Anxiety is quite a struggle for women and men alike. Many of us are constantly working to overcome overwhelming anxiety. Anxiety is very inconvenient and takes no thought of what I’m trying to accomplish. Come to think of if it is an invasion of my peace.
I also find that anxiety shows up whether I’m ready or not. I have felt it creep up on me in moments like during or after time with family or friends.
That is out of line, right?!
Next, it’s important for you to know that anxiety often presents itself as quick-moving thoughts, a restless leg, upset stomach, tension headache, shortness of breath, you name it!
CIRCUMSTANTIAL or relationship driven anxiety
Most commonly, my anxiety stems from a circumstance involving other individuals. By this, I mean that it is as a result of a person or persons attending an event or person(s) involved with certain news.
These are a few examples of how anxiety can be brought on as a result of interaction with someone.
These circumstances can produce panic.
Example 1 – I’m attending an event/gathering with family and/or friends. A conversation triggers me, sending me to a place of insecurity or offense toward another person(s).
Example 2 – I’m attending an event/gathering with family and friends. A person walks in the room who triggers my insecurities or changes my comfort level.
Example 3 – Watching the news or having a conversation with someone sends me into a whirlwind of emotions.
So, do any of these examples resonate with you? If you seem to encounter anxiety as a result of your circumstances with others, I want to share some hope.
What Would God Have me do To overcome overwhelming anxiety?
God’s will is that we would serve him and that his sons and daughters would love, honor and respect one another. As we serve God and are being filled with the Holy Spirit, he wants three things from us.
Number one, as believers we should walk this earth always remembering the bright future we have ahead of us. We can always take joy in the certainty we have of the second coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and the eternal glory we will experience.
Secondly, life on this earth is difficult even for believers. This is not our home. Heaven is our home. We face situations that cause us to become frantic and stressed. But the word of God says for us to be patient in distress. Patience requires us to take a deep breath and dial the intensity back. We may not receive an answer immediately or solve a problem instantaneously with a brother or sister, but having patience allows us to endure as we wait on God to have his way.
Finally, we must stay committed to prayer. God wants to hear from us about everything. As scripture mentions, he wants us to come to Him for wisdom, guidance, and strength. We must not stop praying, even when it’s hard to. Prayer ultimately assists us in our relationships and interactions with others. Call out the name of Jesus, even if you cannot manage to utter the prayer you desire. He will hear your cry, guaranteed.
So, you may be wondering why there is a connection between anxiety and the circumstances/people related to it. Staying hopeful, patient, and prayerful will lower the heightened response that often turns into anxiety and panic.
Wrap up
The anxious thoughts and the physical feelings of distress may come, but I have found that when I focus on what gives me hope, become patient and pray tirelessly that my anxiety begins to lower.
For example, the other night, I was in a lot of pain from stomach spasms brought on by stress. The stress came about after obsessing over what others may think of me. It was so intense. Instead of suffering in pain, I practiced hopefulness, patience, and prayer. Ultimately, God took my pain away. Not only that, he placed me into a state of peace.
It’s is amazing!
Above all, the next time anxiety arises in your life due to your interactions and responses to other people, slow your thinking down and try out these biblical practices. They will assist you in your desire to overcome overwhelming anxiety.
Before you go, do you need prayer? If you feel led to, submit your prayer request here.
Weekly Scripture
“Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.” Romans 12:12
I believe in medicine and therapy, but I also value my faith as a way to cope with the anxiety that I experience. In today’s video, I share 3 Bible verses that are sure to help you fight through anxiety. I break down there scriptures and present takeaways that apply to everyday. Let’s normalize using the Word as our weapon against mental illness.
In today’s video, I discuss how it’s important to give yourself grace during your mental health journey. After years of fighting anxiety, depression, and bipolar, I’m in mental health recovery! I’ve now reached a point where I’m able to hold myself more accountable to certain tasks that were harder before . I share with you, what works for me and how it prevents me from becoming overwhelmed.
Many of us get F.O.M.O. (Fear Of Missing Out) when we think about logging out to take a break from social media. I always struggle with deleting the Facebook and Instagram apps off my cell phone. How about you? Do you ever feel like you have to stay present and be aware of everything going on in the lives of your friends, acquaintances, and celebs online?
Approval Addiction
Think for a second about how important it is to you to post your best self and life on social media. Like many people, you may be concerned about whether your life looks exciting enough, or if people like you. On the other hand, you may secretly envy and desire the lives of people that you follow.
With this in mind, I must stop for a second and make something clear to both myself and you. Listen closely and repeat after me, “This way of thinking is NOT healthy, period!”
Here Comes Hardship
At this point, I figure you may be thinking that approval addiction is not that big of a deal. However, when life around you feels like it is closing in, and you have lost all hope in yourself, the habit of always being concerned about other’s opinions can become dangerous.
Earlier this year, my life felt like it was spiraling out of control. I looked at myself and saw my anxiety building rapidly and depression pushing me lower and lower into a dark hole.
Sadly, I looked at others around me and felt like I was pretty pathetic. Two significant areas of my life were being affected. One was my work life, and another was my personal life. I felt like I had lost all control of my work, and my best friend tragically passed away as well.
Fast forward to today, and I have to tell you that being consumed with what other people might think did not push me back to stability. The only one who pulled me through that storm is God himself. Many times we neglect our time with God when we see life is progressing well, and we feel life is grand. But God wants relationship and fellowship with us in the good times and bad.
Why Does Social Media Matter?
Now you’re probably wondering how social media ties into all of this. Well, it’s simple. Social media rules a substantial amount of time during our day. A portion of this time would benefit many of us better if we are spending it with God. Get a clear picture below of how much time our society spends on social media.
– An average user spends 2 hours and 24 minutes per day on social media in 2020.
– 50.1% of the time spent on mobile is done using social media apps in 2020.
– Facebook is the most popular, costing people an average of 2 hours and 24 minutes each day.
– Youtube takes an average of 40 minutes per day.
– Users spend an average of 30 minutes per day on Snapchat in 2020.
– Instagram users are spending an average of 28 minutes on the platform daily in 2020.
– Pinterest users take it slow and scroll through ideas for only 14.2 minutes every day.
In addition to reading statistics like the ones above, I checked my screen time on my cell phone and realized that this was time poorly spent. Social media can often be a time waster and a highlight reel that becomes discouraging after a while.
My Social Media Hiatus
After realizing this, I chose to take a break from social media recently. The time I spent on hiatus allowed my mind to be free from distractions and available to God. The two hours and some change that I would normally spend on social media became time for prayer, journaling my feelings, reading God’s word, self-care, and being present with the people around me.
During my break, I was able to
Talk to God more
Grow closer to God
Unwind
Implement Self-Care
Mourn in a healthy way
Deal with my feelings through therapy
Be free from the temptation to compare myself to others
Spend time with the ones who know me best and sincerely love me
Gain time back
Find peace
In conclusion, if you are struggling with mental, emotional, physical, or spiritual anguish, I encourage you to log off. Give yourself time to work through the obstacles before you and regain your strength. Get out of the face of social media and get in the presence of God.
Above all, my prayer for you is that your experience is as fruitful as my hiatus was for me.
Before you log back on, set time boundaries for social media. Stay committed to seeking the face of God in trying seasons as well as seasons of abundance.
You’ve got this!
Until next time!
Be blessed and not stressed,
Priscilla
Are you a believer? Explore the gift of salvation here.
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