Do you ever need some Anxiety Relief? Well, you are not alone. When Jesus indicated that he wanted to feed a crowd of 4,000, the disciples react out of anxiety, abandoning their rational thinking. (You can read this story in Mark 8:1-9). You might say that the disciples needed some Anxiety Relief!
So what happens when a person gets anxious and overly concerned? First, the emotional and logical parts of our brain disconnect when we experience a crisis or trauma. This kind of stressor then causes feelings of anxiety. Once we become anxious it becomes easy for our ‘responses’ to become ‘reactions’ because we aren’t functioning from both sides of our brain (emotional & logical).
Satan uses stress, trauma, and hurtful situations to form “lies” in our mind that are not true. Keith Strohm’s book, “The Ten Biggest Lies of the Enemy”, lists what he believes are the most common lies: I am alone, I can only count on myself, God is not a good Father, The Devil is as powerful as God, Following God means giving up happiness, God is powerless to help me, I am so broken and damaged that there’s no hope for me, I am meant to suffer, I have to be perfect to earn God’s love, and I am insignificant.
Are you aware that anxiety shares the same Latin word as anger? It is translated, “to choke”. Anxiety chokes and limits our life, creating uncertainty. It interferes with our ability to think clearly and objectively (Peter Steinke).
Neurologist Paul MacLean explains the brain as a three-tiered process with rational, emotional, and survival (automatic) processes. Our rational/thinking capacity encompasses 85% of the brain, leaving only 15% for our emotional and automatic responses. On top of that, the emotional and automatic response areas have many links flowing from them, while the rational links are sparse. So when our emotions build up, they are like an aerosol can that gets too hot. They explode and we ‘react’ instead of responding rationally.
Feelings of anxiety and fear not only cause us to over-react, but to lose touch with our logical thinking? You couple that with feelings of doubt and unbelief and you begin to understand the response of the disciples in Mark 8. So it is essential that we learn some ways to return ourselves to a place of peace. Let me offer you some ideas for Anxiety Relief when you’re feeling anxious.
In my book, Peace for Anxious Times, I give you some ideas for managing your anxiety (chapter 5). This involves practices like Prayer & Meditation; Repeating Bible verses to yourself; Breathing techniques; Breath prayers; Vitamin B & Magnesium; Music; Physical Exercise; the Hand Position exercise; An Attitude of Gratitude (i.e. praise & thankfulness); Restful sleep; Essential oils (Lavender, basil, bergamot, geranium, and Roman chamomile), and herbal teas (Chamomile, Peppermint, Lemon Balm, and Passionflower).
I find it helpful to start my day connecting with God. It helps me have the right mindset for the day ahead. I’ve also found it beneficial to say the words of Philippians 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God. And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours].”
Whenever you are anxious, I hope you will try some of these ideas for Anxiety Relief and remember the words of Philippians 4:6-7. In this scripture, God has promised that his peace will stand guard over your heart and mind if you do three things: (1) Pray (which connects you to God), (2) make your requests known to God (your specific needs), and (3) offer him words of thanks. All of these things will take your mind off of your stress/anxiety and refocus it on God (your powerful resource)! So bring on the Anxiety Relief!
Note: This is the 3rd blog in a series concerning this miracle. My last 2 blogs will give you more information about this miracle.]
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