Anxiety is an inevitable part of the human experience, especially when we face challenging situations. External pressures, such as work, family, or even health, can create feelings of unease and discomfort. Life, with its ups and downs, often places us in tense situations where fear and insecurity arise. These moments of anxiety can be difficult to manage, but they are part of the human experience.
However, there is also a type of anxiety that does not have a clear or immediate cause. Often, people feel anxious without knowing why, and this can be even more frustrating. There is no obvious source of stress, but the body and mind continue to feel a constant tension. This type of anxiety can be even more challenging because it is hard to understand what lies behind these feelings.
Understanding the origin of this anxiety is crucial in order to cope with it effectively. When we don’t know where it comes from, it’s easy to feel like we’re being controlled by it. However, by investigating our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, we can begin to identify patterns and sources that cause us this constant discomfort. This self-awareness is the first step toward finding inner peace.
When anxiety is not understood, it can have a significant impact on our everyday life. It can affect our relationships, productivity, and even our physical and mental health. Therefore, it is essential that we learn to manage it in a healthy way by identifying its causes and working on strategies to maintain a calmer and more balanced mind.
Understanding the Origin of Anxiety
Anxiety often presents itself as an internal feeling that seems to come out of nowhere, yet profoundly affects our mind. It’s as if an invisible cloud takes over our thoughts, generating a state of nervousness, fear, and restlessness. This feeling can arise suddenly, without any obvious cause, leaving the person feeling lost and confused about what is happening to them. In this sense, anxiety may seem like something that comes from outside, but in reality, it is deeply rooted within us.
It’s crucial to investigate the origin of anxiety in order to understand why it arises. The mind is often filled with a series of thoughts and feelings that create a cycle of constant worry. This happens because our minds are constantly occupied with ideas, fears, and doubts that can accumulate and make us feel tense. By examining these thoughts, we can realize that, often, there is no concrete reason for the discomfort. The mind simply fills with ideas that heighten the feeling of anxiety, without us even noticing.
Personal responsibility for mental content is a key point in this process. It’s us who feed our minds with thoughts, information, and feelings. If we spend our time consuming negative news, fueling fear and worry, it will reflect in our mental state. Likewise, if we bring calmer, positive thoughts into our minds, our sense of inner peace will be restored. What we think and how we react to external stimuli directly impacts our mental health and well-being.
Therefore, to overcome anxiety, it is essential to take control of the content of our minds. We must learn to filter what we let in and practice detachment from thoughts that generate anxiety. When we become more conscious of our minds, we can reverse the cycle of worry and create a state of greater peace and emotional balance.
The Practice of Zazen: Meditation as a Tool for Self-Knowledge
The practice of zazen, or seated meditation, is one of the most profound techniques for investigating the human mind. Contrary to what many might think, meditation is not just a time for rest or disconnection from the world. It is, in fact, an intense practice of self-knowledge, where the goal is to observe the mind without judgment and without trying to control the thoughts that arise. Zazen allows us to simply sit and “be,” letting thoughts come and go without clinging to them. By doing this, we can begin to notice the thought patterns that fuel our anxiety, worry, and restlessness.
During zazen practice, we do not seek to eliminate thoughts or block emotions that arise. Instead, we learn to observe them without becoming involved with them. This attitude of observation can reveal the source of anxiety, as it allows us to notice what is behind the feelings and thoughts. Often, anxiety arises from something we do not fully understand, whether it is a subconscious fear or an unresolved concern. Zazen gives us the opportunity to see these thoughts more clearly and objectively, allowing us to understand where our inner tension comes from.
The goal of zazen is not to achieve a perfect or transcendental meditative state but to cultivate a calmer and more serene mind. With regular practice, it is possible to develop a greater ability to be present in the moment and observe our thoughts with more clarity. This continuous practice teaches us to handle anxiety in a healthier way, helping us understand that it is simply a mental phenomenon that arises and disappears, without needing to dominate our lives. Zazen, therefore, becomes a powerful tool in the quest for a more peaceful and balanced mind.
The Impact of News and External Stimuli on Anxiety
We live in a world saturated with information, where the media, especially news, plays a central role in shaping our worldview. However, it is undeniable that this information often carries a negative weight, which can be a significant trigger for anxiety. The media, particularly news outlets, tends to focus on dramatic and often tragic events, feeding a cycle of constant worry. News about disasters, crises, violence, and calamities is constantly broadcasted, filling our minds with content filled with fear and tension. Even if these events are distant from our immediate reality, the psychological impact is profound, generating a sense of insecurity and apprehension that often has no direct cause in our personal lives.
Furthermore, the sensationalist nature of many news stories contributes to the amplification of anxiety, both collectively and individually. The media knows that fear and outrage attract people’s attention, increasing viewership and, consequently, profitability. Thus, dramatic and extreme stories are often highlighted, while more balanced and positive events are pushed to the background. This type of content can leave us in a constant state of alert and insecurity, raising our anxiety to the point where it seems that the world is out of control. Often, we become consumed by this information, without realizing how it affects our mental health.
Therefore, it is crucial to consciously filter what we allow to enter our minds. Maintaining inner peace requires being selective about the information we consume. This doesn’t mean we should ignore the world around us, but rather that we need to find balance by focusing on sources of information that promote well-being, calm, and optimism. Reading inspiring books, listening to relaxing music, or consuming content that brings peace and reflection can be effective ways to protect our minds from the overload of negative stimuli. When we manage to control what we mentally absorb, we are able to cultivate a more serene mind, less prone to anxiety.
Cultivating a Calm Mind: Focus on Beauty and Positivity
One of the most effective ways to maintain a calm and serene mind is by redirecting our focus to what is good, beautiful, and elevated. In a world where we are constantly bombarded with negative information, it is essential to make a conscious choice about what we decide to absorb. The human mind has the ability to shape itself based on the stimuli it receives, and by concentrating on positive and enriching experiences, we can foster a calmer and more balanced mental state.
Music is one of the most powerful tools to calm the mind. Listening to soft and harmonious melodies can immediately relieve stress and help create a more peaceful mental environment. Additionally, art plays a significant role in this process as well. By appreciating paintings, sculptures, or any form of artistic expression, we are able to connect with something beautiful that brings a sense of peace and contemplation. Reading deep and inspiring books, whether philosophy, literature, or spirituality, also offers an excellent way to focus on elevated thoughts, distancing ourselves from the daily stresses.
Another important way to cultivate a calm mind is through uplifting speeches and lectures. Positive and motivational content that inspires personal and spiritual growth has the power to reprogram our mindset, pushing away worries and strengthening our inner peace. What we consume mentally has a direct impact on our emotional state, and for this reason, it is essential to choose experiences that elevate us, such as contact with nature or activities that bring joy and fulfillment. By surrounding our lives with stimuli and experiences that promote mental well-being, we naturally cultivate a calmer and more resilient mind.
Zen Experience: The Example of the Monastery
Life in a Zen monastery in Japan offers profound lessons on imperturbability and remaining calm in the face of adversity. In a secluded monastery on the Noto Peninsula, where monks dedicate themselves to meditation, daily work, and study, external stimuli are practically nonexistent. The intense routine of simple tasks like cleaning bathrooms, tending to the garden, or sweeping creates an environment where external concerns, such as money, food, or clothing, cease to matter. This lifestyle deeply rooted in Zen practice helps cultivate a mind that is serene and focused on the present.
A memorable story occurred during a meditation session when a small earthquake shook the monastery, causing tremors in the building and a loud noise. However, the monks continued to meditate as if nothing was happening, without making any comment about the event. This episode clearly demonstrated the Zen practice of imperturbability, where the mind remains unshaken, regardless of external circumstances. For the monks, the earthquake was just another manifestation of life’s impermanence, something beyond human control that, therefore, does not need to be a source of anxiety or fear.
The main lesson we can draw from this experience is the core teaching of Zen: everything is impermanent. Life is filled with turbulent moments, but by accepting that everything is temporary and learning to disconnect from external stimuli, we can cultivate inner peace. Zen teaches us not to cling to what is transient, like fear or agitation caused by life’s situations. Instead, we should focus on what is eternal within us: the calm and serenity that can be cultivated through meditation practice and detachment.
The Zen Attitude Towards Anxiety
Zen philosophy teaches us that anxiety does not come from outside, but rather arises from within our minds. Often, we allow ourselves to be consumed by thoughts that generate restlessness and fear, creating a spiral of anxiety that seems impossible to control. However, Zen offers a different way of dealing with this emotion. The Zen practice teaches us to observe thoughts without identifying with them, allowing anxiety to be just another passing thought, not a permanent part of our experience.
In Zen, the key to dealing with anxiety is not giving too much attention to external things. We are constantly bombarded by stimuli from the world around us, such as news, social demands, and worries about the future. However, Zen teaches us to slow down and focus on what is essential for mental balance. By concentrating on the present moment, without being carried away by the constant flow of information and external worries, we can cultivate serenity and inner peace.
Understanding impermanence is one of Zen’s most important principles and also the key to dealing with anxiety. Just as all situations in life are temporary, so is anxiety. When we accept that both difficult moments and peaceful moments are transient, our relationship with anxiety changes. We don’t need to cling to anxiety or see it as something permanent. It will arise, as everything in life does, and it will also pass. This acceptance helps us face anxiety more calmly and maintain a balanced mind, regardless of external circumstances.
Conclusion
Throughout this article, we explored how anxiety is a natural emotion in response to life’s challenges, but also how it often arises without an apparent cause, taking over our minds and generating tension. We saw that the origin of this anxiety lies in our own thoughts and how we react to the outside world. The practice of meditation, such as zazen, is a powerful tool for investigating our minds and understanding the source of our anxious feelings. Moreover, it is essential to filter what we mentally consume, focusing on good, beautiful, and elevated things to cultivate a state of inner peace.
The pursuit of a calmer, less anxious mind requires continuous effort and the application of daily practices of self-awareness, meditation, and focusing on the positive. By adopting a Zen attitude of not clinging to external stimuli and understanding the impermanence of situations, we can learn to deal with anxiety more serenely and balanced. I encourage you to apply these strategies in your daily life, cultivating a more present and peaceful mind. With patience and practice, it is possible to reduce anxiety and live in a fuller, more tranquil way.
