09/07/2026
The Surprising Antidote to Anxiety: Giving
Anxiety is a common experience in modern life. Worrying about the future, replaying the past, and feeling overwhelmed by uncertainty can leave the mind tense and exhausted. According to Buddhist wisdom, anxiety does not come from the world around us, but from how our mind relates to it. This understanding gives us great hope: if anxiety arises in the mind, it can also be reduced and eventually overcome by training the mind.
A common source of anxiety is a sense of scarcity. We might worry there isn’t enough recognition, security, or opportunity to go around so we grasp at these things. At work, this can look like wanting to be irreplaceable: taking on more than we should, saying yes to everything, working too hard for too long until we’re overwhelmed and running on empty.
The Buddhist approach to this kind of anxiety isn’t to push harder or grasp more tightly. It’s the opposite - it’s practicing giving. As Geshe Kelsang Gyatso says in Meaningful to Behold:
“As a result of being generous in this life we will enjoy good conditions in future lives, so giving is our best friend for the future.”
This doesn’t mean giving away our time or energy until there’s nothing left. It means training the mind to give in ways that directly loosen the grip of scarcity. Here are three simple ways to start practicing giving today:
Giving credit — rejoicing in others’ success instead of feeling threatened by it
Giving appreciation — genuinely noticing and naming others’ good qualities
Giving encouragement — helping others do well, rather than quietly hoping they don’t
(Text from Tharpa Publications US, the publisher of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso’s books)
To learn more, join us for teachings and meditation at our main centre in East Vancouver or at one of our branch locations around town. Everyone is welcome to drop in any of our General Program classes. Our schedule can be found at meditateinvancouver.org (link in bio).
May everyone be free from anxiety 🙏
