A thrill of hope…the weary world rejoices! I trust this happens for you this Christmas. I hope you are able to celebrate the birth of Christ in a meaningful way. 

This has been quite a year; one that will go down in the books. Weary is defined as feeling or showing tiredness, overexertion or lack of sleep. And you know when you are weary, everything feels like a chore, trudging through the mud just to get through the day. Living in this prolonged state can’t help but create in each of our hearts some anxiousness, feelings of being overwhelmed, nervousness or irritability and wondering when the next shutdown or freeze is going to be. Or asking how long is this going to last?  

If you are experiencing these feelings, then you know what anxiety feels like. It can seemingly come out of nowhere and stay for a while or come and go. It can be subtle, so  you hardly notice or it can feel right on top of you paralyzing you. One thing I do know, it can be very exhausting.  

All Alone

Anxiety has been described as “all alone without any help.”  If you can picture yourself as a child tugging at your mom’s pant leg to get her attention, but to no avail. She neither acknowledges you nor answers you, and you are left feeling like you have to fix the problem on your own. This causes some experiences in your life to feel high stakes, meaning you have to get this right, it feels life or death, all or nothing because it’s solely up to you. When you are experiencing anxiety and trying to face life’s situations, the thought of failure is not an option, you must make the right decision. You feel all by yourself. In the very deepest part of your heart, (in the subconscious and you’re most likely unaware) anxiety is associated with fear of abandonment. Is there anyone who can help me? It can hover over the very surface of your life in subtle ways that you may not even recognize as anxiety, showing up in nail-biting, fidgeting or bouncing your leg. You are constantly planning, avoid spontaneity, seek out constant distractions, suffer from perfectionism, avoid social situations, carry tension in your body and you have a hard time letting go and delegating. You may not be aware that you are using alcohol or substances for coping, find yourself procrastinating, always apologizing, and you avoid risks. You may feel off but not sure why, you have a hard time even thinking straight or concentrating. 

What do we do? I love how Jesus addresses the anxiety problem. In Matthew 11:28 his invitation is: “Are you weary, carrying a heavy burden? Then come to me. I will refresh your life, for I am your oasis. Simply join your life with mine. Learn my ways and you’ll discover that I am gentle, humble and easy to please. You will find refreshment and rest in me. For all that I require of you will be pleasant and easy to bear.” 

Sign me up. I don’t know about you, but this long season that we have been in has passed the burdensome stage and I could use an oasis to run to. 

Not So Subtle Signs

Some signs of anxiety are not so subtle and can be downright debilitating. I faced some severe anxiety after I experienced burnout. For a short season I woke up each morning in a panic and couldn’t breathe. It would take me a good part of the day just to get out of fight-or-flight mode and to calm down. I couldn’t handle bright lights, too much noise or going to the store. It left me exhausted and overwhelmed, wondering if it would ever end. I had never experienced anxiety prior to that, at least not that I was aware of and not to that degree. I implemented some coping skills that soon helped the anxiety to go away, but some unresolved issues rose to the surface that I had to face and work through with a counselor. For many people, this is a familiar experience and learning to cope with it is a constant full-time job. You may be so used to feeling this way that you can’t imagine life any other way. You are wired to live from a place of peace and rest. Fortunately, there are many effective tools to manage, cope and even overcome anxiety that have proven to be helpful.

4 Effective Practices to Ease and Overcome Anxiety

If you are experiencing anxiety or you have lived with it for so long you don’t even recognize it, try at least one of these proven practices and reap the benefits: 

1. 1. Meditation. In a consistent manner, take the above-referenced scripture (or your favorite one) and meditate on it. Imagine yourself carrying a heavy burden,  then picture yourself giving it to Jesus. Imagine you are at a beautiful resort, then picture Jesus there with you. Imagine Jesus is teaching you how to rest, then picture yourself at rest knowing that He is gentle, humble and easy to please. Imagine yourself on a lounge chair with a cool refreshing drink, then picture Jesus resting with you as all that He requires is pleasant and easy to bear…because you are not alone! Since anxiety is rooted in fear of abandonment, this practice is very healing as you engage with Jesus in a way that reminds you, YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
   2. Breathing. Learning to breathe through anxiety has proven to be very helpful. It’s important that you get out of your upper chest breathing (fight or flight) and get into diaphragm breathing where your rest and digest is. Sit comfortably and place one hand on your abdomen. Breathe in through your nose, deeply enough that the hand on your abdomen rises. Hold the air in your lungs, and then exhale slowly through your mouth, with your lips puckered as if you are blowing through a straw. The secret is to go slow: Time the inhalation (4s), pause (4s), and exhalation (6s). Practice for 3 to 5 minutes.
   3. Progressive Muscle Relaxation. By tensing and relaxing the muscles throughout your body, you can achieve a powerful feeling of relaxation. Additionally, progressive muscle relaxation will help you spot anxiety by teaching you to recognize feelings of muscle tension. Feet Curl your toes tightly into your feet, then release them. Calves Point or flex your feet, then let them relax. Thighs Squeeze your thighs together tightly, then let them relax. Torso Suck in your abdomen, then release the tension and let it fall. Back Squeeze your shoulder blades together, then release them. Shoulders Lift and squeeze your shoulders toward your ears, then let them drop. Arms Make fists and squeeze them toward your shoulders, then let them drop. Hands Make a fist by curling your fingers into your palm, then relax your fingers. Face Scrunch your facial features to the center of your face, then relax. Full Body Squeeze all muscles together, then release all tension.
   4. Challenging Your Irrational Thoughts. Anxiety can be magnified by your irrational thoughts. For example, the thoughts that “something bad will happen” or “I will make a mistake” might be baseless, but still have an impact on how you feel. By examining the evidence and challenging these thoughts, you can reduce anxiety. Ask yourself these questions: “Is my thought based on facts or feelings?” “How would my best friend see this situation?” “How likely is it that my fear will come true?” “What’s most likely to happen?” “If my fear comes true, will it still matter in a week? A month? A year?” There is a reason scripture teaches us to take our thoughts captive and to “keep your thoughts continually fixed on all that is authentic and real, honorable and admirable, beautiful and respectful, pure and holy, merciful and kind” (Phil 4:8 TPT). 

I have made a habit of incorporating these practices in my life. As I continue to learn to live from a place of rest, any or all of these methods keep me on the path. It’s also helpful to engage with a counselor/therapist who is able to help you with your anxiety. For some, in addition to the above-mentioned practices, seeking medical help and the aid of medication is of benefit. Do not continue to live in a state of anxiety, regardless of how subtle or severe it is. Get to the root of the issue, there is healing available for you. Remind yourself every day that you are not alone. If you are in a relationship with Christ, then there is another that dwells within you. 

Find your hope in the One who will never leave your side!