Self Help For Anxiety
In The Long Term

Self Help For Anxiety,
Introduction:

My aim with this website is to spread the word about the most effective personal development techniques for a range of issues. Out of all of these, anxiety has to be one of the biggest hindrances that prevents people from getting more out of life.

Many of the techniques I've already covered in the Self Help Programs section can be very effective when it comes to overcoming anxiety.

So what's this article all about then? Well, the other day I asked myself the following question; 'if I could only use one personal development tool for the rest of my life, which would it be?'...

Self Help For Anxiety,
A Potential Solution For The Long Term:

...Unsurprisingly, I found it almost impossible to come up with an answer, because it depends on whichever issue I'm looking to address at a specific point in time. This will vary from person to person and from one year to the next.

However, in terms of self help for anxiety, I believe that meditation is one of the most powerful tools for the long term. As a bonus, this self improvement technique is also great for personal development in general.

Several things have led me to this conclusion.

Firstly, I've somehow managed to make it a habit to meditate for at least an hour a day (sometimes 2 hours). Now I'm not by any means saying you need to do that much, as I'm sure even a small amount on a daily basis will be beneficial.

However, after having done this for the last 2 years on a near-daily basis, I can say for sure that the benefits of daily meditation were well worth the effort.

Life's difficulties seem to affect me less and less as time goes on, and in short, I've become less reactive to things over which I have no control, yet more proactive towards those things I do have control over.

Don't get me wrong, I'm still human, and of course I still have the occasional 'off day' just like anyone else. But (and it's a big but) I don't tend to take such days as seriously as I used to; some people might say I'm more 'chilled out' ;-)

Furthermore, I remember my meditation instructor describing the effects of the technique as if they're on a sliding scale:

It's not like a light switch; you don't practise for a few months and instantly transform for the better. It's more a case of gradual change, and in my experience, that change seems to occur across the board.

In other words, while some personal development methods really excel when dealing with very specific issues (such as a flying phobia), meditation seems to work not only when it comes to reducing anxiety, but also with life in general.

The one thing I would say about this technique is that it takes a lot of perseverance to build it into your life with consistency. Many people recoil in horror at the thought of sitting still for an hour or more a day! But I can say that it does get much easier with practice and a little patience.

Self Help For Anxiety,
Summary:

If you do decide to go down this route (unless you already have – in which case I'd love hear about your experiences!), I would highly recommend doing a course to get you headed in the right direction.

The one I did – and have since repeated – was a 10 day Vipassana meditation course. Suffice to say it was an amazing experience.

You can read more about the benefits of this personal development technique by clicking here for the in-depth article.

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