How to Beat Back Anxiety and Dread
I’ve read too many disaster novels, and at times in the past week my imagination has got the best of me; I’ve had moments of rising anxiety and even dread.
I don’t know the future any more than you, but I know this:
Fear and dread do not come from God.
Fear is always our fight, and these days it will be more important than ever that we beat it back.
Here’s what to do.
Do Literally Nothing
When the anxiety is rising, one of the best things we can do is literally nothing:
Sit still. Turn off your phone and everything else. Be silent.
I find that just sitting still for about 15 minutes is an effective first step of breaking out of the anxiety trap.
Tell Someone Else
Fears become weaker when they are shared aloud. Just a simple text or phone call or word to another person can be helpful. “Hey, I’m feeling a fair amount of anxiety right now—will you pray for me?”
Name Your Fears, Specifically
Like a noxious mold, fear grows in darkness. Most often, our fears are vague and nameless. When I force myself to say out loud exactly what it is I am afraid of, I find that my fears shrink, rather than grow. When I shine a spotlight on it and pin it down, it takes away some of its power.
Remember being a kid in the dark in your room at night? That nameless dark shape in your room which could be a ravening monster seems a lot less scary when you shine your flashlight on it and see it was only your old rocking chair.
Recite Scripture Aloud
God’s words have power! When we say them aloud, it’s like the darkness gets pushed back a little. Start with something simple, like Psalms 23 or 46 or 121.
(By the way, this is why scripture memorization is so important—we need to keep these words close to our hearts.)
Name Your Blessings
It’s good to force yourself to recite aloud all the reasons you have to be thankful in that exact moment. Force yourself to always name at least 10 blessings.
Say the Names of God Aloud
In times of worry, my wife has found that saying the names of God that we find in scripture has made a difference. In fact, she keeps a list of God’s names in the NOTES section in her phone. Some examples:
Lord, you’re the Creator.
You’re the Alpha and the Omega.
God, you’re my rock and my fortress.
Jesus, you are the bright morning star.
Lord, you’re the Lion of Judah.
Etc.
Be Disciplined In Your Disciplines
This is not so much a technique to help when you are in the midst of fear, as it is a way of preparing yourself to live with less fear generally.
Just as an athlete or musician doesn’t decide in the moment of performance and pressure to succeed, neither does a disciple of Jesus. Rather, we prepare to succeed by committing to healthy habits. The athlete and the musician practice; the Christian prays.
Re-commit now to the basic disciplines of the Christian faith: Sunday worship, morning and evening prayer, etc.
One key habit: Don’t reach for your phone first thing in the morning—rather, first reach for the Bible or just sit and be still. The news can wait.
Fear is never from God. If you are feeling fear, know that it is a lie from Hell to plague you.
“In this world you will have trouble, but have no fear: I have overcome the world.”
