Anxiety cripples. It numbs. It silences. It tricks.....Here are some ways I am learning to cope with it. I hope it is helpful for someone reading this.
I never realized I struggled with anxiety until reading more about it and talking through it with people who suffer a lot worse than I do every day.
I know the Lord made us unique and He is shaping us more and more every day. I saw this quote the other day and it really encouraged me: "Your anxiety is lying to you. You are loved. You are strong. You are going to be okay."
Sometimes our minds like to trick us into believing no one cares. Our minds trick us into believing we are fine on our own. As a child, I'd sometimes think the worst if my parents happened to be late for pick up after school (extremely rare that they were late anyway!) Our minds trick us to believe all sorts of crazy things when one suffers from anxiety.....
God made us to live in community with each other. We NEED each other. We also need to believe all the good about what others say about us. That is SO hard when anxiety seems to be winning.
Some things I do to help:
1. Affirm out loud: Call out to Jesus and allow Him to replace the negative with positive
2. "It's okay to cry!": Know that some days we just need a good ole cry
3. Don't believe the lies: Never let your anxiety take over. Realize it can be loud and STOP it
4. Seek help: Ask others/ friends/ family/ counselors to help you through it. Talk and be vulnerable about how you are feeling and what you are thinking. It's such a relief to know people that love you CARE. Trust them.
5. PRAY: Pray all the time. Trust me- It makes all the difference in the world.
I sometimes have post-it notes on my mirror in my room with statements about what the Lord thinks of me: (Biblical affirmations are powerful to read out to yourself when your mind is tricking you)
-I am fearfully and wonderfully made
-I am beautiful
-I am a Daughter of the King
-I am loved and cared for
-I am valuable
-I am not alone
-I am capable
-I am intelligent
-I can do all things through Him
-I have the Holy Spirit helping me
There are many nights I lay awake going through every second of the next day- trying to organize my schedule or plan something. There are some nights I lay awake wondering what I did or said wrong that offended my friend and how they'd react the next day...... The amount of time wasted on over-thinking is unbelievable. It's draining and exhausting. I needed to learn to put my brain and heart at ease. Give the worries and burdens and stresses to Jesus. He doesn't want us to carry those around.
I'm not writing this because I somehow found a solution to getting rid of my anxiety..... I wish it were that easy. I can say I found great peace in learning how to deal with it better and identifying it when it came up. I found Jesus. I found peace in knowing He knows my thoughts, my fears, my words, my everything! I need to give the anxiety and over-thinking to Him each day. I'm still no expert- but I'm learning- a work in progress shall we say. My prayer life has really increased and this has made all the difference. I can finally see glimpses of joy and moments of pure joy in my days instead of being anxious about everything.
I have definitely learned to seek Him more and call out to Him more frequently. I can't do this life alone. I gotta stick with Jesus. If you are struggling with anxiety or anything close to it..... Cling to Jesus. He is a God of such peace and restoration. All we need is Him! I'm in awe at how far I've come. He's brought me through a lot and I'm still standing. He's come through time and time again to prove to me He never leaves me nor forsakes me. He watches over me. He is building confidence in me to rise up to my full potential. I'm thankful for His great love for me. Even though I still have days that are hard and nights that I can't sleep due to my anxiety.... I know the Lord grants me peace. I know He holds my future in His perfect hands. I know He can be trusted. With ALL things.
Say goodbye to anxiety and hello to the Voice of Truth: Jesus.
Believe that VOICE of TRUTH today. I will.
