Anxious for...nothing?

Do you know what the most common mental illness in the United States is currently - affecting 20% of the population?

You guessed it: Anxiety Disorders.

Whoa.

I enjoyed a seminar during a conference this past weekend that some of our worship team attended and the seminar was on anxiety - I learned a bunch!

First, anxiety is beyond normal stress (which actually helps us in the proper moments!). Anxiety is much deeper - a place that is unhealthy to stay for too long. It involves things like:

• Unrealistic worry or concern
• Excessive ruminating in negative thought
• Disrupting to daily activities
• Physically damaging at certain levels

Now sometimes professional help might be needed for those of us overwhelmed (no shame in that!), but for others of us, we can really lean in to using tools such as: proper rest, regular exercise and eating good foods.

From a pastor's perspective, I think it's hard to see and experience God's presence while wading through the fog of anxiety, so, I want to offer some additional Scriptural tools I use:

1)Being still

2)Breathing

The practice of being still shows up many times in Scripture. Its a call for us to stop always trying to fix things and actually let God do the fixing!  Try this exercise maybe as a prayer - from Psalm 46:10 - slow it down...

Be still, and know that I am God

Be still, and know that I am

Be still, and know

Be still.

On the second tool, we use the breath of life God gave us all when He created us (Genesis 2:7). 

As Psalm 150:6 sings:

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!

So we consciously and intentionally breath deeply in, hold it for a few moments, then, slowly let it out - it does wonders!  

Try this 4 - 7 - 8 exercise:

1. Blow out your breath slowly in exhale
2. Breath deeply in for a count of 4
3. Hold that breath in for a count of 7
4. Then, slowly exhale for a count of 8

Then we can hear Paul's encouragement in Philippians 4:6 with fresh ears:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, 

present your requests to God.

Letting go of some anxiety today along with you!

Ben