Eight Ways to Weather Anxiety Storms
We live in troubled times. Once again, our local school district changed its approach to how and when students will meet on campus. Once again, parents are scrambling for childcare and a sane family schedule. Crisis creates anxiety.
Anxiety invades our calm. It’s like a hurricane roaring through your mind screaming that the worst is going to happen. “I’m going to blow this job interview.” “I will not be able to do my job and teach my children at the same time.” “I’m going to lose my house.” “I’m in over my head.” So how can we move out of the anxiety storm and into calm waters? Here are eight anxiety busters.
First, recognize that it’s okay to be anxious sometimes. Even the most controlled person doesn’t always stay calm. There’s no need to beat yourself up because you sometimes feel uneasy. However, do not set up a permanent campsite amid an anxiety storm.
The burden of anxiety usually originates from two sources. The first is being overwhelmed by the sheer breadth of responsibilities we are trying to juggle at the same time. The second rises out of concerns about future outcomes.
There are times when our workload is unavoidably oppressive. Many people are presently treading that water. The coronavirus has added huge burdens on already busy schedules. When a significant new responsibility storms into our life, there is always a period of uncomfortable adjustment during which we feel anxious. But know this, you will adjust. You will make the necessary changes, and you will find new rhythms. Easy for me to say, right!
Second, take the time to “reset” your mind. I am a person of faith, so I often pray and memorize helpful Scripture verses. When the anxiety winds are howling, I go to a place of quiet for a few minutes and hit the reset button with words like, “Be anxious for nothing, but with prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. And the peace of God that passes all understanding shall guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.” Perhaps for you, its practicing yoga or reading something inspirational. Do not try to operate at full-throttle 24/7. Anxiety worsens when we are exhausted.
Third, do some kind of exercise. Exercise releases endorphins into your mind, giving you a sense of well-being. Your initial comment might be, “How in the world do I work something else into my schedule? That will just make me feel worse!” Exercise sessions don’t need to belong. A fifteen-minute walk or ten minutes of exercise can give you the lift you need.
Fourth, don’t overmedicate your anxiety with too much alcohol, drugs, or food. During the pandemic, sales of alcohol, candy, and comfort foods have skyrocketed. Alcohol makes an already anxious mind even more disturbed. One or two glasses of wine are quite different than one or two bottles of wine. Overeating leaves us feeling worse about ourselves. Excessive alcohol also disrupts your sleep patterns.
Fifth, get enough sleep. Anxiety worsens when we are physically and mentally worn out. Set a good sleep schedule and stick to it.
Sixth, talk with friends regularly. Anxiety is like a pressure cooker. If the pressure cooker does not have a working steam valve, internal pressure builds until it explodes. Usually, the explosion happens verbally with people we love the most. After the explosion, you’ll feel worse because you’ve added guilt to your anxiety. Talking with friends and family releases internal pressure and calms the storm. Share your burdens with others, and they will feel half as heavy to you.
Seventh, do not make other people’s anxiety your own. As a leader and counselor, I often helped others handle problems. In the early years of my job, I would listen to someone share the storm of their life and then enter into their tempest in an unhealthy manner. Other people’s problems are other people’s problems. Your job is to help them solve their own issues. Secondly, I also exhibited a “messiah” complex. I somehow reasoned that it was my responsibility to calm everyone’s storms. I lived with constant misdirected anxiety. Feeling anxiety about other people’s problems is self-indulgent and unhealthy. There has only been one messiah, and you are not that person.
Finally, you cannot, I repeat, you cannot control the future. You also have little knowledge of what the future brings. Life is full of twists and turns, some good and some not so good. Jesus once said, “Why do you worry about tomorrow? No one knows what tomorrow will bring. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (my paraphrase) Continually worrying about tomorrow will screw up your today, and today is all you have.
A couple of weeks ago, a hurricane came up the east coast. My daughter and friend happened to be in its path, staying at a condo near the coastline. They were both rightfully anxious, especially since neither of them had ever weathered a hurricane. Andrea described how quiet and peaceful it was before the winds started whipping. Then the storm hit, and all night long, it sounded like a freight train roaring through the house. But then, just as quickly as it rumbled in, the storm blew over. In these troubled times, self-care is essential to weathering each storm as it pounds your mind. If you don’t take care of yourself, you won’t be able to care for those you love. Practice anxiety-busters and your anxiety level will lessen.