5 Rituals To Overcome Anxiety

Various rituals to overcome anxiety can act as effective daily painkillers. They are behavioral and cognitive “shields” that can control our worries through very simple actions. By using them we can bring order, structure, mental peace, security and safety into our lives. They dampen the feelings of anxiety and panic, and the indefinite pressure that grips us so often.

Many people have some distrust of these rituals. Maybe because the word “ritual” has traditionally had magical connotations. They are often associated with different types of magic to bring us wealth, love or health. But we often forget its true meaning. A ritual is an action that is performed repeatedly with a symbolic purpose. They also have rigid and well-defined structures.

The simple act of including something repetitive in our routine is beneficial to our brain. It is something that brings order and a sense of control over our lives. We must not forget that anxiety in itself leads to insecurity. It arises out of nowhere, is unpredictable and takes away the control we have over our lives. Therefore , the following cognitive and behavioral rituals give us a very positive compensatory mechanism that is worth trying.

Let’s dive a little deeper into this topic.

Rituals to overcome anxiety, are they useful?

In the early 1920s , the well-known anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski studied the lives of the inhabitants of the Trobriand Islands in the Pacific Ocean. It was something that got attention almost from the beginning. When a man fished in the river, he did not do so in the same way as when he fished in the sea. Before heading out to sea, they performed a series of very complex rituals. And yet they did not do this when they went to the rivers of the islands.

The sea was dangerous and unpredictable most of the time. The rituals soothed the fear and gave them a sense of security, something symbolic that told them that “everything would go well”. Malinowski’s interesting study was published in the journal “Current Biology”. It showed the great psychological effect that these rituals could have on the fear they experienced on a daily basis. It helped them keep their anxiety under control, and helped them face the things they could not control.

These rituals for overcoming anxiety are useful and have always been so in the history of mankind. This is a fact we can not deny. These ritualized movements that aim to give a sense of order and security to the brain are not in themselves the solution to our problems. They offer a sense of control, restore inner balance and regulate emotions. However, they are not a universal remedy for anxiety disorders that undoubtedly require a more clinical approach.

Let’s look at some examples:

Take a deep breath before starting an activity

Deep breathing has emerged as one of the most common ways to overcome anxiety. To really have an effect, we need to establish some “key moments” where we can spend at least three minutes performing it.

It is best to perform deep breathing as soon as we get up, when we leave home, when we start working, before each meal and before we go to bed. Apart from that, we will all be able to identify specific activities that often cause stress and anxiety.

Rituals of movement

Movement rituals can be used to shake off the worries that plague our minds. They activate our bodies and remove resistance to the knots caused by tension. There is nothing better than choosing the physical activities that we enjoy the most. Once we have done that, we should practice them every day. We can go for a jog, perform high intensity exercises for 5 minutes, or practice yoga at the specific moments when we need it most.

Self-care rituals

Other rituals that work very well in overcoming anxiety are self-care rituals. Once a day and for one or two hours, we should dedicate quality time exclusively to ourselves. We can prepare meals that we like, be quiet and do nothing, read, go for a walk, etc. Spending time alone is a very healing experience.

Paint stones with colors to meet fears and worries

We have all heard about how soothing it can be to color mandalas or other drawings. We choose specific colors and let ourselves be transported along with this creative and relaxing exercise. Well, this time we’ll go a little further. What we need to do is choose a series of stones that are of a suitable size to be able to paint and draw on them.

Each stone will symbolize a concern, a fear. To overcome this anxiety, we need to make a drawing on it. When we draw something colorful and creative on the stone, it is as if we take away the negativity of the concern. It is a simple exercise and enjoyable at the same time.

Positive anchoring ritual

The ritual of positive anchoring can be very helpful. It consists of two very specific phases. In the first, we must organize an experience that is both positive and comforting for us. For example, a trip to the beach, a meeting with friends, a weekend getaway. When we are in the middle of that experience, we must become fully aware of the positive emotions we feel. The goal is to keep that feeling in our brain, as if it were a perfume.

Then we have to choose an object from these surroundings. For example, some sand or a rock if we are on the beach, a leaf if we are in the woods. We must then “impregnate” these feelings into the stone. The stone becomes our little daily talisman. We can carry it in our pockets or bags for when we have to face a stressful situation, be it an exam, an interview, a doctor’s appointment etc.

To conclude, the most important rituals for overcoming anxiety are those that are meaningful to us. We must create them based on our faith and personal qualities. The goal will always be the same: to give us faith, to give us peace and a sense of security in a world of constant uncertainty.