By Your Side

“But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?” God answered, “I will be with you…” Exodus 3: 11-12

What does Nerves look like in your life? Is it butterflies in your stomach when something new and exciting is about to happen? Or a quickened heart rate when driving on the highway? Is it stage fright, or separation anxiety? Maybe it’s a phobia or a traumatic memory. One thing for certain and two things for sure: Nervousness and Fear are movements by themselves, but they’re a force when they’re together. When these two occupy the same space, things that we consider jitters or situational struggles take on a life of their own and that tends to grow into Anxiety. What is the true definition of Anxiety? From a clinical perspective it’s a nervous disorder characterized by a state of excessive uneasiness and apprehension, typically with compulsive behavior or panic attacks. Basically, the Nervousness and Fear in your mind starts to cause a physical reaction in your body. And it’s not fun at all. People who live with Anxiety (I refuse to call it suffering) deal with their irrational thoughts taking over and often making the mind a hard place to be in, especially when the body starts to react off of it. Racing heart rate, uncontrollable breathing, stomach aches, spasms, shaking… and none of it with a physical origin… it all comes from the mind.

I conquer Anxiety every day. That’s right, my dear readers. I am one of those of which I previously spoke. I wake up every morning and choose to press forward through anxious moments, to not let my imagination get the best of me. I choose to keep my emotions in check and not let them get all irrational on me. And most importantly, I walk through life knowing that Anxiety is a life long fight, but I win every night, because I don’t let it consume me. How, you ask? I’ll gladly explain. And in explaining, I’ll give you some tips on how you can conquer it as well.

First, I have positive affirmations and mindfulness meditations that I do. I clear my mind by focusing on the here and now and embracing the beauty of the world around me. I take in the feeling of the carpet under my toes, the sound of the birds chirping, the smell of the rain on the asphalt and in focusing on those things my anxious thoughts start to slip away. I like to do this while doing yoga because it allows me to physically dismiss the Anxiety from my body. Also, my yoga instructor repeats positive affirmations over and over during the session and focus on those for my life instead of the Anxious thoughts fighting their way in. I have found that even 5-10 minutes of this can change the course of my entire day. My tip for you: find a positive way to clear anxious thoughts from your mind.

Second, I’ve got my talk-me-down team, a small group of people who know exactly what to say to bring me down from a panic attack. Now, everyone can’t be on this team. Some of the people I’m closest to can’t be on this team because they don’t have the best words when I’m in that position. And that’s not a bad thing. They have their role in my life and I don’t love them any less. But my team knows what it looks like when I’m in panic, they know what to do and what to say. They are patient with me, don’t take my lashing out personal, and celebrate with me in the end when I conquer. My wish for you: keep a circle of trusted people who will stand by you at those worst moments and help bring you through them.

And finally, I remember I’m never alone. God is with me no matter what. One time in a panic my mother began to have me repeating “I’m ok, in Jesus name.” and it worked. I had to say it 20 times but by the time I got to 21 I had come all the way down. I want you to also think about Moses, who had a great and anxiety ridden task before him… to go to Pharaoh and tell him to release the Israelites. Moses had a speech impediment, had left Egypt a criminal, wasn’t accepted by his own people because of the life he’d been living in the palace… it doesn’t get much more Anxious than that! But the bible tells us “But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?” God answered, “I will be with you…” (Exodus 3: 11-12) God assured him that he would be there, every step of the way, and he gives us that promise as well. So remember: God will not abandon you at any turn for any reason, so lean on Him. He is by your side.

So remember, find a positive way to clear your anxious mind, keep a circle of trusted people who will stand by you and talk you down, and know that God is by your side. Join the fight and conquer Anxiety every day. I’m rooting for you!