God is the designer of our minds and our bodies. God is the one who teaches us the truth through His Word.
Tip #1: Realize that your feelings are not facts.
Feelings are just information. It is factual that you are having feelings. You are having certain feelings, and these sensations may be labeled with a certain word that says what the feeling is. This does not mean the feeling is telling you the truth about your value, about the situation, about someone else's intent, or about whether you're in danger.
Our emotions are not indicators of our worth, of our salvation, or of our spiritual standing. Emotions are signals letting us know how our body and mind are reacting to circumstances. Feelings don't define you. Feelings are simply messengers that God put into the body to alert you. Jesus Himself felt grief, righteous anger, compassion, and sadness.
1 Peter 5:6-7 says, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you."
Tip #2: Realize that your body is not separate from your spirituality.
Jesus had a fully human body and he was fully God and fully human. It was by the shedding of Jesus' physical blood and the physical raising of His body that saved us. Jesus is perfect.
Knowing that we are safe physically can help us to feel more into the truth that Jesus is our peace. If your body is not able to recalibrate and rest, it's hindering you from the fullness of the experience of being able to rest our bodies, minds, souls, and spirits in Christ.
Tip #3: Boundaries are Biblical.
God Himself gave Adam and Eve boundaries.
Genesis 2:16-17 says, "And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.""
God gave people free will with choice and warning. Adam and Eve ate from the fruit in the garden of Eden and that's what caused the problem. As a result, God set up more boundaries.
Genesis 3:23 says, "therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken."
Jesus set boundaries for Himself while on earth. He was not available to everyone all of the time. Even Jesus went away to pray.
Healthy boundaries are simply saying that we as humans have limits to our energy, time, resources, and should steward them wisely.
Tip #4: Prayer is powerful and so is therapy.
Therapy is not a lack of faith, but is an act of stewardship. The Bible tells us that there is value in counsel. Jesus Himself is the mighty counselor. You have to be wise with the person you choose as your therapist, so that they don't lead you into anything that isn't according to Godly parameters. God uses many tools to bring about healing and therapy could be one of them.
Prayer connects us spiritually and therapy helps us to heal. Therapy can untangle the emotional, mental, and behavioral patterns that might be keeping us stuck.
Proverbs 15:22 says, "Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed."
God created your brain, body, and emotions. He knows how they work and He is not limited to only what seems like a spiritual intervention. God works through skilled, Godly professionals...and ungodly professionals too.
Tip #5: Rest is important.
Too many times we criticize ourselves for needing to take a rest. Jesus Himself took rests and God implemented Sabbath. Sometimes we need time to decompress, or recharge so that we can think more creatively, be more effective, and more of service. You are not meant to run on empty. We can honor God through rest. It's okay to take a nap and step away from your endless to-do lists.
Tip #6: Community matters.
You were not meant to do life alone. Healing happens in connection with people. Although, isolation is not always bad, but thinking that you don't need anyone is not healthy. God made us to encourage one another. Find healthy people who speak truth, encourage you, build you up, and pray for you.
Tip #7: Grace is for you too.
God's love is for you too. Often we have so many thoughts running through our minds that are critical and you go down the rabbit trail. Grace is for YOU. You are not the exception. Jesus already took all the hits for ALL the sin and He overcame it. The gift is free for the taking. Jesus died for your freedom.
So stop measuring your worth by your productivity, performance, or feelings...you are loved because God is love and He loves YOU.
Romans 8:1 says, "There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
God has a wonderful plan for your life.
My first experience with anxiety was when I was four years old. I was supposed to go to swim class, which I hated. Swim class was terrifying to me because I was so afraid that I was going to go underwater. To add to it, my teacher was nasty. I didn't know how to speak up for myself when I was only four years old. I wanted to be anywhere except where the icky feeling was, so I wanted to avoid swim class.
When you feel anxiety, how can you help yourself?
1. Identify the feeling.
Is it panic? Is it anxiety? Is it fear? If you name it, it can help you to get a handle on it. It allows you to feel like you have more control over it. This brings you back to the present moment. You're experiencing a feeling, but you're still safe.
2. Take in some slow, deep breaths and hold them at the top of the breath, then release them slower.
Breathe in for four, hold it for four, release for eight. Do a cycle of three or four. Try it a few times a day to get used to breathing like this. It can help your system relax and regulate. Eventually it could become a habit.
3. Ground yourself in the present moment using your senses.
Look for five things that you can see and describe. For example, it could be a certain color or shape. Look for four things that you can touch, feel them and notice what they feel like. Describe it out loud, if you can. Find three things that you can hear. What are you hearing in the present moment? What are two things that you can smell? Find one thing that you can taste. If you can get something in your mouth, maybe sour, sweet, smooth, warm or cool. Pay attention to the texture and temperature.
4. Notice the thought.
Observe what's happening. Your system may be trying to figure out if you're in danger or not. Are you in danger or just feeling this way? Think: "It's just a feeling, I will be okay."
5. Move your body.
It can help to walk, jog, or exercise in a safe way. Get some fresh air or turn on a fan. Do something that allows your temperature to regulate into something soothing and comforting.
6. Be careful with what you take into your system.
Sometimes sugar and caffeine can intensify symptoms.
7. Have some special go-to things.
Some things that help you ground into the present moment. For example, Essential Oils, soap or your favorite song. Having some go-to tools can help you to calm down.
8. Set aside specific time to pray about your worries.
Journal a prayer or say a prayer. "Lord help me with [whatever you're afraid of]." Notice whatever is peaceful. Look to Scripture for what is comforting.
9. Don't fight the panic.
Observe it and tolerate it without having to do anything about it. If you want to fight back, act like you're not afraid. This can help you feel more in control.
10. Seek out support.
Tell a friend or family member, pray about it, go to a counselor...someone who understands what you're going through who can hold your hand and soothe and comfort you.
You don't have to go through this alone.
If you want to learn more about getting free from Anxiety, you can get a free video series download by Sign Up | Anxiety Management Mini Course | Ruzuku
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