Dealing With Worry

For the majority of my life I have struggled with worry and anxiety. If there is nothing to worry about I think I sometimes find something to worry about. This is something I believe God has been helping me with lately;  in the past month I have not felt extremely overwhelmed or anxious about anything. This is not to say that I do not have anything to worry about. ( I have plenty to worry about). But I am beginning to worry less and put things in God’s hands. I have been struggling with chronic stomach pains, but once the worrying slowed down, my stomach problems slowed down as well.

Reducing your worry and anxiety can have many benefits to your health, mood, and your state of mind. What are some ways to reduce worry and anxiety? Here are some that have worked for me.

Bring everything to prayer.” Be not anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your heart and your mind in Jesus Christ.” Philippians 4:6-7. Feeling worried about something? Bring it to God in prayer. It is impossible to be worried and pray at the same time.

Meditate on scripture.  These are a few you can meditate on. “When I am afraid I will trust in you.” Psalm 56:3 “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will not let the righteous fall.” Psalm 55:2. “Now may the Lord himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.” 2 Thessalonians 3:16.

Create a prayer Box: Decorate a box. The box can be anything from an old shoe box to a cigar box. You can decorate the box with sayings or images that will remind you not to worry. Every time you feel worried about something write down what you are worried about. Put it in the box as a symbol that you are giving this care or concern to God and you will not worry about it anymore.

Write in a prayer Journal: Write your prayers in a journal. Then you can go back and look through it and see that most of the things you worried about never came to pass.

Take care of yourself.  Exercise and get plenty of rest. If you take care of yourself you will be able to handle stress better.

Practice Relaxation Breathing Techniques. One way to do this is to breathe slowly in through your nose then out through your mouth. Repeat this for several minutes.