Can anxiety disorder be cured without medication? Tips to reduce Mental Stress

Anxiety disorder and depression have now become very common and major health problems. Loss of appetite, sleepless nights, palpitations, negative thoughts are all common symptoms of anxiety disorder. Around a 275million people suffer from anxiety disorders which are approx around 4% of the global population. People of different ages suffer from anxiety all over the world. In this blog, we will discuss tips to cure anxiety disorders without medication.

• Breathing – Anxiety disorder causes difficulty in breathing leading to an imbalance in oxygen and carbon dioxide ratio in the lungs, making you feel dizzy. This happens because when you are in a state of panic, your sympathetic nervous system activates and creates a fight or flight response. Causing difficulty in breathing, elevated blood pressure, and a faster heart rate. Breathing exercises can help in regularizing the breathing pattern, lowering your blood pressure, and normalizing the heart rate. Simply breathe in slowly through your nose and exhale slowly through your mouth keeping your lips pursed, this will create a whooshing sound as you exhale. It’s a very healthy & beneficial self-help tip to calm down our anxiety.

• Reciting The Qur’an– When your heart is racing, when you are afraid, Allah(SWT) says in The Qur’an “Indeed with the remembrance of Allah do hearts find peace” The thing with reciting The Qur’an is you have to control your breath in order to recite The Qur’an. Breath has to be stronger to maintain the recitation. Breathing comes naturally with the recitation of The Qur’an but more than that you have the words of Allah entering your heart, your spirit is connected, your physical is connected, so not only you’re having a breathing session you’re having a remembrance of Allah session too which helps to calm down your mind and heart from anxiety.

• Walking and Jogging– Physical exercises like walking and jogging are some of the best tools to reduce mental stress. Walking decreases circulating cortisol levels in the body, a hormone that causes palpitations, increased blood pressure, nervousness and increased blood sugar. It is secreted more when you are under stress and increases the risk of hypertension, diabetes and heart disease. Walking also releases endorphins in your body, the hormones that act as a natural painkiller for your body. They help people in sleeping well and staying happy. These hormones also elevate mood, remove irritability and depression. Anxiety also causes breathing problems, by walking and jogging daily you can regularize your breathing pattern. Since, movement helps your muscles to relax and get rid of those tense muscles that occur due to anxiety disorder.

• Waking up for Fajr Salah- The Fajr habit opens the door to multiple other areas of life. The fajr habit opens up health, when we wake up for Fajr body just relaxes because you get that early morning. Most important habit that successful people have is to wake up early in the morning. So, wake up at 3:30am or 4am in the morning because Allah told us to get up early for Fajr. It’s a secret to success and a keystone habit to wake up early and pray fajr salah.

• Spend Time with your loved ones- Spending time with your friends and family is like therapy. It makes you feel good about yourself. You can focus on how much people love you and how important you are for them. Spend some time of your day with them to reduce mental stress. According to a study, among women especailly, spending time with their loved ones release oxycontin in their body, that is a stress reliever hormone. Try to spend quality time with your children or parents at the park, a nice dinner or at a beach. Having a heart connecting conversation with your family gives you the feeling that you have a proper support system, eventually helping in reducing anxiety and mental stress.

• Engaging in the remembrance of Allah– The best way to treat anxiety disorder, sorrow and depression is to busy yourself in the service of Allah(SWT) and learn and practice upon the Sunnah of His beloved Messenger(SAW). Allah(SWT) says in The Qur’an “Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.” (13:28).

It is important to remind ourselves that we don’t control all the variables in the world, Allah does. He is the Wise, the All-Knowing. Sometimes our limited human faculties are not able to comprehend His wisdom behind what happened to us and to others, but knowing that He is in control and that as human beings we submit to His Will, enriches our humanity and enhances our obedience(Uboodiah in Arabic) towards Him. Familiarize yourself with Allahs 99names, which are also known as His attributes. It is a powerful way of knowing Him.

Engaging in the remembrance of Allah can be done in many ways:-

• By giving compulsory and voluntary charity.
• Reading The Qura’n
• Practicing the sunnah
• Striving in the service of your parents for Allah’s sake
• Helping the neighbor.

We should strive to perform at least one task per day besides that which is compulsory solely to please Allah.

• Creative Activities- Include different creative activities in your life. Consider doing painting, poetry, pottery, do gardening or play games that make you feel relieved and stress-free. Keep yourself busy in activities that make you feel happy. Try to invest time helping others, that will relieve a lot of mental stress. When you are creating a difference in someone’s life it makes you feel so satisfied. All these things distract your mind from thoughts that bother you and cause mental stress and anxiety. Doing different activities are a source of fun and happiness, they help a lot in changing your mood into a positive one.

• Doing Istighfaar– Islam treats anxiety disorder by Istighfaar, asking Allah for forgiveness and Tawakkul(placing trust in Allah). Allah(SWT) says in The Qur’an “And whoever fears Allah- He will make for him a way out” (65:2). Prophet(SAW) said “The person who does Istighfaar then allah will find a way out for them from every anxiety & concern” Allah will find a way out for them because of Istighfaar which is also a vital behavior.

• Conclusion- All these tips to reduce mental stress can be very effective in curing anxiety disorder without medication. All these tips & self-help habits have foundations to help you grow in every area of life.When you will embrace all of these habits Alhamdulillah beautiful things happen to you and you will find yourself stress-free In shaa Allah.