How To Let Go of Anxiety in 6 Steps

When it comes to anxiety, there’s no denying that it’s annoying AF. It comes in all shapes and sizes, and tends to creep up on you when you least expect it, at the most inopportune time. Every single one of us deals with anxiety at some point, but despite the fact that it’s so common, it can still be seriously debilitating. Which begs the question: Is there a way to let go of anxiety once and for all?

Make no mistake: Anxiety—and the effects of it—are very, very real. However, no one should live in a constant state of fear or be hindered by their anxiety, which is why I tapped the help of clairvoyant, intuitive, and energy healer Janet Rae Orth for her expert insight on how to release anxiety for good.

Regardless of what’s causing your anxiety, Orth’s tips can help you say goodbye to it once and for all. Keep scrolling to learn how to let go of anxiety in 6 steps.

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How To Let Go of Anxiety in 6 Steps:

1. Release the shame

“People who have anxiety often wonder if there’s something wrong with them,” Orth told me. “They assume others don’t ever feel anxious, so they tend to isolate and hide their feelings.” She then went on to say that social media only emphasizes this, as it’s hard to feel OK in your anxiety when the rest of the world seems to be living their best life.

According to Orth, the best thing you can do is release the shame you’re holding about anxiety. “We’re conditioned to ignore our feelings, especially if they’re uncomfortable,” she explained. “But these feelings don’t go away just because we ignore them. So, admit that you have anxiety, let go of any stigmas you may be carrying about it, then start working to overcome it.”

2. Identify where it’s coming from

Whenever you’re experiencing anxiety, Orth suggests to first identify where it’s coming from. “Ask yourself if it’s your own anxiety or someone else’s,” she explained simply. Understanding what’s making you anxious will help you find the correct tools to overcome it going forward.

Additionally, Orth also implores you to pay attention to the energy of the people in your life. “It’s easy to pick up on other people’s energies; much like you can catch someone’s laughter, you can also catch their anxiety—it just isn’t as obvious,” she said. So if you work or live with someone who’s anxious all the time, the anxiety you’re experiencing might be theirs.

3. Protect your energy

Some people are really draining, but learning how to protect your energy can stop energy vampires from sucking the life out of you and making you feel anxious. In addition to working with Orth one-on-one for energy protection tools, she also suggests closing down your lower three chakras so they’re not absorbing everyone else’s feelings. “The lower three chakras are located at the tip of the tailbone, just below the belly button, and solar plexus. These are our feeling centers and how we run energy through our body,” she explained.

How to close down your lower 3 chakras:

• Close your eyes and visualize each chakra, then close the first one (tip of the tailbone) down to about 10%
• Move onto the second chakra (just below the belly button), and close it down to about 20%
• Lastly, close your third chakra (solar plexus), down to about 70%

4. Do more of what feeds your soul

Orth also told me that a trademark trait of many anxious people is that they tend to give away all their energy to others. This, unsurprisingly, makes them inadvertently neglect themselves. Not only is this unsustainable, it makes overcoming anxiety so much harder; it’s hard to tackle anything when you have nothing left to give.

To combat this, Orth suggests taking the time to do more of what feeds your soul every single day. This doesn’t have to be anything crazy—it can simply be walking the dog for 20 minutes. Whatever it is, taking the time to do something you love daily will help you better manage your anxiety and bring more joy into your life.

5. Control your thoughts

It’s not uncommon to feel like negative, self-deprecating thoughts and beliefs live rent-free inside your head, but Orth implores you to take control of them. “We think we can’t be disciplined about our thoughts, but we can,” she explained simply. So the next time a negative feeling comes to mind, stop it dead in its tracks by re-framing it.

Examples of ways to re-frame your thoughts:

• I’m not good enough → I am good enough, and I have everything I need within me
• I can’t do this → I can do this, even though it might be hard
• Nothing ever works out for me → Everything works out for me the way it’s supposed to
• Nothing good ever happens to me → I work hard and attract everything I want

6. Let it go

If you’re dealing with your own anxiety, Orth says to imagine a cord that goes from the tip of your tailbone to the center of the planet. “Imagine the energy of your anxiety melting like snow and draining down to the cord,” she said. Likewise, releasing any negative, anxious feelings down to that cord can be helpful as well.

At the end of the day, there is no big secret when it comes to managing anxiety. When it comes down to it, it’s actually quite simple: Let it go. According to Orth, once you know how to release anxiety, it’s just like riding a bike—it becomes second nature. For additional information, check out Orth’s specific guided meditation tools.