Anxiety means the fear of the future, worry, and uneasiness about something unpleasant that may happen in a given situation. Sometimes it comes out as a strong desire for something to happen soon, characterized by extreme keenness or eagerness while ignoring the reality altogether.
For example, an anxious person will be extremely keen to complete a process in 5 to 10 min which usually takes 20 min to finish. Such a person knows the reality but doesn't accept it. He starts feeling tense after passing that initial 5-10 min and remains in this situation until the end of the process.
CULTURE AND ANXIETY
The cultural aspect also has a deep link with anxiety. Particularly the social anxiety is mostly caused by the social norms of a given culture. People living in a different cultural environment have a different ratio of anxiety. Research shows that various anxiety disorders are more likely to occur in Native Americans, youngsters, and poor social status. While Asians, Blacks, Hispanics, and those living in developed cities are less prone to developing anxiety disorders.
A varied prevalence rate of anxiety has been observed in various cultural groups. Differences in cultures can also cause anxiety, as socially accepted behavior in Asia is not considered normal for the people living in the US. So if a person moves from one culture to another and fails to adopt the social norms of the new culture, it leads to anxious feelings and triggers social anxiety disorder. Therefore psychiatrists must take social factors into account while treating a person suffering from anxiety.
ANGER MANAGEMENT - HOW TO CONTROL ANGER SUCCESSFULLY
WILL ADD LINK
Dr. Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg of the Central Institute of Mental Health (Mannheim, Germany) and his team of researchers were trying to determine how the brains of different people living in different environments handle stress. The result reveals that those living in the countryside perform much better than those living in busy cities.
" To be specific, while Meyer-Lindenberg and his accomplices were stressing out their subjects, they were looking at two brain regions: the amygdalas and the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (pACC). The amygdalas are known to assess threats and generate fear, while the pACC helps regulate the amygdalas. In stressed city-dwellers, the amygdalas appeared more active on the scanner; in people who lived in small towns, less so; in people who lived in the countryside, least of all."
TYPES OF ANXIETY
Anxiety can be divided into the following types of disorders:
1. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
2. Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)
3. Panic Disorder
4. Phobia
5. Agoraphobia
6. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
7. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER (GAD)
It is the most common type of anxiety. It involves constant stress, restlessness with no specific reason or reason that is not serious enough to inflict fear in a normal person. Symptoms include feeling out of control, muscle tension, headache, neck pain, disaster thinking, restlessness, etc.
SOCIAL ANXIETY DISORDER (SAD)
It involves the feeling of embarrassment or extreme inferiority complex in everyday social life, inability to act normal & confident in front of others, fear of being watched and judged by others, fear of public speaking, and hesitation in meeting new people. As a result, such people want to live alone most of the time.
PANIC DISORDER
It involves the sudden feeling of terror, chest pain, sweating & heart palpitation. The patient feels as if having a heart attack or going crazy. Intense physical & mental situation is experienced during a panic attack.
PHOBIA
Phobia involves intense fear of general things, places, people, or situations. Such a person mostly exhibits avoidance behavior (doing anything to avoid the situation or object making you fearful). Fear of airplanes, spiders, other crawling creatures like snakes or lizards, insects, etc., all can cause phobia in such patients.
AGORAPHOBIA
It is the fear of places. It can be a certain place, an open place, or a new place. Therefore, such people avoid traveling and stick to their home & workplace mostly.
POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD)
As its name implies, it is caused by a physical or emotional trauma in life. Effects of that unpleasant event can disturb the whole life afterward. The memories of that event can make you anxious for the rest of your life. After release, soldiers of war prisoners live in occupied areas and witnessing cruelties inflicting upon people around them, or even upon themselves can easily develop post-traumatic stress disorder.
OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER (OCD)
It involves repeatedly thinking about a certain thing or repeatedly performing a certain action while feeling the inability to stop that thought or action. Preoccupation with a negative disturbing thought is called obsession. While compulsion is repeating a certain act with no specific reason, just keep yourself at peace or remove illogical doubts irritating you continuously. Washing hands & checking locks again & again are common examples of OCD.
GENDER AND ANXIETY
Research proves that women are more likely to become anxious as compared to men. Furthermore, all types of anxiety disorders have been observed in women at a higher level of severity. The image given below presents the result of research conducted by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.
The question is why females are more prone to develop multiple types of anxiety disorders in their personalities? And the answer can be found in the following factors mostly observed in women.
1. Feeling of Insecurity
2. Negatively Emotional
3. Quick Belief on Rumors
4. Inferiority Complex
5. Cultural Influence
6. Limitations in Life
7. Lack of Proper Education (in some societies)
8. Certain Hormonal Imbalances
Around twice more women as compared to men are likely to suffer from more than one of the factors as mentioned above, which eventually leads to various forms of anxiety.
CAUSES OF ANXIETY
General causes or factors of anxiety are listed below:
1. Physically weak and unable to defend yourself in certain situations.
2. Having an extreme kind of inferiority complex beyond the limits of shyness and inability to face others or the realities of life in a normal way.
3. Happening of some very unpleasant event in the past life and fear of happening again in the future.
4. Brought up in a tense and depressed environment with lots of aggression and anger around.
5. Genetically transmitted anxiety from parents to generation.
SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY
Common symptoms of anxiety are listed below:
1. Restlessness
2. Sweating
3. Feeling Weak
4. Gastrointestinal Issues
5. Hyperventilation (Rapid breathing)
6. Fast Heart Beat
7. Chest Pain
8. Avoidance Behavior (Strong desire to get out of situation instantly)
9. Lightheadedness
10. Emotional Disturbance
11. Sleep Deprivation
12. Bad Dreams
13. Lack of Peace in Life
FOODS TO CURE ANXIETY
Following foods can help you reduce anxiety:
Egg, Milk, Yogurt, Almonds, Beef, Pure Dark Chocolate, Whole Grain, Avocado, Leafy Green Vegetables, Pasta, Salmon, Olive Oil, etc. Other foods rich in Vitamin B, Omega – 3 Fatty Acid Food & Complex Carbohydrates.
See What Nutritionist Melissa Brunetti says about the connection between diet and mental health:
"Our brain relies on nutrients to work effectively, and studies have found that Omega-3, amino acids, B vitamins, Vitamin D, and minerals like zinc, magnesium, and iron help create strong mental health. The Mediterranean diet, with its abundance of olive oil and leafy vegetables, contains many of these nutrients. One study of more than 15,000 people over ten years found that those who followed the Mediterranean diet had a lower risk of depression."
COLORS TO CURE ANXIETY
Colors can also play a vital role in combating anxiety. They can help you stay in a calm & cool mood. If you want to treat anxiety with the help of colors too, keep the following couple of things in your mind:
1. Use light colors in summer particularly white.
2. Use Blue and Green in various shades to feel more relaxed.
The cool effects of these colors will keep you in a light mood all the time.
HOW TO USE COLORS?
If you are confused about how to use colors to treat any problem you are suffering from, use them in the following ways:
1. Dress
2. Accessories
3. Paint
4. Curtain
5. Bed Cover/Blanket
6. Flowers
7. Fruits/Vegetables
TREATING ANXIETY IN A 100% NATURAL WAY
To treat anxiety naturally, we have divided the whole process into three major aspects of an individual's life.
1. You and Yourself (Physical and Inner Self)
2. You and Your Lord (Allah Almighty)
3. You and Society (the World Around)
YOU AND YOURSELF (PHYSICAL AND INNER SELF)
Give yourself time and think about activities to make you a better person every day for yourself and the people around you.
Living a natural healthy life, eating certain foods to cure anxiety, using specific colors and applying a simple formula regularly can make you an anxiety-free person within a few days or weeks.
Let's have a look at all these things one by one:
12 QUICK TIPS TO LIVE NATURAL HEALTHY LIFE
1. Take Balanced Meals and Never Skip Breakfast.
2. Exercise Daily, even for few minutes.
3. Take a Walk Regularly.
4. Take a lukewarm bath daily. (for 30 min)
5. Take deep breaths to fill your lungs with oxygen, hold for few seconds and then release the air slowly. Better to inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth. Repeat this simple deep breathing activity to get relaxed.
6. Eat fruits like mango and banana to stay in a happy mood. Sweet, healthy fruits can make your mind relaxed and peaceful. Citrus fruits like orange, lemon can also make your mood happy.
7. Eat vegetables particularly leafy vegetable and take as a salad.
8. Stay hydrated & drink 8 glasses of water daily. (take more if required)
9. Avoid junk food and unhealthy cold drinks. Take fresh juices instead.
10. Avoid heavy drugs, alcohol & caffeine.
11. Make a balanced daily schedule and stick to it. Add everything in it, including your eating plan, physical activity, relaxation periods, spiritual activities, sleep hours, etc.
12. Think Positive, Live Positive.
PRACTICAL TIP TO COMBAT ANXIETY SUCCESSFULLY
1. Write down your problem on paper and keep it in front of you.
2. Sit in a relaxed mode and close your eyes.
3. Take deep breaths to become more relaxed.
4. Think about the situation which causes anxiety and assume yourself to be there.
5. Thinking about such a situation will arouse the feeling of anxiety in you, but don't rush; try to stay there and face it.
6. Assume that you have controlled the situation and have the power and courage to face it. If you are standing before a beast, you are not rushing rather, you are standing in front of it, ready to face it with courage and confidence.
7. Open your eyes and write down on the same paper that you've successfully controlled the situation or even tried to stand before it with better power and confidence than before.
Apply this simple formula to combat anxiety regularly to increase your control over fear and eventually defeat the fear forever.
Remember, your fear is like a beast that attacks your nerves and makes you anxious, so you need to face it through your mind power without going into that situation.
Once you learn to control it in imagination, you'll surely be able to combat it in real life.
THINK ABOUT REWARDS YOU'LL GET AFTER CONQUERING YOUR FEARS
Thinking about the reward and most desirable result acts as a self-motivating factor and keeps us passionate to follow a certain plan to reach our goal. So if you want to end anxiety, do the following simple thing.
Write down the benefits and blessings you can get after ending this stressful state of mind. Write down each and everything a happy and stress-free person can enjoy in life. Assure yourself that you can also get all these things once you conquer your fears. The attraction of desired life will keep you motivated, and you'll get fast and positive results of the overall struggle you'll do to combat anxiety.
TRY TO ACT NORMAL AS MUCH AS YOU CAN
While in an anxious situation or just imagining it, you need to act normal as much as you can. In the beginning, it'll be a little harder. Still, when you keep practicing it, you'll learn to act normally in a disturbing situation and send a message to your inner physical and mental systems to act normally. It will help you control your heartbeat, chest pain, blood pressure, hypertension, sweating, and gastrointestinal issues successfully.
APPLY THE FORMULA OF PPP (POWER | POSITIVITY | PRESENT)
The simple formula of PPP by Prof. Abdul Samad has changed many lives and made thousands of people live the desired life they had been dreaming about before.
LET'S SEE, WHAT DOES IT STAND FOR?
P for Power: We human beings are supreme creatures, created to rule over the world with the power of Belief, Action, and Morality. When you accept this universal truth, you feel the power and get ready to combat anxiety and almost every problem in your life. So, stop discouraging yourself and self-blaming, start to act on a plan of a new happy life with complete trust in the Almighty and your abilities. Once you get ready to do it, you are almost done with it…
P for Positivity: No miracle, no formula, or no remedy can bring the light of positivity in your life unless you are ready to accept it. So first, you need to think positive, and then you'll see things around you radiate the rays of positivity to eliminate all undesirable factors from your life. So, think positive for yourself and for others too.
P for Present: Whatever we do, we do in the present state; that's why being in the present state of mind is important to be a practical person. Learning from past events and planning for a bright future is important, but nothing can be achieved until you act practically in the present state. So, to become a practical person, you need to stay in the present state mostly.
YOU AND YOUR LORD (ALLAH ALMIGHTY)
If you are asked who loves you the most in the whole universe and never closes his door for help and blessing, the only name that comes to your mind is 'The Almighty'.
So, the strongest relationship in this universe is between the Creator & the Creature, which becomes more important when we talk about the Supreme Creature…….' Human Beings'.
Feel the power of this relationship and cure all issues, including anxiety, with the help of daily spiritual activities. Follow the tips below:
Try to offer five times prayer every day.
1. Be in the state of wuzu (ablution). It creates an invisible circle of blessing around you and protects you from inner and outer negativity. Apart from performing wuzu for prayers, perform it anytime you feel anxious to get protected all the time.
2. Do meditation regularly, even for 20-30 min a day, for a peaceful life. For meditation, you can watch this video to understand it in a better way.
3. Besides offering prayers, you can release anxiety and tension by going into the state of Sajda. Being in the state of Sajda makes you feel relaxed. It takes your inner self to the highest level of peace and calmness. Bow down in the state of Sajda and feel as all negative elements are pouring out of your body exactly as we empty a bottle. I feel like all worries are releasing in the state of Sajda, leaving you clean and calm inside.
YOU AND SOCIETY (THE WORLD AROUND)
We are born to live with others. No one can escape the people around, particularly in today's busy world. Therefore, the relationship between you and society matters a lot in treating various psychological issues, including anxiety.
We've discussed simple things you can adopt in life to make this relationship a real success.
Accept Realities around you and see how much you can change and what you can do for it. Stop worrying about things you can't change instantly, rather than bringing desired changes and acting on them.
Attend the Company of Good and Positive People. Those who can make you realize how productive and positive you could be and suggest you easy tips to do it practically…….those who are optimist about the undesirable realities of life and have practical plans to get along with it as a successful person….those who have 'Motivation' and 'Appreciation' and 'Suggestion' for you!
Be Supportive and Help Out Others. Use kind and supportive words to others to make them remove their worries and feel relaxed. Moreover, prove it with your actions, charity, or a supportive hand to let them stand on the right path. Helping out others can instantly cut your worries to a minimum level, even without hard work bringing happiness to your life. So feed the hungry, speak sweet words to the poor, appreciate the good work, motivate others, hold the falling people, support the positive cause, encourage others to do good deeds, and spread positivity around…..
Make others' lives easier, and life will become easier for you too!
We wish you All the Best on the path of Real Health, Happiness, and Success…..