Listen to the podcast I Have Anxiety. 

Anxiety.

Can we talk about this for a minute?

I started having panic attacks at age 17 mostly triggered by stress, overthinking-trying to figure out the world’s problems.

Fast forward, I’m 40 and it’s still here. It’s like a creepy uncle that won’t go away. It comes out of nowhere, the middle of the night or day, it has no regard for time or commitments.

Fear and stress always underline anxiety and now people who never felt it before are feeling it. The uneasiness in your stomach, hands shaking, urge to clean everything with a toothbrush kind of anxiety.

So you’re asking, “Aren’t you a Christian though?”

Yes.

“Aren’t you Sprit-filled?”

Yes.

“Don’t you believe in healing?”

Yep.

“Then why do you still have anxiety?”

My long theological answer has to do with the Problem of Evil-I would bore you if I told you more about that (although I probably will one day).

My short answer is, we live in a fallen world-it’s broken, there is sickness and pain here and we are witnessing that right now more than ever before.

It’s easy to have anxiety right now, we all have it in some form.

So, how do we handle it?

Well, I thought I’d share a few tricks I use now that I’ve been dealing with it over 20 years.

First, find a quiet spot and play slow worship songs, old songs like It Is Well. Use headphones (AirPods), take deep breaths and let the music fall over you. You’ll find yourself worshiping God after a few songs and calming your whole body down, let the peace of God fall over you.

I know how hard the quiet spot thing can be, I have five kids, I get it. Turn on a movie for the kids and put yourself in a closet and breathe or sit in the car by yourself.

Second, get your mind off of it by journaling or doing adult coloring or scratch art. I do scratch art and a lot of it. If I can focus my mind on something else, my body will slow down.

Also, be sure to limit coffee and chocolate, caffeine only makes it worse. Bummer.

Third, I use one of those old school bean heated bag things, the things you put in the microwave then I put it on my stomach and breathe.

During all of my deep breathing sessions, I read very specific scriptures over and over again-you’re familiar with them but, write them down on a 3×5 card and stick them somewhere (in your quiet place) so have them when you need them.

2 Timothy 1:7
“…for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

Philippians 4:7
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Isaiah 26:3
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”

I read those all the time but especially when I have elevated anxiety.

Also, whatever you do, put the phone down. We are living in a 24/7 breaking news cycle. We have to take ourselves out of the news zone and put the phone down for awhile and just rest.

Here’s the thing, it’s real. This is all real and anxiety is a normal reaction to the unknown but, we will be ok, we will get through this, we just need to breathe (…away from everyone, of course) and lean into God’s peace.

We don’t have to be the perfect parent or the “homeschool” mom, we don’t have to make a strict schedule and flip our house upside down. We just have to hold on to the peace of God and help our kids feel safe.

Love, we have to love one another right now.

It’s going to be ok, walk in love, be the church and breathe deep and remember, we’re all literally in this together-you are not alone.

Listen to the podcast I Have Anxiety. 

If you would like to see more content from Sarah Ann look in our Christian Living Resources or go to SaraAnnSpeaks.com