How to Recognize and Defuse Anxiety…

lake near forest

Anxiety seems to be a word used often in the day and time we live in. So often now people say, ‘my anxiety.’ But we need to be empowered to reverse the anxiety so that it doesn’t just become who we are for the rest of our lives. What was once just passed over is now understood by its symptoms and that is important. People have anxiety for all kinds of reasons but there is help and hope for those who suffer with it. 

First, what is anxiety? “Intense, excessive, and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations. Fast heart rate, rapid breathing, sweating, and feeling tired may occur.” Quote Mayo Clinic These are just some of the symptoms.   

‘There is a normal anxiety that most people get before public speaking or taking a test.’ “Anxiety is only an indicator of underlying disease when feelings become excessive, all consuming, and interfere with daily living.” Quote Mayo Clinic I recommend if you are suffering with excessive and all-consuming anxiety it is time to seek professional help. You are valuable to God there is no shame in getting professional help.

Since an anxious mind is a fearful mind, we can look at it with the understanding that fear is at the root cause of anxiousness.  When we allow our mind to stay fixed and focused on the situations of what ‘could be or won’t be’ it can become all consuming. This blog post is meant to help you recognize your thoughts and symptoms. And teach you how to change your thoughts so that you stop the worry and fear before it overcomes you. Fear is sneaky it waits and pounces when we least expect it. “Fear is an unpleasant feeling triggered by the perception of danger, real or imagined. Anxiety and fear have the fight or flight response. When in real danger fleeing is recommended. Our feeling of situations can distort our thinking and responses. That is why healthy self-talk can figure out if it is real or imagined.

The bible speaks a lot about fear and anxious thoughts. So from the word of God we can learn how to recognize, replace and overcome anxious thoughts. There are also healthy tools to help us to calm our emotions when anxious.

 These two scriptures I speak to calm my mind when anxiety has tried to take over. Isaiah 26:3 NKJ “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” Keeping our eyes on Jesus who is the author and perfector of our faith is essential to keeping a calm mind. This means we rely and depend on Christ sacrifice to provide us with the peace He gave us.  When we trust God to watch over us we can keep our focus on Him and not on what we think will happen.  Assuming what will happen is just an assumption it is not a fact.

Philippians 4:6-8 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7) and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8) Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things.” Meditate equals think on these things.

I love this scripture because it reminds us to think on things that are good, and of a good report when the anxious negative thoughts abound, refuse them in Jesus’ name and replace them with the word of God and anything good, pure, and lovely. We can choose our thoughts!

Deep breathing slowly in and out slowly helps to release the toxins of stress, anxiety and fear which can make our bodies sore and tired. Understanding and recognizing the symptoms of stress, anxiety, and fear you experience helps to control your thoughts and emotions. Being aware of these helps to calm ourselves down quicker.  Dr. Daniel G. Amen wrote in is book ‘Healing Anxiety and Depression’ “Whenever you feel anxious, mad, or tense, take a deep breath, hold it for four to five seconds, then slowly blow it out (take about six to eight seconds to blow out).” He says, “do this about ten times.”  I find this helpful for me when I am also frustrated over a situation it helps calm me down and refocus my thoughts.

Dr. Carolyn Leaf in her book ‘Who Switched off my Brain’ said “A thought may seem harmless, but if it becomes toxic, even just a thought can become physically, emotionally, or spiritually dangerous. Thoughts are measurable and occupy mental ‘real estate.’ Thoughts are active; they grow and change. Thoughts influence every decision, word, actions and physical reaction we make.”  You can refuse negative, unhealthy thoughts sometimes we have to say No I’m not thinking that!

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4) For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5) casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”

This scripture shows that we can take authority in Christ over our thoughts. Truly the battle is won or lost in our minds. We have the choice to think what we want don’t accept every thought that comes to your mind. Strongholds are built in our mind one thought (unchecked) at a time. Be aware of what you are thinking do not give the anxious negative thoughts free rein in your mind because it will build a stronghold in the mind.

Stronghold thinking patterns can produce stress, fear and anxiety also. Once again if you have excessive and all consuming anxiety, it is time to seek professional help. You are valuable to God there is no shame in getting professional help.

Some proactive steps to take: Exercise is a helpful tool to reduce stress, and it is healthy for us along with eating healthy foods. Processed foods poison our bodies system so when you can avoid processed foods. We use Juice Plus and vitamins to help our body’s immune system. Drink water it’s not my favorite but it is essential for our bodies. Finding time to get alone with God and pray and meditate on the word will also help reduce stress, anxiety etc.

I thank God that He is with us and has given us everything we need for life and godliness. Jesus’ sacrifice paid the price for our salvation and in that is healing, deliverance, joy and peace.

“How to know if you’re walking in the Spirit? Conclusion:”

sliced fruits on tray

For the last seven weeks I have been writing on ‘How to know if you’re walking in the Spirit.’  I wrote on the fruit being produced by the Spirit in our lives. This is one way to know if you are growing in your walk with the Lord and if you are in the spirit or not. It is a practical application that is so simple that one could almost forget as human beings we like to complicate things to make them sound better.

This post is to encourage those who want to be led by the Holy Spirit to continue to grow in your walk with the Lord and to help recognize His leadings.  I know that when the Holy Spirit leads us according to the Bible, He will not force you to obey. God always gives us a choice. Being led by the Spirit is in partnership with His leading. Galatians 5:16-18 “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17) For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18) but if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”

To me that sums it up Spirit or flesh were either in one or the other. Over the years mankind tried to make walking in the Spirit more about the nine gifts of the Spirit which these are good but come from the Spirit they are not the proof of you continuing to walk in the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is the proof of you being led by the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23) gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” Verse 25 “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” 

To end this series the next two is a fruit of gentleness and self-control. Sometimes it requires a lot of self-control to stay in gentleness especially when dealing with contentious people. Being gentle means, you’re not being harsh or hard. “Gentleness means the quality of kind, tender, or mild-mannered.” Since I’m more Type-a I tend to sound harder than I mean to be. I see things in black and white, right and wrong. So, I can sound harsher to others than it is meant. God has been working on me through the years and will continue to work on me so that I do not sound harsh. He’s seasoned me by His Spirit to think through responses so that it sounds gentler. It is still truths but with love. I would never intentionally hurt someone, so I am using my own life to help us understand that at times we need seasoning to bring out of us the un-Christlikeness that is flesh.

Self-control is keeping oneself in check and not losing control in a situation. Self-control “the ability to control oneself, in particular ones’ emotions and desires or the expression of them in one’s behavior, especially in difficult situations.”  Being led by the Spirit produces this in our lives. But we have a choice in every situation how we will respond and what choice we want to make in our lives. Battling the flesh is a daily fight. Our flesh does not like to submit to the Spirit but when you’re wanting to be led by the Spirit you learn to choose His way and surrender that flesh to be crucified so that God gets the glory. By doing so you will begin to see the fruit come forth from your life.