5 Key Ways I Calm My Anxiety

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. I am not a doctor or therapist. If you’re experiencing anxiety or depression, please seek professional help. I can pass on things that have helped me in hopes that you find some encouragement. Above all else, please know you don’t have to go through this alone. I encourage you to seek help.

The ebb and flow of life is oftentimes accompanied by a general sense of anxiety for me. This comes in the form of recurring worries, a general sense of uneasiness, or even fear of the unknown.

Maybe it’s the season I’m in, maybe it’s the overwhelm of a busy schedule, maybe it’s just me… but regardless, it’s hard. 

Over the years of dealing with various levels of anxiety, over various issues, and sometimes over nothing at all, I’ve come to find ways of coping. Some ways are a bit more like therapeutic techniques (see #4 below, recommended to me by my therapist… yes, I have one of those) and others are simple ideas I’ve come up with by trial and error. 

The next time you’re feeling the uneasiness creep in or your heart beating so loud you’re sure your co-workers can hear it in the next office, try one or two of these. You may find they bring some relief.

1. Name Your Anxiety: Call out the feeling you’re experiencing for exactly what it is, Anxiety. There is no shame in this. Most likely, you will feel a sense of relief by putting a name to what you’re feeling. Own it, Don’t let it own you. Practical Tip: Write the word “Anxiety” on a post-it note. Look at it, say it out loud. Say to yourself “I’m feeling anxious”. Then move on to one of the following four tips.
2. Recognize You Are Not In Control: We can all do our part to ensure our lives, our families, and our work are taken care of. But in reality, we are not in control. Knowing that, in your core, and knowing who is in control (The Lord) takes off so much of the pressure. Any pressure you may feel to get everything done, be all the places, to measure up, will all move to the wayside when you KNOW that God’s plans will prevail and that God Himself is the only one in control. Any small sense of control you might feel is an illusion. Yes, do your part, take care of your responsibilities, and then let God do the rest.
3. Pray, Ask For Peace: God is capable and willing to supply you with a sense of Peace you have never felt before. When you begin to feel the anxiety, I encourage you to simply stop what you’re doing right then, and call out His name. Simply say, “Lord, I need your peace. I recognize you’re in control. I leave all my worries, cares, and troubles at your feet. Comfort me. Thank you in advance for the Peace you will put in my heart.”
4. Write Every Thing Down: Put a Name to every single item that is causing you anxiety, whether rational or irrational. Write each item down, on a physical sheet of paper. Name them and put details next to each. If one of your general concerns is finances, write “Finances” and next to it write the specifics, i.e. “Paying Rent Next Month”. Once you’ve got your list, circle every one you have some reasonable sense of control over. The ones you’ve circled need serious examination to determine how much control you have over them and what you can tangibly do to determine the outcome of the situation. If that means “save money to pay rent next month”, start a small list of ideas to make that happen. In that example, your ideas might be: sell 5 items on Facebook Marketplace this month, or eat at home every night this month, or possibly cancel your upcoming hair appointment and save the money you would’ve paid your stylist. Ask for The Lord to give you ideas of how you might help this situation. With these ideas, you can start to lay out a plan. Action thwarts Anxiety. Start taking action toward the things you’re anxious about, and you’ll notice the fear around those things begins to lessen. For any items you don’t circle, take time to really focus on each one, realizing you have no control over them and they are out of your hands. When you do this, you release yourself of any sense of responsibility for them. In so doing, you can hand them over to The Lord and specifically ask him to intervene in these situations, and ask for His help and guidance.
5. Breathe, Really Breathe: The science behind deep breathing is remarkable. The sense of calm and peace it will bring to your entire nervous system is amazing. I encourage you to try this the next time you’re feeling overwhelmed or even slightly under a sense of anxiety. Close your eyes. Take a slow deep breath through your nose as you slowly count to 4. Hold that breath while you slowly count to 5. Then exhale through your mouth while you slowly count to 4. Do this routine for a complete two minutes. You will feel more at peace and more calm.

There are many more ways to cope with anxiety, but these are my go-to’s. Play around with them to see what suits you. You’ll find one or two that seem to work best.

Share your favorite go-to’s in the comments below. What do you do to ease the anxiety you have? I’d love to hear how other people find some calm in the storm.