The Little-Known Secret That Has Helped With Anxiety And Depression That Probably No One Knows

 

Here is a story of a person who was dealing with anxiety and depression and how this one little-known secret helped him overcome these mental health issues. 

The Power of Now

For the first time in my life, I'm opening up and telling the world that I've struggled with significant anxiety and even depression at times in my life. I tried so many things to deal with this on my own, but nothing worked until I discovered a combination of two practices that I incorporated into my life. The problem is that I come from a culture that dismisses mental health issues. It's only recently that people I know have even begun to discuss it, let alone disclose that they have a problem.

 

I discovered this method by chance, but it was the first time I felt truly relieved. I tried meditation, which only helped at the time or for a short period afterward, but if something happened during the day, it would trigger fear, and it was all downhill from there. So, what was this miraculous practice that I discovered? Let me tell you how I discovered it.

 

It all started when I met someone named Eckhart Tolle; unfortunately, my first thought was, "Who is this moron?" He spoke in a monotone tone that would have soothed a crying baby. I believe I was too quick to pass judgement. I have to admit that I was a complete moron back in the day, when I was young and immature. It was wrong for me to judge someone based on how they spoke.

 

With so many people praising Tolle and his best-selling books, I decided to read "The Power of Now," and I was completely captivated. This happened in the early 2000s.

 

This was before Oprah started her Oprah and Eckhart meditation sessions after having him on her show. This was around the time he published "The New Earth," one of his most recent works for The Power of Now (another good read if you liked The Power of Now).

 

So, returning to "The Power of Now," the book was straightforward; it emphasised how we are so preoccupied with the future and the past that we have forgotten about the present.

 

Yes, I've heard corny lines like "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift, thus the word present." I believe that quote came from Kungfu Panda, and if my memory serves me correctly, it was said by the master Turtle.

With the exception of animated turtles, Tolle's simple practices and mindset made sense. There was a strong emphasis on mindfulness. His instructions were straightforward: pause all thoughts and ask yourself, "Is this pain or problem happening to me right now?"

 

You see, our minds are constantly active, constantly thinking, constantly projecting into the future by comparing your life and events from the past. However, we have no control over our future, nor do we exist in the past, and we can only act, feel, or be in the present.

 

But this is difficult due to one factor: our ego. We must recognise that the Ego is merely a projection of who we are. "We only exist in the now," says Tolle.

 

This is such a powerful statement because simply pausing for a few seconds and focusing on the here and now clears the mind of all negativity.

 

I've worked in jobs and positions that were extremely demanding and stressful over the years. I'd find myself in a constant state of stress, worrying about things that made no sense. It got to the point where it was affecting me both mentally and physically (health wise). All of this because I was constantly comparing everything to my past and worrying about the future.

 

In terms of health, I had ballooned from a person with small physic in school to someone who weighed 116 Kgs and had a 41-inch waist. I had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and was borderline diabetic.

 

I had to act quickly before things got out of hand. That's when the Power of Now entered the picture. It made me realise that all of my fears and nightmares were just that — fears and nightmares in my head. The only way to deal with it was to make myself realise that it was all in my head. My Ego.

 

How did I begin putting this practice into action?

When my world seemed to be collapsing around me, I would take five deep breaths and focus on the present. I'd ask myself if whatever was bothering me, or what was about to happen, was happening to me right now, or if it was something that would happen in the future. If it were a future event, I would ask myself if I should be afraid of what I am afraid of right now. Is it currently taking place? Is there anything I can do right now to change what I'm afraid of? All of this would bring me to my knees. Bring me back to reality and I'll be ready to tackle the problem at hand with the right mindset.

 

It was difficult to stay in the present moment. The only way out was to stay awake. Ask yourself, "What's going on in me right now?" and pay attention to yourself. I accomplished this by following these steps:

• Drop the negativity: The act of Witnessing cut me off from my unconscious  mental and emotional processes. I realised that I was not my fear or my pain. The more I maintained a positive attitude and surrounded myself with positive   people, the better my mental health became.

• Act: When you act consciously, you have the option of dealing with the situation  or accepting it. In this situation, you have only two options.

• Forget waiting: Don't accept waiting as a mental state. Waiting implies awaiting something. It entails imagining yourself in the future. That is the ego, and it is born of fear. 

Staying rooted in your body, that is, maintaining a state of presence, is a great way to stay in the now. Feel every atom of yourself, from the little ridges of skin that make up your fingerprints to the length of the bone in your arms, and so on.

 

The breath is central to the simplest exercises for bringing your state of presence into your body.

 

Connect with your inner body whenever possible, such as when you're waiting for a bus, doing work, or even reading a book.

 

Some of you might think this is resignation, but it isn't. You can surrender while still acting. You can and should act; all you're doing is removing negative motivations and misidentifications.

However, there is one critical factor that can stymie all of this: your emotions. When the mind meets the body, emotions arise. Our minds think a thought, and our bodies react to it; muscles relax or tighten, and hormones begin sending messages from synapse to gland. Remember that you are not your emotions, but you make yourself that way. Take note of your emotions as frequently as you do your thoughts. This will improve your ability to become "The Watcher," as Tolle refers to himself.

 

So am I saying the mind is bad? No, the mind is an incredible tool! .What is harmful is believing that you are your mind. That is what causes problems.

How to continue to stay in the "Now"? 

There is only one major issue with all of this. As I used this method more and more, I discovered that I did it automatically, which aided me; however, just like a muscle, you eventually start to lose muscle mass if you do not continue to exercise. The same is true here; if you don't consciously practice the exercise of being in the now, your life, anxiety, and depression will return. I was in the same situation. When I felt better, I stopped the exercises and went back to auto mode. Fear, anxiety, and depression began to return gradually.

 

Working on mental health issues is critical, especially in today's world. I discovered that being in the present moment combined with a simple meditation practice can go a long way. They both complement one another and will provide you with peace of mind.

 

If you've struggled with anxiety or depression, I hope this article can help. I tried to summarise everything I knew as simply as possible.

 

If you have any comments or suggestions about the practices you use, please leave them in the comments section so that others can benefit. I'm sure we'd all like to hear how you handled it.