The body has a mental defense system that is designed to keep us alive but occasionally it can get overloaded and become faulty causing our bodies to respond in an undesirable way. It is important to ensure that it is a fault and that your life choices and plans are not dangerous to either your physical, mental or emotional health.
If the facts dictate that your fear is illogical and either unfounded or disproportionate to the circumstances then it is likely we will feel extremes of anxiety. Spiritual energy is the lifeblood of the Universe, it both fuels, directs, and is everything. Anxiety is that energy misdirected and we can address it in two ways. Diversional techniques and refocusing techniques, effectively either looking away from the problem or looking directly into the heart of the problems.
The two methods are identical up until we face and address the problem or remove it from our attention. It may seem that avoiding an issue achieves nothing but there are times we need to heal before facing a challenge. The situation when it is okay to not be okay.
Relaxation and grounding, focus and analyzing, and prayer and meditation are the mainstays of our solution, following the rule of three, body, mind, and soul.
We can relax even with anxiety simply by using breathing controls and visualizations of our safe places such as woods, seafronts, or meadows. This also fulfills our need for grounding, this can be further enhanced by focusing our attention on our senses as outlined above.
When addressing the physical we must look at eating, drinking, washing, and dressing, these often suffer at times of stress but when we are applying effort to our physical body these should and can be addressed. We are each unique and some people will eat to excess when stressed, this can cause a vicious circle when our issue is based on self-esteem. If we are over or under eating we should try and find a happy medium for now. We can face these hurdles when they are the sole cause for concern and not a symptom.
Mental anxiety is like our brain writing the potential future without our consent, whether we are consciously imagining a disaster or hiding it subconsciously so all we feel is angst and fear. This is not the true us doing the thinking, it is the brain run riot. Imagination is a tool akin to a simulator or tester, while it allows us to challenge ideas and see potential outcomes it does not completely predict the future.
Normally when we think, we choose the formula and components and ask the brain to resolve the puzzle, but if the brain is not kept in check it will start running amock like a television choosing what you want to watch or a car deciding where to take you. This absence of mental discipline is why the advertisers spend billions implanting the equation into your brain that makes you buy their product.
Thich Nhat Hanh in the book The Miracle Of Mindfulness refers to Wash the dishes in order to wash the dishes, a simple task is given the fullness of attention, later he refers to counting our breaths. The simplicity of these two tasks conceals the power they have over the mind if we let them, restoring the control of our thoughts to ourselves and not the meat machine we call a brain.
Washing the dishes can easily be replaced with any ordinary mundane repetitive chore like mowing the yard or folding laundry. It can be applied to every boring job we find ourselves having to do. Normally when we begin a tiresome task we begin to think of what we are going to do next, in effect losing the 5-10 minutes of your life forever, lost in tomorrow.
Apply your mind to do the task in the present time, focusing your attention or doing it thoroughly, properly, and do the action with importance or reverence. Folding each item of laundry imagine as if it is a sacred relic or a treasured possession. Cutting the lawn is a reverence to your higher power or nature, do it with thought and attention to detail. The more focused you are, the easier and more fulfilling the job is, and when it is completed, the greater your satisfaction. By making the task worthy of you and you worthy of the task it changes the dimensions of the simple task. When applied to a stressful task it refocuses us away from our feelings and onto the action at hand. This is your mind used as a tool, as it should be.
Counting our breaths is one of the simplest of tasks or so it should seem and yet you may need to practice. Breathe in and mentally count 'one', then breathe out and mentally count 'one' and repeat, counting each breath in and out up to ten. If your mind wanders and you lose count just start again from one. Whenever you have two minutes spare repeat the exercise. Done correctly this turns off your mind from everything but the task at hand.
This may bring up some subconscious housekeeping; thoughts will manifest, to-do lists, and other concerns. Do not try and suppress them, give them your attention, take whatever action is required, and return to counting breaths. You will find over time that the interruptions will lessen and they will be important things worthy of your attention. Finding a connection with your subconscious is rarely an overnight process but is incredibly satisfying when done.
By 'washing your dishes' and 'counting your breaths' you will quickly re-establish control over your thoughts and may feel invigorated enough to face your challenges already.
Our spiritual health is very dependant on how well we keep the balance between the mundane world and our connection to the Universe, our higher power, or faith. In our anxiety, we may feel distanced spiritually but it is only on a mental level that we have lost focus and it can be quickly remedied.
Not all of the following things may apply but they are things to think that cost nothing and therefore it is better if they are done.
Forgive yourself, regardless of the circumstances allow yourself a blank canvas for yourself.
Forgive everyone, regardless of the circumstances allow yourself a blank canvas from others.
Release everyone else from being responsible for your feelings, they are yours, reclaim ownership.
Release yourself from being responsible for everyone else's feelings, they are not yours, pass them back.
The Universe has no expectations of you, relax and enjoy what it offers.
If other people have expectations of you, let them. They are nothing to do with you.
If your expectations of yourself are not 'being at peace' and 'you doing you', then re-evaluate them.
The underlying state is that you can only change one thing, either:
the Universe and the thing that causes the anxiety or
yourself and how you feel about it.
Time is precious, you have spent yesterdays, save tomorrows until you have used all the time today has to offer.