In the last post we went over how I look at what I am consuming in order to make changes to combat my anxiety. For part two I’d like to outline how I use my spirituality to work through my anxiety.
I want to be incredibly clear before we get into anything.
I am not a Christian. I do not believe in Heaven, I do not believe in Hell, the devil does not exist to me. There is no pure good and no pure evil in my beliefs. There is simply balance; duality. Exactly as nature shows us day in and day out, season by season.
I have a lot of thoughts on Christianity, but this is not that post and I honestly don’t think that post will ever come. I respect all beliefs and religions enough to keep my personal thoughts on them to myself. I personally follow pagan practices which will be broken down more throughout this post. But again, this is not that post and this post will only highlight how I use my spirituality to help with my anxiety.
Even if you are a Christian, or practice/follow any other religion, I hope you can find some inspiration and common ground from this post. I ask and encourage you to stick around and read through if you feel called to do so.
That said, I feel like I can move forward as authentically as possible now.
The first thing I do when I turn to my spirituality for guidance is to connect with the Earth.
I live in a place where we are lucky enough to experience all four seasons to their fullest. I used to have a favorite, but now I like to spend the proper time with each season, connecting with it, reflecting on the cycle, and loving it for what it is. Everything has positive and negative aspects, I focus on the duality as everything is a balance. We are technically in autumn, although it does feel like winter at the moment. For the autumnal season I like to reflect on the vibrancy of life shown through the beautiful colors. I notice the crisp air and recognize that the year is winding down with each falling leaf. I find beauty in the end of a cycle as we prepare for the clean slate that is winter. I recognize the death surrounding us in nature as a moment to reflect on the bounty we all benefit from, a sigh of solemn gratitude.
Connecting with the Earth and her seasons gives perspective and slows time down for me. It gives me a moment to breathe and collect myself, understanding that just as nature has intended and demonstrates for us, that we too have seasons to go through. Anxiety is only a visitor, and as much as it can pain us, we can recognize it as a beautiful opportunity to reflect and reset.
Another practice I honor within spirituality is expressing gratitude.
Nothing helps to melt my anxiety away like checking in with myself and seeing how lucky and blessed I truly am. As we touched on before, there is a duality, anxiety can be ugly, but the journey out of it can be beautiful. Searching for gratitude is truly such a glorious and wholesome act. Did I wake up on a mattress in a warm home? Yes! Am I surrounded by people I love and people who love me every. single. day.? Yes! Is my belly full? Is my heart happy? Am I healthy? Am I able to practice hygiene? Do I have clean water? Yes, yes, yes, and yes! While we cannot control what exactly gives us anxiety, we can control how we feel about the positives in our lives. Bringing a grateful heart and spirit into the equation makes it so hard for anxiety to have any substantial footing in our lives. Thank the Universe, thank your Gods and Goddesses, Thank the Earth, and thank yourself. Move forward with enthusiasm and gratitude for even the most basic of things. Reminding myself of what I am grateful for has immensely helped with my anxiety.
The last act I will discuss in this post is clearing and cleansing your space.
Energy sticks around. Positive, negative, or anything in-between. Have you ever walked into a room and instantly knew people had been arguing there, or felt the electric excitement in the air at a surprise birthday or wedding? That’s energy! When I’m feeling anxious or sad I want that energy wiped out as soon as possible, otherwise it becomes stagnant and keeps you feeling that way for far longer than you should be. I can make a more detailed post on how to cleanse your space, but for now I will give you an outline.
First I will put away anything that is out of place, clutter is never helpful. I will pick laundry up and put it in the wash, change my bedsheets, sweep the floors, wipe down surfaces, and dust everything. Once my space is cleared and clean, I will then cleanse it with white sage. Using sage is like using bleach- absolutely everything is stripped away. Having no energy in a space is fine- but to me it feels hollow and somewhat eerie. To invite a lighter and more positive energy in, I use a room spray that I make with water, witch hazel, and essential oils. I can share this recipe in my cleansing post. After I finish cleansing my space I always feel like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders, and the anxious feeling in the pit of my stomach loosens up quite a bit.
I do like to add prayer and chants to my cleansing, I will keep those to myself at this time.
Spirituality on its own will not fix anxiety, however, having something to practice and believe in helps me tremendously (in more ways than just this one). Speak to what you believe God to be, have a grateful heart, and practice spiritual hygiene to keep your space cleansed and lighthearted. Check back soon, as I have more parts to share with you.
The Working Homemaker 