Anxiety and depression can have an adverse effect on the health of a person: anxiety has been linked to heart disease and other diseases, whilst depression has also been linked to heart disease.

So, when you adopt a lifestyle that will help you to manage your emotions and which will also help in dealing with anxiety and depression, you will be reducing your risk of developing a heart disease or some other disease.

Additionally, dealing with anxiety and depression alone in healthy ways can help you to enjoy a better quality life.

I have been suffering from these two mental disorders and I have been coping with my anxiety and depression for some 9 years now. I have learned a lot of things during this time and in this article, I want to share with you some of the things I do to manage my emotions and my mind, as well as how to deal with anxiety and depression so that you can live a productive and fruitful life.

Now, what strategies can you use to deal with these two disorders?

1. Listen To These Songs

According to a study done by some neuroscientists, there are certain songs that can calm people down and that can help people to relax.

The study found that “Weightless,” which was composed by Marconi Union, reduced the anxiety of people who participated in the research by about 65%.

Other songs which can also help people to feel relaxed are “We Can Fly” by Rue du Soleil, “Strawberry Swing” by Coldplay, “Watermark” by Enya, and “Please Don’t Go” by Barcelona.

Therefore, whenever you feel anxious, retire to a cool spot or a serene environment and listen to some of these songs on your headset. Take in deep breaths, exhale slowly, relax your muscles, and close your eyes as you listen to the songs.

Additionally, focus on the lyrics and the instrumentation with your whole mind. Furthermore, hum, whistle, or sing along so that you can break the train of negative thoughts that come into your mind often.

2. Boost The Levels Of GABA In Your Brain

Gamma- amino butyricacid (GABA) is a neurotransmitter that sends messages from the brain to the nervous system, and vice versa.

GABA helps to reduce the activity of nerve cells in the body so that one will be less excited: it produces a calming, sedative effect on the body: GABA helps to reduce the excitability of neurons in the body and that can help one to feel subdued and relaxed.

Furthermore, GABA helps to induce sleep by reducing the excitability of nerves. So, you can sleep well at night and that will prevent you from worrying throughout the night so that you will not worsen your anxiety and depression.

Moreover, research shows that GABA has an antidepressant effect on the body: it boosts mood and makes one feel happy.

“But, how do you boost GABA levels in your brain?” you may be asking.

You can do this by drinking valerian root tea. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, consuming valerian root can help to boost levels of GABA in one’s brain.
Do yoga consistently day after day for weeks. A study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine suggests that this form of exercise can significantly increase GABA levels in the brain.

3. Exercise Often

According to the Harvard Medical School, exercising can help one to beat anxiety and depression. Exercise helps to reduce levels of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline in the body. Furthermore, exercising boosts the production of endorphins in the body: endorphins help to boost one’s mood, as well as make one feel happy.

Here are a few exercises you can do regularly to fight anxiety and depression:

Climb up and down your stairs for one hour every morning before you begin the day’s activities.
Jump around your room or your yard for 30 minutes every evening before you take your bath.
Challenge your sibling or spouse to a 5-mile cycle race and reward the winner with $50 or $100.
Jog for 5 miles with your dog when you feel very anxious and depressed.
Walk briskly through a serene and peaceful environment, such as woods or a park, and enjoy the air blowing all over your body and that will refresh you and invigorate your spirits.

4. Read Bible Verses That Deal With Anxiety And Depression

Reading is one strategy you can use to deal with anxiety and depression. It is a great way to relax. And one book which you can read is the Bible. The Bible is packed with verses that can give encouragement to the soul, and also stories that can boost one’s mood and make him or her feel better.

For example, Isaiah 41 v 10 in which God reminds us that we should not fear because He is with us to strengthen us and help us, Isaiah 43 v 1—3 in which God reminds us that when we face suffering, troubles, pain, and challenges that threaten to destroy us, He will still be with us to see us through our problems, Jeremiah 31 v 17 in which God tells us that there is hope for our future, and Psalm 43 v 5 which says, “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my help and my God.”

Furthermore, you may read 1 Kings 19 where Elijah was so depressed that he prayed for God to take his life, and how God saved him.

These verses will make you see that because God will save you and help you when you are in trouble, there is nothing to fear and worry about: it will give you a sense of control, security, and comfort which can help you to feel at rest in your spirit. Additionally, they will make you see that there is hope for you and that can help you to adopt a positive mindset.

Alternatively, if you are not religious, you may read non-fiction books on anxiety and depression, or fiction books in which some of the characters suffer from, and overcome, these two disorders: empathizing with characters who also experience these two disorders can help to give you inner peace.

5. Sing Praises To God

A study has shown that singing in a group can have positive psychological effects on a person. When you glorify God and worship God with other people, levels of stress hormones in your body will reduce and you will be able to feel relaxed as a result.

Furthermore, when one sings, changes occur in the brain and endorphins are released into the body. These chemicals give one a feeling of euphoria. Consequently, you will experience a boost in mood and that will help you to adopt a positive disposition to life.

Moreover, the vibrations of the songs you sing with others can help to induce pleasurable feelings in your body and that will drive away negative feelings.

So, form a choir with your family members, or with your siblings, and sing to glorify God on Saturday and Sunday evenings.

Doing that will bring joy into your heart and you will feel upbeat about life. Additionally, singing will make you feel hopeful about your circumstances and about life, and that can help to drive away all the gloom and doom from your mind and from your heart.

6. Worship God

Another strategy I use to deal with anxiety and depression, and which will help you too, is to worship God. Doing this will cause peace to flood your soul and you will find it easier to calm down as a result. Additionally, worshipping God changes the mood: it induces nice feelings in one and you feel relaxed as a result.

So, every morning or evening, worship God by saying something such as, “LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, I give You the glory and the honor for giving me life to see another day. Jehovah, KING of kings and LORD of lords, I worship You and praise You for Your mercies and Your grace. LORD, You are kind and You are good. You are the kind God who did not let me die in my sins. Jehovah, You are the holy and righteous God who loves me even though I have done so many bad things. I give You the glory that You are so forgiving. LORD, I worship You. You are the merciful God who gave me a 15 million cedis scholarship when I was in university. You are the great God who provides for over 7 billion people. It is You, LORD, who made the mountains, valleys, oceans, bears, whales, flowers, forests, magnificent planets, and I worship You. The flashes of lightning that zoom across the sky when there is a rainstorm, and the rumbling of thunder, remind me of Your great power. God, Your power is great! Your love is wonderful! You are the great and caring God who gives me fresh air to breathe. God, Your mercy is so great! Jehovah, You are just in all Your ways and Your ways are perfect. May You be exalted and magnified in all the Earth. Amen.”

Conclusion

To deal with anxiety and depression, listen to the song “Weightless” and other songs when you are anxious, boost the levels of GABA in your brain by consuming valerian root, exercise for at least one hour every day, read Bible verses that can encourage you and help you to calm down, sing along with other people, and worship God from the bottom of your heart.