Anxiety is one of the most common and most debilitating mental illnesses we struggle with, and for many of us, it can be a major contributor to our addictions. What are some natural ways in which we can manage our anxiety so that we feel calmer, more centered and more at peace? Healing our anxiety can also help us empower ourselves to combat our addictions.

Meditation is a powerful way to calm our minds and slow our racing thoughts. It can help us to find stillness and spaciousness within ourselves, to go beyond the clutter and noise of our overactive minds, to reach a quiet place within us. Meditation can take many forms. Focusing on our breathing and pulling our attention back to our breath whenever our mind wanders is one of many meditation styles. There are also deep breathing exercises, visualization, guided meditation and walking meditation, among many others.

Other activities, such as gardening and journaling, also have very meditative effects. Whenever we do something meditatively, mindfully with our whole attention, we allow our minds to rest in that place of peace. This can do wonders for our anxiety levels. We can build our resilience and our ability to cope with anxiety, simply by stopping fighting our minds and letting them have rest.

We get accustomed to letting our minds wander, and very often this can cause them to be filled with anxious, fearful thoughts. We get stuck in, and even addicted to, these thought patterns, which only serve to bring us more pain and confusion. We can make the choice instead to apply more direction to our thoughts, rather than letting them run freely on their own. Affirmations are a simple yet effective way to direct our thoughts in positive ways. When we are feeling anxious, we can calm ourselves by breathing deeply and repeating statements such as “I am calm. I am at peace within myself. This too shall pass. Everything is working out for my highest good. My higher power is guiding and protecting me. I am strong. I am resilient.”

When we make the choice to confront our anxiety rather than let it control our lives, we are proactively taking our health and wellbeing into our own hands. We have more control over our thoughts than we think we do. We don’t have to be victims to our anxiety.

We are experienced in helping people heal from anxiety and other co-occurring disorders, along with their substance abuse problems. Call 888-570-7154 for information on our treatment programs.