Fear, anxiety, stress, and worry are the enemy’s tools to keep us in bondage. As a mental health clinician, someone who has struggled with worry and anxiety herself, and the author of Breaking Anxiety’s Grip, I’m often asked: “What can I do when I worry or become anxious about the future?” So I thought you might like to know some of the things I do when worry or anxious thoughts tempt me.

6 practical steps that help when tempted with worrisome or anxious thoughts

  1. I remind myself that I’ve gotten through every single difficult situation in the past 100% of the time. This helps because it reminds me that while situations may be hard, they are rarely impossible, and it keeps me looking for the good that can come out of it when we’re willing to look for it.
  2. During times that tempt me to worry or become anxious, I list what my concerns are and then ask myself what part of those concerns I can control. Then I assess what the next right step is. Success in one step fuels motivation for the next step. Before you know it, the situation no longer seems overwhelming because you’ve already accomplished part of what initially appeared to be an insurmountable mountain.
  3. When anxiety and worry start chattering in my head, I focus on my breathing. Take a deep breath in through your nose to the count of three, and then exhale out through your mouth to the count of ten. I do this because it is physiologically impossible to be relaxed and anxious at the same time, and the deep breathing helps your mind and body relax.
  4. Worry and anxiety can sound like a lot of chatter in my head. When this happens, I “brain dump” my thoughts into a journal. Just getting it on paper can help lessen the anxiety because having my concerns written down helps ensure that I won’t forget to do something that is essential, and leaves the nonessential concerns on a page that I can refer back to if needed. Then I can focus on the next right thing that needs to be done without being distracted by all the concerns that were chattering in my mind.
  5. Exercise and moving my body always helps…I may not always feel like doing it, but I’m always grateful afterward. Exercise helps release endorphins and naturally occurring neurotransmitters in our brain that improve our mood, lessen stress, and decrease anxiety. Exercise has the added benefit for me of giving me time to process my thoughts and concerns, problem-solve if need be, or just vent to myself and then let things go.
  6. When I become anxious, my mood can often be affected, so I like to turn up the music. We’ve all got those playlists or songs that when we hear the music, we feel like dancing to the beat, right? Those are the kind of songs that I will play, and while the music doesn’t solve what concerns me, it does help me break the tendency to think on those concerns in an endless loop, and helps me find joy in the little things.

 

 

As a mental health clinician, someone who has struggled with worry and anxiety herself, and the author of Breaking Anxiety’s Grip, I’m sharing 6 practical steps I’ve used to overcome when tempted with worrisome or anxious thoughts. For a deeper dive into these 6 steps, read more. #worry #anxiety #mentalhealth

 

 

I’d love to hear in the comments below what kinds of things help you when you become worried or anxious.

 

Fear, anxiety, stress, and worry are the enemy’s tools to keep us in bondage. These 6 steps are practical steps I’ve used as a neuropsychologist to overcome when I’ve been tempted with worrisome or anxious thoughts about the future. #worry #anxiety #mentalhealth

 

Other Resources to Overcome Worry and Anxiety

More on the award-winning book, Breaking Anxiety’s Grip

Breaking Anxiety's Grip is available at most major book retailers. Order your copy today!

 

No question, we have a lot to worry about. Children, jobs, homes, health, finances, and more. The solution isn’t to rid ourselves of the sources of anxiety – as if we could. Instead, we need to recognize that anxiety originates from a spiritual influence and that we can fight back using the God-given weapons of power, love, and a sound mind.

We can discover true peace in an age of anxiety.

In Breaking Anxiety’s Grip, Dr. Michelle Bengtson shares her own story of emerging from the battle with anxiety as well as the stories of others. She reminds you of your identity as a follower of Christ and of the peace he promises you in spite of everything.

She provides tools to cope with the crushing emotional burden of anxiety now and, more importantly, shows you how to reclaim God’s peace as a way of life so that you can break anxiety’s grip.

Breaking Anxiety’s Grip: How to Reclaim the Peace God Promises is now available on AmazonBarnes & NobleChristianBooks.comBooks-A-Millionand other fine book retailers.

Click here to learn more:  Breaking Anxiety’s Grip

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