During his recent visit to Bahrain, Guruji discussed using the extensive knowledge in our scriptures to address day-to-day problems that face the youth today.
As suggested by him, we unveil GitaaHelpline A-Z, a new section of our website dedicated to addressing complex issues with priceless solutions advocated in our timeless scripture.
As always, please write in with your valuable feedback, suggestions for improvement and topics that you would like to see here..
“Anxiety” is one of the key problems that many people face these days. The world stopped being simple a long time ago and so even youngsters these days talk about “pressure” and “stress” being burdened by a long list of things to do and a gamut of activities that challenge their abilities!
If we analyze the cause for “anxiety”, we can see that it is rooted in other factors such as “expectation” and “attachment”. These also give rise to additional emotions such as “fear” and “anger”.
To take one simple example, a young highschooler is anxious about his exam results because he expects to go to a good college. Many times, he is anxious that he may not be able to fulfill his parents “expectations”, which like browser “add-ins” compound one’s own expectations!
Now, why are the parents anxious? The parents 
are “attached” to the welfare of their kids and hence believe that it is their responsibility to transfer some of the stress and pressure related to this attachment to the young shoulders of their offspring!
Anxiety therefore is not because of the work that needs to be done but because of what one expects to receive from the work. When the expectations are not met this then leads to anger, frustration, fear etc and further feeds “anxiety” leading to a vicious cycle! The net result is panic/anxiety disorders, mental and physical ailments, falling prey to addictions and in extreme cases even suicide!!
Almost every kind of of anxiety in this world can be diagnosed with this E&A test – Has it arisen due to Expection (E), Attachment (A) or sometimes an even more unhealthy concoction of both?
The Gita advocates the following solutions to anxiety:
(A) Do what is right and take pride and joy in the action without expectation of results – when there is no expectation, the focus will be on doing a good job rather than on what would happen if I dont get a particular result (Chapter 2- Verse 47)
(B) Let go of desires and hankering since material objects can only provide limited happiness – the secret is to detach oneself from the impermanent and temporary world and attach to superior goals (Chapter 3- Verse 19)
If we are not attached to the feeling of “doership” and “ownership”, we become less anxious!
If you watch a young toddler walk, he merrily ambles along with little fear that he may fall! He is content doing this since he knows his mom is near and knows that she will take care of him – in other words, he has let go of the “worrying” to his mom! Similarly, we should also learn to leave the responsibility of the results of actions to a superior power and focus instead on doing a good job!
Anxiety then, would be a thing of the past..
congratulations on the new geeta help line
E&A Expectations and Attachment for the root cause of all the stress and anxiety.
Truly, if the work is done without expecting the credit for it, we would remain normal. If I am expecting a praise from the boss for a job which I think I did good, I may be in for troble. This happens in everybodys life every day. We have to remove the attachment to our Karma fala ( fruit of action) , then we are fine.
Hope more and more souls will find GitaaHelpline saving them from most sorrowful consequences.
Dumaneji,
It is very easy to say so…but the real challenge for a ‘Grahasthasrame’ like you and me, is, how to practice it in day today life ?
Warrier
Sowmya ji great explanation, every one should conduct day to day this E&A test before going to bed.
I would like to add more to your explanation. Entire problem in life is because of fruits of action(Karma pala) or result. if analyse logicallay what is result?. Present action in future comes as modified effect is called result. what are all factors affecting result,past worries and future anxiety, this two factors will affect the present action itself.This is indeed one of the secret of success tips. Our present work efficiency can be improved by renouncung the fruits of action(Karma pala tyaga).