3 Best-Ever Anxiety Reducers:
What is the world coming to? International tensions are exploding. National tensions within our country have fueled political polarization. Families are worried. Couples and individuals are stressed and looking for answers. What should we do? As Christian counselors we always address anxious thoughts by evaluating the following at a personal level:
Spiritual Renewal:
We should bring all our worries and fears to the Lord and lay them at His feet daily. The Lord instructs us to “cast all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you” (I Peter 5:7). Bringing all our worries to Him allows us to pray, “when I am afraid, I will trust in You (God)” (Psalm 56:3). He promises, “I will never leave you nor forsake you, so we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper, I will not fear’” (Hebrews 13:5-6).
Self-Talk Improvement:
Anxiety and depression lead to negative thoughts and negative thoughts lead to anxiety and depression. Learn to catch your negative thoughts before they catch you. Dispute the negative thoughts with positive perspective. Learn to practice negative thought stopping and positive thought replacement. Instead of saying, “everything is terrible and hopeless” try saying “I’m trusting the Lord to see us through.” Look for the silver lining behind every cloud. Even learning to delay your anxious thoughts to another day can go a long way in deterring anxious thoughts.
Work-Life Balance:
It is good to periodically evaluate your sleep, diet, exercise, difficult relationships, recreation, and overall schedule. If you find any “hotspots” then it is time to upgrade to a better plan. Don’t fall prey to the workaholic lifestyles that Americans applaud. Anxiety and depression are always exacerbated when any of these areas are out of balance.
We are available to help you with any of these personal issues when you want to speak to one of our Professional Counselors or Certified Life Coaches. Contact us today at 919-260-5830.