Anxiety - a bullet-proof cure

Anxiety is a state of mind that affects all of us. What, if anything, is a bullet-proof cure for anxiety?

Anxiety is characterised by a feeling of worry, thoughts, and bodily changes. Your blood pressure may go up, for example.

Even before the global pandemic, millions of people felt anxious about their lives. This has only gotten worse amidst global turmoil, economic changes, job losses, and businesses shutting down.

For one possible answer, we turn to Nichiren Buddhism.

To truly overcome anxiety, we need to accept things as they are.

Now, of course, you would say that is very easy for me to say. It is you, after all, who is experiencing the anxiety. "Put yourself in my shoes and then talk; you might think to yourself."

Which is where Buddhism comes in. It helps you think through things that are hard. Life in many ways, which is hard.

Acceptance here is not acceptance of an outcome that you like. So, for example, let us say someone is afflicted with a disease. A cessation of anxiety would occur if the disease were to be overcome. The problem was solved.

In such cases, the sense of relief could be easy. But what about those cases where the outcome is not so neat? We still need to deal with our anxiety.

In such cases, Nichiren Buddhism asks you to accept things as they are. Not be anxious, even when the outcome is not what you desire.

To be clear, this is not saying do not do anything about it. This is not saying dont take action to overcome.

It is instead saying, take all actions possible while accepting it to be truth.

Much harder to do for most of us. We get trapped in the notions of why me, why now. But life is hard.

Acceptance allows us to deal with our anxieties just that little bit better.

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