Did you know that most people around the world experience anxiety at some point of time in life? In fact, a <\/span>2017 study<\/span><\/a> revealed that 14% of people in developing countries suffered from mental health disorders. Amongst these, 49 million people suffered from anxiety while about 45.7 million suffered from depressive conditions. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has further worsened such mental health problems across all ages. Sounds gloomy, doesn\u2019t it? But hope comes in the form of prayer and spirituality.<\/span><\/p>\n Well, even if you are not too religious<\/span>, prayer for anxiety and depression<\/b> has the power to alleviate and heal if you are facing mental turmoil.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Depression and anxiety are mood disorders that lead to many emotional and physical problems. Moreover, it affects how you think, feel and behave towards various situations and people. Anxiety and depression can lead to recurrent feelings of sadness and an inability to enjoy or take interest in activities. Depression may hamper your normal daily routine, and in the worst-case scenario, may also push you towards self-harm.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Below are some symptoms of depression and anxiety<\/a> that you need to watch out for:<\/span><\/p>\n Though, there are many things that you can do to overcome such feelings including yoga, meditation, and balancing your nutrition, <\/span>prayer for anxiety and depression<\/b> is one of the simplest yet effective way to overcome the blues.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Spirituality and prayer help ease anxiety and depression, acting as a protective shield in times of distress. You are likely to feel a sense of peace, meaning and connection when you bow or kneel to offer prayers to a higher power. <\/span>Prayer for depression and anxiety<\/b> has physiological benefits such as calming of the cardiovascular function and reduction of stress.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n In fact, as per a 2012 study published in the <\/span>National Library of Medicine<\/span><\/a>, when people with depression and anxiety prayed regularly for about a year, they experienced significantly less anxiety and depression along with heightened awareness of spiritual experience and more optimism. This strengthens the belief that <\/span>prayer for anxiety and depression<\/b> truly holds a healing potential.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Prayer for depression and anxiety <\/b>may protect or improve your emotional health in the following ways.<\/span><\/p>\n Besides the above emotional and mental health benefits, <\/span>prayer for anxiety and depression<\/b> also has better physiological outcomes such as lower cortisol (stress hormone) levels, reduced blood pressure and enhanced immunity.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Have you ever stepped inside a place of worship like a Buddhist Pagoda and seen people chanting mantras repeatedly? Well, did you feel an almost instant and indescribable peace on hearing these sounds? No matter what issues you might be facing, once you enter such a place, your mind delinks and detaches from the worries that might be plaguing you. Just like a prayer, mantras are sacred and must be listened to or chanted with reverence.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Prayers for someone with depression and anxiety<\/b> are incomplete without the chanting of certain specific mantras. <\/span>Mantras form an intrinsic part of prayers, especially in a country like India where mantras are a part of <\/span>aartis<\/span><\/i>, <\/span>havans<\/span><\/i> and other ritualistic ceremonies.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Chanting not just calms your mind but also helps in letting your focus your thoughts and prevents stray thoughts from disturbing your practice.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n References of mantras can be found in ancient religious texts such as <\/span>Vedas <\/span><\/i>too.<\/span> Mantras as part of a meditation or prayer ritual can harness the inseparable human interconnection to sound. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Chanting mantras as form of <\/span>a prayer for anxiety and depression <\/b>is said to have scientific benefits pertaining to depression and anxiety.<\/span><\/p>\n Here are some mantras that can be incorporated into a <\/span>prayer for depression and anxiety<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n This mantra is highly effective and powerful when it comes to balancing our minds while fighting the negativities of life. Chanting this mantra with reverence and faith can aid in deep relaxation from worldly worries, thereby making it a part of a meditative <\/span>prayer for anxiety and depression.<\/b><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n This hymn consisting of 12 syllables is a liberating mantra <\/span>prayer for depression<\/b> that helps not only in liberating you from worldly concerns, but also brings relief from anxiety and depression while improving overall health.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n A shanti mantra is a prayer for peace, often chanted before or after ceremonies or rituals. Many people experience peace engulfing them after they begin chanting \u2018Om shantih shantih shantih\u2019 as part of meditation or prayer. Chanting the shanti mantra three times is believed to bring peace to our minds. This mantra as a part of <\/span>prayer for anxiety <\/b>has the ability to relax the mind and cure anxiety related sleeplessness.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n This chant can also be likened to a <\/span>prayer for anxiety and depression<\/b>. The \u2018So Hum\u2019 mantra is said to calm anxiety and relieve mental tension. Repetition of the mantra for about 3 to 21 times can help you feel calm, centred and relaxed. Find the audio of this chant <\/span>here<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2018Mrityu\u2019 denotes death in Sanskrit while \u2018jay\u2019 signifies victory. This mantra serves as a powerful chant <\/span>prayer for anxiety and depression. <\/b>This mantra is practised to calm a restless mind and exercise willpower. The \u2018Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra\u2019 as a form of <\/span>anxiety prayer<\/b> denotes victory over all kinds of fear, stress, anxiety, health problems and other unforeseen circumstances. You can also simply listen to this mantra prayer if you feel that you cannot chant this mantra correctly. Find an audio version of the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra <\/span>here<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Apart from the mantras mentioned above, <\/span>which predominantly stemmed from the Sanskrit language and Hindu religion<\/span>, you can also practise some self-affirmations that can be as good as a <\/span>prayer for anxiety and depression <\/b>and help you sail through hard times.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n One day at a time<\/b><\/p>\n Practise this affirmation when you have an exam to take the next day or have a long to-do list to tackle. By repeating this affirmation, you can appease your mind that you need to get through only a small window of time to ease the pressure. This type of affirmation works well when you are overwhelmed with tasks that trigger anxiety.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n I am not my thoughts<\/b><\/p>\n This affirmation can become a part of your positive self-talk or your version of <\/span>depression prayer<\/b>. Negative self-talk, a depression symptom, can make it difficult to rationalise thoughts and look ahead. You can gain positive perspective by picking and choosing optimistic thoughts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Alternatively, you can write down positive affirmations like \u2018tomorrow is another day\u2019 or \u2018I will be well again\u2019 as part of your self-authored <\/span>prayer for anxiety and depression.<\/b> You can then read this writeup aloud, though in privacy, to a higher power that you respect.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Takeaway<\/b><\/p>\n No matter which religion or faith you belong to, any act of talking to the almighty can be deemed as a prayer. A <\/span>prayer for anxiety and depression<\/b> may also include chanting of mantras and affirmations besides following the customary rituals of each faith. But remember that while prayer may have a powerful placebo effect while dealing with mental health conditions, its role in treating ailments like anxiety and depression for good might be limited. In this case, experts suggest relooking your lifestyle and turning towards natural remedies such as balanced nutrition, meditation, and yoga to induce calmness and relaxation.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n It is advisable to seek professional medical help if you are facing serious issues like depression. Spirituality and prayer can supplement conventional treatments like therapy and medication to treat mental health disorders.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n\nWhat is depression and anxiety?<\/b><\/h2>\n
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How does praying help depression and anxiety?
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<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\nMantras as part of prayer for anxiety and depression<\/b><\/h2>\n
<\/span><\/p>\nScientific benefits of chanting mantras for mental health\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n
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<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\nList of the best mantras as prayers for anxiety and depression<\/b><\/h2>\n
Om Namah Shivaya<\/b><\/h3>\n
Om Namo Bhag-Va-Te Va-Su-De-Vaya<\/b><\/h3>\n
Shanti Mantras<\/b><\/h3>\n
So Hum<\/b><\/h3>\n
Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra<\/b><\/h3>\n
Self-help affirmations to deal with anxiety and depression<\/b><\/h3>\n