Overcoming Anxiety Day 10: You are never alone.

Are you feeling alone right now?

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Sometimes we need to know that we are not alone in our struggle with anxiety.

I have wrestled with anxiety since childhood.  Fear was a constant companion to me. I often felt alone because no one understood what I was dealing with.

It wasn’t until a few years ago that I reached out to God for help.  He led me to learn about His promises, and He put people in my path to help me.

Overcoming anxiety doesn’t mean it goes away forever.  It’s about equipping yourself with the tools to fight when attacks come.  Fear still knocks on the door, but I don’t have to open it.

Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Here are some practical steps that helped me overcome anxiety:

1)  Acknowledge your worries.  Ignoring your fears and worries won't make them disappear.  Make a list of everything that is on your mind. 

2)  Set aside some time to walk through the situations that worry you.  If the worst case scenario happened, then what?  Keep asking, "and then what?" until you can't go any further.

3)  Enlist the help of a counselor or trusted friend to talk through your most prominent worries and fears.  Anxiety is rooted in the subconscious mind, and it can take some skillful probing to get to the root of some of your worries.

4)  Examine your thoughts.  Spend a day jotting down your thoughts, especially the ones that repeat themselves.  You may find that several of them are linked by a common theme.  This is best done with the help of a counselor or trusted friend.

5)  Identify your triggers.  You need to know the enemy you're fighting.  What were you thinking before you began to feel anxious?  Thoughts and feelings are often connected.

6)  Explore limiting beliefs.  This one will require an outside perspective.  Some of your most repetitive and troublesome thoughts are likely linked to a core belief you have.

7)  Investigate the truth.  Once I started reading God's words, I learned who I was created to be.  I learned that I wasn't created with a spirit of fear.  I discovered that God wanted to protect me and had good plans for me, and that fear was lying to me.

8)  Renew your mind.  As I started to fill my mind with His words, I began to challenge every negative thought that emerged.  The more I read His words, and practiced affirmations and gratitude, the less anxiety I experienced, and the better I felt. The panic attacks I frequently experienced completely went away.

9)  Adopt a healthy lifestyle.  Nutrition, exercise, and stress management are all necessary to keep your body healthy enough to be able to reduce anxiety.

10)  Reach out to others.  Anxiety caused me to self-isolate for so long.  It wasn't until I finally sought help that I was able to set out on this healing journey.  A significant part of your healing will come from helping others.  This is why I started this blog, to help others on a similar journey.  If you are struggling right now, don't be afraid to ask for help.  You are never, ever alone.

Thank you for hanging with me!  I hope you found this series helpful.  Please share with a friend or loved one who could use an encouraging word.