7 Ways To Clear The Anxiety That Prevents God From Shining Through You
It's not about religion, it's about letting your spiritual self thrive.
Jacob Lund, jacksui | Canva Many of us face anxiety from trying to control what we have no control over. Do you worry about all the possible things that can go wrong and feel helpless to stop them? Social media, television, and radio constantly remind us of the world's misfortunes and leave us to wonder if we could be next.
Healing from anxiety takes time and spiritual work. The more you can connect with the holy within you, the more God can shine through you. Are you ready to let go of anxiety?
Here are 7 ways to clear the way for God to shine through you
1. Quiet your mind
The first and most crucial step is to find a practice to quiet your mind. The more you can slow down your mind, the better you can process your thoughts. As you quiet your mind, you can better connect with God, who speaks to you through silence.
There are many ways to quiet your mind. If you are part of a faith community, seek out rituals, prayers, and meditations from the wisdom of your faith community. If you are Christian, you might try Centering Prayer using a simple mantra and breath to quiet your mind in meditative prayer. You are not expected to silence your mind completely. When thoughts come to your mind, you acknowledge them and let them go, like the credits that roll at the end of a movie. Start with a few minutes and lengthen the time as you get more comfortable with the silence.
Mindfulness is a great tool that can work for anyone. There are many great Apps with a diversity of meditation practices. Think about what you are already doing that helps you quiet your mind. Then, do more of it. Are you ready to let go of anxiety?
2. Ground yourself in your body
Your body is wise. It lets you know how you are doing at each moment. Your body rarely lies. Enjoy physical activities that help you notice the muscles, bones, and tendons that make up your body. Staying fit helps you to get the best out of life.
Treat yourself to a massage to find out where you are holding your stress. When you feel pain during the massage, breathe into that part of the body to alleviate the discomfort. After the massage, you will feel much better. The more you can be present in your body, the better choices you can make.
3. Stay active
Physical activity is a great way to release stress. Find something that you love to do. It could be swimming, tennis, badminton, hockey, basketball, dancing, cycling, running, walking, or anything else that uses your muscles and gets the nutrients flowing through your body. No matter how old you are, find some way to move, even if it is stretching on your bed.
4. Accept life as it Is
Learn to focus on what you can influence and let go of anything you cannot change. Once you accept the reality of your current situation, you can be honest about how you are doing. This will enable you to take full responsibility for yourself. Once you have accepted what is, you can concentrate on what needs to be changed in your life.
5. Remind yourself of all that is good in Your life
Practice radical gratitude. Slow down enough to notice all the things you are thankful for. This can include having shelter over your head, food, friends, family, pets, access to medical care, and free education from kindergarten to Grade 12.
Go for a walk and notice all the things you are thankful for. Don’t leave anything out. Maybe you find yourself thankful for your teachers, library, favorite bookshop, favorite coffee shop, and more. Maybe you are thankful for your car. Maybe you are thankful for your boss who lets you take time off in the summer to go on a family holiday. You can find new things to be thankful for every day.
The more you practice radical gratitude, the harder it is to be miserable. Do you find that to be true?
6. Accept stress as something positive
Recent brain science has revealed something remarkable. If you believe that stress won’t hurt you, it is less likely to harm you. However, if you believe that stress will hurt you, it will hurt your health. Learn to use stress as a tool to be more effective in all aspects of your life. Discern the stress in your life that is helping you, and let go of the stress that is holding you back.
7. Learn the Enneagram
The Enneagram can help you become more aware of how you show up daily. Once you discern your personality type, you will be able to notice when you are getting stuck in old patterns that are keeping you stuck in anxiety and stress.
Your Enneagram type shows you what happens when you are stressed. Often, you do this unconsciously. This is the automatic place you go when you feel pressured, unappreciated, and overwhelmed. With practice, the Enneagram will show you the way to more conscious living. Gradually, you will begin to notice when you are getting stuck in old patterns. Maybe a story you tell yourself or a sensation in your body will remind you to take a different path.
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Eventually, you will get to the place where you will be able to stop yourself from moving into an old pattern and be able to choose a better path. As you become more present in your internal and external world, you will be better able to let go of old attitudes, stories, and memories that get in the way of you moving ahead.
Your job is to stay as healthy as possible in your three centers of intelligence: the Body Center, The Heart Center, and the Head Center. As mentioned above, keeping an active body and paying attention to the wisdom that comes through the sensations you experience is essential.
Photo: MJTH via Shutterstock
Pay attention to your emotions; they will give clues about what you yearn for. Doing what you love makes you more likely to be happy and relaxed. Keep learning to quiet your mind so a power greater than you can guide and inspire you. The more you stay connected to these three centers, the calmer, the more relaxed and courageous you will be.
When you use practices such as the Enneagram that help you connect with the wisdom of your body, the emotions of your heart, and the wisdom of the mind, you will find more moments of presence, joy, and satisfaction. You will no longer be incapacitated by anxiety and fear, and the wisdom of God will be better able to shine through you.
Anxiety overwhelms so refocus your influence to let go of control. Are you now ready to let go of anxiety?
Roland Legge is an author, certified spiritual life coach, and teacher of the Enneagram. He helps people connect to their inner selves and find alignment with their highest purpose and values.