How to Accept Your Fears and
Master the Art of Self-Forgiveness
to Overcome Anxiety

By Olivia Ryan

Stress and anxiety are common problems among modern people all around the globe. Medical surveys showed that around 14% of Australians will be affected by an anxiety disorder in any 12-month period, while the numbers are similar in other regions as well. This basically means that we all know at least one or two persons around us who are dealing with this problem.

Unfortunately, anxiety is one of the biggest preclusions for life enjoyment. It makes people miserable and scared of real life. But instead of running away from it, we should accept anxiety and it will naturally disappear with time. As the person who had a first-hand experience with anxiety, I will try to explain to you how to accept your fears and master the art of self-forgiveness.

What makes anxiety so dangerous?
Anxiety disorders are highly treatable but not more than one-third of those suffering actually receive treatment. This is exactly what makes anxiety such a painful medical issue: people are too afraid to confront it. I understand the difficulties that such condition brings but you need to be aware that the only way out is to face it. If you let the shame or self-offence overwhelm you, you will never exit this personal crisis.

Dealing with anxiety, the most important thing is to embrace self-forgiveness and acceptance. Everybody makes mistakes and so do you. However, that is not the reason to keep it deep inside the head and blame yourself forever. Self-forgiveness is essential in that regard. Just like psychology experts at AussieWritings.com recently stated: “The fact that you made a mistake doesn’t mean that you have no right to forgive yourself. On the contrary, the very guilt you are experiencing proves that you have a valid reason for self-forgiveness.”

On the other hand, acceptance constitutes the rational part of the solution. Be ready to accept personal flaws, draw good conclusions out of your inner battles, and go on without looking back at the past. Be philosophical about your anxiety: acknowledge that you are not alone in the world and that thousands of other people have the same kind of problem. Admit that your mistakes will not change the universe in any way – they only change your personality. Be ready to think and to contemplate about anxiety and you will soon find the model to overcome it.

How to accept and forgive yourself?
It may seem extremely difficult to simply accept the problem and move on. However, there are some practical methods that you can exercise in order to deal with anxiety. I was surprised to learn how these few remedies can change the way you look at anxiety, so let’s take a closer look...

• Meditation
  Meditation has been recognized as the most natural method to cope with stress and anxiety. At first, it gives you a temporary piece of mind and calms the chaos within you. It helps you get rid of all that anger and inner drama, leading you to the more relaxed mental state.

  Looking it from the long-term perspective, meditation often has the power to heal you completely. It will reveal how simple and clear everyday life is. This ancient practice can show you the path through the peaceful skies and your mind will soon become free as the bird.

• Willingness
  If you are struggling with the anxiety disorder, you might notice that the desire to get rid of it by any mean can actually increase tension. It’s a magical circle in which the tension generates an even stronger feeling of anxiety. However, you must show the willingness to face your fears and to overcome it eventually.

  The key in this situation is to slow down and approach the problem from a more relaxed point of view. Willingness is about thinking positively and looking at the big picture. It will soon make you calm and it will keep your mind off the problem. That way, you will allow your subconscious to solve the problem without taking the direct participation.

• Understand the cause
  If you do your best to really understand the prime cause of the fear and its nature, you will beat anxiety much easier. Try to think of it as any other activity – you need to know the problem before you start dealing with it.

  Using this approach, you will objectively analyze the situation and pay attention to all of its aspects. Once you do that, you are already half way to the solution. But keep in mind that you need to be completely honest - don’t hide behind excuses and confront the basic fear inside you.

• Exercise
  I might say that training is kind of a physical meditation. It’s the best method to strengthen your body, get rid of the stress, and free your mind along the way. The old Latin phrase says that “a healthy mind is in a healthy body”, which is the perfect way to describe how exercise affects your state of mind. So don’t run away from exercising. Just run instead.

Conclusion
Anxiety has become one of the biggest health issues worldwide. A modern way of living brings people a lot of stress and frustration, which many individuals cannot handle mentally. I strongly believe that you can find the way out using these methods, so don’t hesitate to give it a try. And always remember that you deserve to be happy.