Dhikr consistently

Anxiety and worry can be overcome by seeking refuge in Allah through consistency in
dhikr.

As imam Ibn al-Qayyim has pointed out, dhikr entails manifold benefits:

The most important of which is that it brings us closer to Allah, while keeping us
away from Satan who whispers all kinds of thoughts and suggestions in our
minds/hearts. The next most important benefit of dhikr is that it removes all
feelings of grief, worry and anxiety from our hearts and bestows on our souls true
serenity, joy, peace and bliss. Allah says, “Those who believe and whose hearts
find tranquility in the remembrance of Allah. Lo, it is in the remembrance of Allah
that hearts find tranquility (Qur’an: 13: 28).

We also read that the Prophet, peace be upon him, used to look expectantly towards
Prayer (being the perfect means of dhikr) as the true source of bringing joy to the
heart. He said, “The true joy of my heart is in Prayer.” It is also worth
remembering that, according to Islam, Allah alone is the Ultimate Source of Peace;
His name is al- Salaam. Therefore, I advise you to practice dhikr consistently so
that it becomes your second nature. This can be achieved through consistency: The
first step towards is to be diligent in performance your Salah consistently and
regularly at the appointed times, while being fully awake and mindful of the
meanings and feeling the true spirit of it. Secondly, condition yourself to turn to
Allah always in du’a and istighfaar. An excellent way of establishing consistency
in dhikr is by forcing yourself to say and meditate on the Power Words such as the
following:

Subhaana Allaah wa bihamdihi subhaana Allaahi al-azheem (Glory be to Allah, and

Praise be to Him; glory be to Allah the Tremendous

Subhaana Allaah bi hamdihee ‘dada khalqihi, wa ridhaa’a nafsihi, wa zinata ‘rshihi,

wa midaada kalimaatihi (Glory be to Allah and praise be to Him in a manner that
befits the (infinite) number of His creation, and as it pleases Him, and as it
befits the true weight of His Throne as well as His infinite knowledge).
Furthermore, condition yourself to read the following du’as on a regular basis as
they have been prescribed by the Prophet, peace be upon him, for repelling
anxieties and gaining serenity and peace. You are best advised to read them odd
number of times (preferably three) in the mornings as well at night prior to
retiring to bed:

Laa ilaaha illa Allaahu al-azheem al-haleem; Laa ilaaha illa Allaahu, rabbu
al-‘arshi al-‘azheem, laa ilaaha illa Allahu, rabbu al-ssamaawaati wa al-ardhi wa
rabbu al-‘arshi al-kareem (There is no god but Allah, the Tremendous, the Clement;
there is no god but Allah, Lord of the Mighty Throne, there is no god but Allah,
Lord of the heavens and the earth, and Lord of the Noble Throne).

Allaahumma innee (If you are male add: ‘abduka wa ibn abdika ibn amatika; if,
however, you are female add: amatuka wa bintu abdika wa bintu amatika), naasiyatee
bi yadika qadhin fiyya hukmuka ‘adlun fiyya qadhaa’uka as’aluka bi kulli ismin huwa
laka sammayta bihi nafsaka aw anzaltahu fee kitaabika aw allamtahu ahadan min
khalqika aw ista’tharta bihi fee ilm al-ghaybi indaka an taj’ala al-Qur’ana al-
rabee’a qalbee wa noora basaree wa jilaa’a huznee wa dhahaaba hammee

(O Allah, I am your servant, son/daughter of your servant, my forelock is under

your firm grips, Your decree in my case is sure to be realized, and Your judgment
is just. I ask of You by invoking every single name that you possess, with which
You have called Yourself, or You have revealed in Your scripture or You have
instructed any of Your creation or You have kept hidden with Yourself in the
knowledge of the unseen realities to make the Qur’an the spring of my hearts, light
of my eyes, and dispeller of my grief and remover of my anxieties).

Yaa hayyu yaa qayyoomu bi rahmatika astagheethu (O the Ever- Living, the Eternal
Source of all beings! I beseech Your mercy and assistance (in my distress).

I pray to Allah to grant all of us freedom from anxieties and worries, and bestow
on our hearts true peace, serenity and tranquility in both worlds; verily, He is
All-Hearing, All-Knowing--aameen.