you show up in your mind? The mind creates reality. The mind created cars, in the same way, it identified that treats can domesticate other animals. Use meditation to become aware of your anxiety-ridden thoughts. Use deep breathing to slow your heart rate, regulate your blood flow, and inherently relax the body. Remember meditation is a practice, not perfection! As long as you are trying you are doing it correctly!
- Nurture.
- A common symptom of anxiety is reduced appetite. Nutritionists would have you believe that not eating is a horrible thing and that you should force yourself to intake even if you have no appetite, but that isn’t factoid nor truth. In fact, recent studies have shown that intermittent fasting alone can increase your life expectancy rate by up to 49%! That is because fasting allows your organs time for rest. If your organs are constantly in a digestive state of expanding and contracting, there is never time for rest and recovery. Rest and recovery are an observable Universal Law. Everyone and everything with consciousness must rest and recover. Including our internal organs. Do not worry, we can survive up to 56 days with no food before experiencing adverse effects. When you notice that your appetite has faded, nurture your body with water-dense fruits and vegetables. Hydration is key. Tea, cucumbers, celery, melons, and citrus are amongst some of the best water-rich and hydrating foods. You want to stay away from hefty foods that have long digestive cycles. These foods will irritate your organs and add that to your list of anxiety-ridden symptoms.
- Journal.
- Take note of your feelings. It is important to journal so that you can substantially track your growth. Journaling allows you to organize your thoughts, compartmentalize your feelings, and bring a sense of reality to what is happening in your mind. Sometimes we get caught up in the fast track of our thoughts or get carried away in our own narratives. Putting our thoughts on paper it brings those thoughts out of our mind-body and into the physical body. We bring tangibility to the thought-form and by doing that we are able to address it in real-time.
- Pray.
- By way of your understanding. Have the conversation and ask “what is it that I am to learn from this experience?” Life is a learning experience. When you cease to learn, you cease to live. The things that you learn resonate in your DNA and transfer from generation to generation. We possess the power to heal the world through our learned lessons, through how we apply those lessons, and through how we interact with each other in light of those lessons. Lessons can be learned easily or can be learned through hardship. But either way, when you pray, give thankhs for receiving lessons! Give thankhs for understanding and innerstanding! Give thankhs for the assured enlightenment and growth! Growth is the ultimate sign of life. That is Universal Law. When you give thankhs you show appreciation unto the Universe and open the door for blessings to pour in. Be it in the form of knowledge, release, or a new car!
There are people who suffer from anxiety disorders. People that experience the overwhelming symptoms of anxiety, unwarranted. Chemical imbalances are real and deserve to be addressed. People come into this world with alignments that manifest in different ways. Our trials and tribulations are here to help us. They push us to find ways to connect with ourselves and Spirit, outside of what we rightly see. Rituals aren’t meant to be a cure because, despite our differences in whatever way they appear, there is nothing inherently wrong with anyone. There is no right or wrong especially when it comes to existing. There is simply awareness and unawareness. And ritual raises our awareness of how our minds, bodies, and souls feel and connect to the spirit in the world around us. It’s okay to consult your doctor and take your medicine for anxiety disorders. It’s also okay to meditate, do yoga, and pray. You are free to live multiple lives at once. Allow love and healing to guide you.
