Anxiety Tools

When anxiety or panic ramp up, pray and try these resources. Use each tool a few times to see if helpful; make a personalized toolbox of resources. Look up each verse referenced in its context and think on this for personal application.

Prevention and How to Better Deal with a Meltdown or Panic

1. Be aware of breathing: Purpose to slow down breathing, remember who you are in Christ and that God walks with you. Take deep breaths and think about inhaling your Father’s goodness, love, or key Bible verses. Recall who initially breathed the breath of life into mankind. (Gen. 2:7) In exhaling, expel the evil pollutants of your mind.

2. Decide if the anxiety-fear is real, exaggerated, or unfounded: Think how to proceed and deal with real fears immediately to end this aspect of the stress. As far as the other fear situations. if they are inflated or clearly unreal, redefine them logically to set them aside, giving them to God in prayer. Ask for help as needed.

3. Read the Word with meditation and prayer: Start mornings this way to prevent anxiety and issues being exalted into panic. Allow God to redirect your focus and thoughts for fifteen minutes by reading/thinking on verses. (Col. 3:1-4) Think about God as your ultimate resource, but also His unconditional love and care for you. (Rom 5:8)

4. Reflect on the stress issues ‘on your plate:’ Target issues you can address now, then let go everything else to empty your plate. Purpose to follow-up, determining how/when you will get back to them; now give to God. 6 Be careful [i.e., anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. Philippians 4:6 (KJV)

5. Be mindful: Regularly assess what is happening in your mind. Choices: Keep negative ‘windows of thought’ closed by prayer, replacing them: dwelling on (Rom. 8:9-11) godly thinking/key verses. Sometimes becoming engrossed in an engaging activity helps. Stop over thinking issues/fears, as it’s your responsibility to determine which path of thinking to walk. This is the “Y” in the road of your thinking; decide how to yield to God and do it. Once you realize a negative pattern of thoughts, pray and yield unto God (Rom. 6:12-14) to replace them with godly thoughts/truth. Self-Talk: This can be a recording that plays over and over of condemning, destructive thinking; it needs to end! Keep these ungodly windows shut tight as they are fleshly lies, which Satan loves. (Eph 2:1-3) Ground yourself: Do a reality check, comparing what you are thinking/doing as compared to who you are in Christ: perfect and complete. Yield to have God replace ungodly/unwise thinking with a godly view: a new creature in Christ and His forgiveness and grace. (Rom. 5:1-2, II Cor. 15:57-58)

6. Express Yourself: Verbalize: Give yourself permission to talk things out i.e. a coach, pastor, or Bible counsellor-social worker who rightly divides (II Tim. 2:15), a support group, or simply find a godly friend or family member. (Prov.27:17) Choose a ‘point person,’ such as a spouse, parent, or friend, who can be available in crisis to talk or will point you to Scripture. Journal a thankful list: Start each morning with writing five new things for which you are grateful and review it the next day, building on it regularly. (Col.3:15) Journal your fears or negative/ungodly thinking: Write your thoughts and feelings as a release valve for what may be heightening anxiety. Note the anxiety tools you use and their effectiveness.

Also assess if the fear/anxiety is real or blown out of proportion. Think about how God views them? (II Cor. 10:5) Determine what He would desire from you, along with what you can control and what you cannot. Change what you can, accept the rest, putting them aside by giving them to God in prayer.

7. Self-care: Do things regularly to take care of your physical, emotional, spiritual needs. (I Thess. 4:4) Make a plan to focus on self-care: read and think on the Word and pray, a massage, listen to music, a movie at the theatre, out for dinner, invite a friend over, etc. Find your happy place or activity: Find an enjoyable, calm place with quiet or white noise for your mind (instrumental hymns or God’s creation: rain fall, ocean waves, or forest sounds). Do things that make you happy like a jacuzzi or bath, singing or humming (Col. 3:16), taking a walk, or going to the gym. Be kind to yourself: Prevention is wisdom. Take care of yourself. Think about how much God loves you and purpose to love yourself, becoming more aware of your God-given qualities, list and review regularly. Be active: Exercise every day, even if it is just walking. Determine ahead of time what/when you will do it: walk, go to gym, lift weights, do video exercise or stretching. Be creative.

8. Be prepared: List situations that are hard or cause anxiety and brainstorm how to prevent/avoid them. Use this to adjust your schedule or to talk yourself down before things ramp up. i.e. Avoid being too busy, exalting the problem, or not getting enough sleep. The Bubble: Are you trying to keep a bubble around you as protection from this world to maintain a perfect life or day, getting upset/angry when unexpected/bad things happen? Be careful, this may be legalism or you trying to control life, being god of your own world. (Rom. 1:21-23) There’s only one God and He has given you powerful spiritual armor and weapons! (Eph. 6, II Cor. 10) Prepare yourself daily, recalling this is a sin-cursed world, Satan is the god of this world now, for a time. (II Cor. 4:4) Expect and prepare for the unexpected; it’s not personal. We are here to hold forth the Word to edify saints and the lost to be justified. Stay focused, riding the waves of life challenges that come. The Most High is the all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-wise God is in you and beside you. “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” (II Cor. 4:7) and “And he said unto me,

My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (II Cor. 12:9)

9. Read, then apply Philippians 4: In this chapter, learn to stand fast, pray, think on and do the things God instructs to us specifically in Romans-Philemon, and the process of contentment. Avoid over-focusing on past failures or the future of what might happen. Stay in the moment and avoid being overwhelmed with the cares of this world, i.e. reading, or watching the news. Instead, focus above. (Col. 3:1-4)

10. Personal resources: Key Verses: Make a list of key passages or chapters to read and focus on when anxious. Get help to make the list if needed. Keep it close to use as a resource. Toolbox: Make a tool list of your own proven preventative anxiety methods to keep with you.

by D J Johnson 5/24