Happiness: The Antidote to Anxiety

Happiness: The Antidote to Anxiety

The dictionary meaning of happiness is the state of being happy. It is imperative to be happy to experience life in its entirety. But why are more and more people finding it hard to find happiness when it is so vital to our existence? There are many reasons for this:

1. Trying to fit in a mould created by others - We have all been there. In fact, from the moment we are born we are expected to fit in a mould of quiet, well behaved child that learns and grows quickly, without being a bother for it’s guardians. We are expected to achieve amazing school grades, to do well in extracurricular activities and to beat our peers. As we grow further, there are comparisons in jobs, pay checks, houses, cars and everything that defines your standard of living.

2. Constant criticism by self and others - We have people in our lives who constantly pull us down and tell us how we are not the best version of ourselves. We do it to ourselves too, by indulging in negative self-talk. If you don’t love yourself, no one else will. It’s one thing to strive to improve oneself and completely another to keep nagging at yourself all the time and to think you are never good enough.

3. Loss of connection - The time we are living in is a time to connect on social media, but rarely do we connect with others in person. True friendships, where people got together and had a real chat apart from the superficial small talk and gossip, seems to be getting lost everywhere in the world.

4. Fear or Anxiety - Everyone has a fear of something or the other. Fear of death, social anxiety and anxiety about the future, what people will think of you and what not. All this stems from stress and negativity.

5. Comfort of the comfort zone - If someone told you your state of mind could change with some work on yourself, 60-80% people would shrug at the thought of it because it’s comfortable to be uncomfortable. It’s going to take effort on your part, and how many of us actually want to make that effort?

So, here’s what to do!

1. Stop comparing and competing with others. Each day strive to be the best version of yourself.
2. Love yourself, talk positively to yourself and avoid negative people; company matters!
3. Try building genuine connections, friendships. Always be authentic in your dealings and always remember to be kind.
4. Exercise, do yoga, try pranayama (breathing techniques) to rid your mind of past impressions so you can get rid of your fears and anxiety.
5. Push yourself out of your comfort zone. Take that jump into the world of numerous possibilities. “THE WORLD IS YOUR OYSTER.”

I hope this advice helps! Thanks for reading,

Shikha - 600270