Wa alaikum salaam wa rahmatulahi wa barakatuh,

 

Anxiety is a very common problem experienced by many so firstly, be assured that you are not alone.

 

There are many support groups available too which can be very useful to get tips from others in the same situation as well as for you to not feel like you are suffering alone which in itself can heighten the anxiety.

 

From an Islamic perspective, there are many authentic duas available online if you search on sunnah.com that specifically ask Allah for protection from anxiety. You can integrate these into your daily life, perhaps saying them after every prayer. This will help you to also feel confident that Allah is on your side in helping you to overcome this problem. This, as well as maintaining acts of worship and finding comfort in remembrance of Allah through dhikr or reading the Qur’an.

 

The fact that you recognize your symptoms will be very useful in managing your anxiety. You can learn various relaxation strategies, such as deep breathing and meditation that will help you with these symptoms and make you feel calmer. This will have the added benefit of being good for your health as well as being confident that you have the tools to deal with the physical side of anxiety when it arises.

 

Furthermore, from a psychological perspective, taking time to keep a diary of times when you feel anxious will help you to pinpoint what exactly is making you feel anxious. This way you will know which situations cause you the most anxiety and can either avoid them if possible, modify them to make them less anxiety-provoking, or refine skills that will enable you to deal with anxiety when it arises. This confidence in fully understanding your anxiety will make it a lot easier to manage in sha Allah.

 

In the worst case scenario, if none of these work, there are also medications available that can help to deal with some of the side effects whilst you develop the skills to manage them yourself. If you feel this is necessary, then you can visit your doctor to discuss this. He may also be able to direct you to psychological therapy to assist you more Ling term also as a support to the medication.

 

May Allah bring you ease and reduce your anxiety.