Welcome to my series this month, Overcoming Anxiety (in 31 Days!)
Without trying to make this sounds like an AA meeting (Anxiety Anonymous… pun intended) I first want to share with you who I am, and who I am not.
First, who I am… I’m a Jesus-girl through and through who only recently, in the past year, recognized the chronic state of anxiety my frazzled nerves were in. I’m a wife and mom to twins who are now 4, and my daughter is 2 ½ (19 months apart, yes I had three babies in diapers at one point in time). Once my twins entered this world, I went to working part-time as a dental hygienist. More recently I have fallen into part-time speaking, writing, and building a growing ministry of encouragement and inspiration to others. I’m also the household manager which entails doing a host of other tasks, some not so exciting (ahem… laundry anyone?) Keeping up with these tasks alone is already stressful.
I picked-up on my anxiety issue when I was writing devotionals (my first book coming out this Spring! Stay tuned!), specifically picking out verses discussing what to do when you feel anxious, worried, or stressed. I began to invest researching into what anxiety is, how to apply peace and joy principles through science and the Bible, all in an effort to overcome my anxiety. One common passage in the Bible convicted me there really is a way to overcome my anxiety struggle.
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don’t forget to thank him for his answers. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7, TLB)
I mean really… don’t worry about anything? That sounds impossible. At least it did to me (Miss Queen of worry over here!)
Yet, when I started to dig deeper into the meaning behind the stories and passages I was reading in the Bible related to anxiety, I was baffled as I discovered things that were really so simple to maintain a less frazzled mind. I also dug into the understanding of anxiety as a whole (physically, emotionally, and of course spiritually), and through all of this research my eyes were opened and application began.
Experimentation ensued as I applied a host of various de-stressing/anti-anxiety techniques over the next several months.
The change in my own stress levels was mind-blowing.
I’ve applied several different things to my life in order to see the effects it has on my overall anxious state. And low and behold… FREEDOM!
- I’m able to fall asleep faster.
- Sleeping throughout the night more consistently (except for when my babies still wake me up).
- Thinking clearer.
- Less tired.
- My chronic body pain has lessened.
- I’m more at rest and have more peace than ever before!
There are still stressful moments which inevitably arise in my life, but when I apply the tools I’ve learned to overcome them, the choppy waters turn still.
Second, what I am not. I do not have a PHD or Doctorate in scientific studies of the human body. Although I do have a BS degree in Science, I’m no neuroscientist, (however I do find it oddly interesting to research science of the brain). I don’t think you have to have all the degrees or doctorates to understand the basics of how stress and anxiety works in the human body. Just an open mind and a teachable heart.
Like I said earlier, I’m a Jesus-girl, so I will be bringing in Biblical related truths I’ve discovered which has helped me (and continues to help me) in overcoming anxiety struggles. I do not have a theological degree and am no master of the Bible. I’m just a simple girl who has fallen in love with Jesus as I continue to research and discover the nuggets of wisdom in the Bible and apply it to my daily life. Therefore, I will be bringing into this topic multiple spiritual truths and prayer exercises which have helped me in managing my overall stress and anxiety levels.
In all honesty, I’ve found the biblical related tools have actually helped me the most, so I simply cannot leave them out. If you aren’t a person of Faith, I still encourage you to follow along as I think what I have to say each day for overcoming anxiety will still help you function better and quicker when those stress-filled moments arise.
So over the next 31 Days I want to share with you all the things I’ve learned which has helped me gain control over this issue of anxiety instead of it controlling me.
And if you’re brand new here, you might want to check out my About Rachel page so you can get to know me better!
Also, you might want to sign up for my when-I-have-something-important-to-say email blasts. You also get a freebie to go with it! You can find it right here on the homepage!
I won’t be emailing everyone every day (because to me that would be too annoying!) Rather, you will get an email summary each week with a list of links for each post and a short blurb of encouragement… because that’s just part of what I do! Expect the email every Friday for the month of October! And feel free to reply back if you have a question or to tell me how my series is helping you overcome your anxiety struggles! Would love to hear from you.
If you want to read each post the day they become live, follow me on Instagram or Facebook as I will connect a feature post each day for the 31 day series of Overcoming Anxiety on those social media accounts.
I can’t wait to hear how this series helps you tackle the stress in your own personal life! Because these insights definitely helped me tackle mine.
31 Days to Overcome Anxiety!
(Day 1): Exploring the Underlying Root of Anxiety
(Day 2): Breathing
(Day 3): Break-a-sweat to Beat Stress
(Day 4): Therapeutic Coloring to De-stress
(Day 5): 10 De-Stressing Verses to Meditate On
(Day 6): Discover the Fear to your Worry (biblical example)
(Day 7): How to Overcome the Fear of Rejection (biblical example + video)
(Day 8): Healthy Eating to Help Beat Stress
(Day 9): Cut the Guilt and Hire Help
(Day 10): How to Overcome the Fear of Loss (biblical example + video)
(Day 11): How to Overcome the Fear of Failure (biblical example + video)
(Day 12): Overcoming Fear of the Unknown Future (biblical example)
(Day 13): Your Relentless Control is Stressing You Out
(Day 14): Sticky Notes Save Lives!
(Day 15): Take a Time-Out… For Yourself!
(Day 16): Talk it Out with a Professional
(Day 17): The Chill Pill
(Day 18): Sleep Off Stress
(Day 19): Simplify to De-Stress – 5 Top Tips
(Day 20): Reduce Financial Tension – Create a Budget
(Day 21): Create A Prayer Room to De-Stress
(Day 22): Coach Instead of Control (children)
(Day 23): Stressed? Stop and Read the Word for 5 Minutes
(Day 24): Stop Striving to Be More
(Day 25): Take A Risk
(Day 26): Keep Your Worries In Perspective By Counting Your Blessings
(Day 27): Create a Cushion in Your Schedule For the Unexpected
(Day 28): Meal Plan to Save Time and Worry Less
(Day 29): Stop Trying to Do What Everyone Else Is Doing
(Day 30): Let Go of the Outcome and Enjoy the Process
(Day 31): Get Off Social Media Because It’s Stressing You Out
