5 Ways To Combat Anxious Thoughts (when anxiety robs your peace) - Mabel Rolt
Now more than ever, we can begin to understand the impact of anxiety robbing our peace and the importance of trusting in the Lord. This year, with all that is occurring in the world, the very foundation of our trust is being challenged. When we entered isolation, I remember feeling an overwhelming sense of worry. My mind at night would be ruminating over whether I would keep my job and how I would survive if I lost my job. I remember the Lord challenging me on this, that my security was never in my job, it was always in Him.
Once I had this revelation, the fear I had been experiencing instantly left. I gained my peace back, realising that God was providing for me all along. Before the year began, He knew the very individual struggles each of us would face, He certainly wasn’t shocked by the impact of COVID-19. This is a gentle reminder that God is sovereign all along, He has always been in control and nothing will deter God from the plans and promises He has in store for you this year!
Remember that we have all authority in Christ to command peace in a storm. The enemy knows that if you are fully aware of your potential in Christ without fear, insecurity, worry and anxiousness, that you will be incredibly effective! I want to give you about 5 practical tips to combatting anxious thoughts:
Understand the root
Anxiousness is rooted in fear and fear is the opposite to faith. We may want to take control into our own hands in certain situations, but instead ask God to reveal to you where the fear initially came into your life and pray that the root of it will be removed. There can be many situations that bring up anxiousness, which we attempt to change so the anxiousness disappears until it returns in another form. Unless we combat the root of where that came from, perhaps it is a trust issue, or not wanting to be in an unknown situation, whatever it may be, give it to God and He can restore it.
Guard your heart
Anxiousness is often associated with overactive thoughts. Our thoughts determine our emotions, which then ultimately determine our actions. A thought is a seed, which, when we meditate over it can grow, albeit positively or negatively. God’s word speaks of fixing our thoughts on what is lovely and admirable and to focus on heavenly things (see Philippians 4:8 and Colossians 3:2). We should constantly protect our heart and our mind; every mindset should be captive and made obedient to the will of God. (2 Corinthians 10:5). My best advice is to write down a list of all the sources that speak to you and impact your mood. For example, music, books, television shows, podcasts, social media. Then, change the source of the ones that are negatively impacting you. For example; if music affects your mood shift to only listening to worship music, it will be hard to lose your peace when you are meditating on worship.
Shift your declaration
Your declarations are powerful! The thoughts that pass through our heads are not always true. If you were to write down some of your thoughts, you may be astounded that throughout the day you can be speaking negativity or criticism over yourself. Let me encourage you, change your declaration to something positive. If you do not know what to say, God’s word is full of powerful truths that you can declare over yourself. Did you know you are Gods masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10) and that you are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). Do not let fear cloud your identity or silence your declaration.
Live a wholesome lifestyle
Practically, our daily habits contribute to overall wellbeing. Make sure you are sleeping well; sleep is so important! Your body needs sleep to rest, recharge and process the events of the day. Our sleep can be the first area to be impacted by anxious thoughts. Limit your caffeine intake, as caffeine can cause your body to produce more adrenaline and eventually fatigue.
Create healthy patterns
Finally, having a healthy lifestyle and surrounding yourselves with friends and family that are going to speak life and positivity into you. Create patterns and routine in your life that you know will benefit you. Make sure you are regularly outdoors and exercising. Having a balanced diet can also strongly improve your mood, whereas a diet high in sodium and sugars can cause us to feel sluggish and negatively impact our mood levels.
Remember that every season has a beginning and an end, and there will always be an end, no matter how bad it may feel.
Written by Mabel Rolt
Mabel is married to Joel and they are on team at Kingdomcity. Mabel has her bachelors and masters degree in psychology and counselling and is a PhD candidate.