Ten Keys to Managing Anxiety
“Will I be laid off?”
“Can my children avoid drugs, violence and promiscuity?”
How will this surgery go? No matter how much we do to ensure positive outcomes, life brims with causes for worry. Anxiety arises whenever we fear possible loss or harm to our person, family, relationships or possessions. If we depend on our own resources, we can’t avoid worry, for no matter how much we have, we never know if it’s enough.
In limited doses anxiety motivates us. The apprehension I feel as I face deadlines focuses my energies, helping me to function at maximum efficiency. Excessive anxiety, however, however, robs us of peace of mind. It reduces our reasoning and learning ability, memory, creativity and productivity. Prolonged anxiety can lead to serious health problems.
How do people keep anxiety at a bearable level? Some avoid sources of anxiety. If meeting people makes us uneasy, we’ll skip it as much as possible. Others try to escape anxiety. Studies show that women tend to cope by overeating, while men favor alcohol and drugs. For many, keeping busy provides relief, yet worry lurks just below the surface.
Instead of relying on inadequate solutions, I have found ten principles to be effective in managing anxiety:
Prevention. We should not allow circumstances to shape our lives if we can do something about them. Instead of worrying about whether our job will become obsolete, for example, we can prepare for other employment options.
People. Talking with others brings our anxieties into the open, where it’s harder for our imagination to magnify them out of proportion. Examined objectively, anxieties look less menacing. When problems merit concern, supportive relationships save us from struggling alone.
Concern for the needs of others helps to take our mind off our own anxieties and put them in perspective. Karl Menninger’s prescription for depression works equally well with anxiety. He advised helping someone with a greater need than ours. Jesus taught, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt 22:39).
Physical Well-being. Physical conditions affect our emotions. When we fail to get adequate rest, nutrition or exercise, we experience low moods and fatigue, intensifying our anxieties; a healthy body, on the other hand, promotes a sense of well-being.
Professional Help. When anxieties persist, we may want to search for deeper causes. Millions suffer from internal conflicts, while others are genetically more prone to worry. For the latter, self-awareness and a sense of humor help. Disease, dietary imbalance or neurological malfunctioning can also contribute to anxiety. Depending on the problem, a counselor, physician or pastor can be helpful.
Prayer. When problems are a threat, we can pray with the confidence that God hears. “Do not be anxious about anything,” Paul wrote, “but in everything … present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hears and minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6-7).
Perspective. We need to focus on positive truths, especially on God’s concern for us and His control of every circumstance. He is the Good Shepherd, who provides for our needs, guides us and protects us (Ps. 23).
We must also recognize God’s ownership of what we have. He created all things and “loans” them to us to use for our need and His purposes. If these things don’t belong to us, then we won’t worry so much about what happens to them. When informed that his house had been destroyed by fire, John Wesley simply remarked, “God’s house has burned down.”
Past Provision. Struggling with present anxieties, we do well to reflect on God’s past faithfulness. When I first met Laurie, she was devastated by her husband’s infidelities and desertion during the seven years of their marriage. She agonized about the future. A key to defeating anxiety was the memory of God’s sufficient provision for her through the years. He would not fail her now. “I will remember the deeds of the Lord,” wrote the Psalmist (Ps. 77:11).
Proper Goals. Many of the treasures we strive to gain contain a high level of anxiety. These include approval, success and wealth. In competing for these prizes, we may win or lose. Hard-won gains are easily lost, however, and they frustrate us by not providing the fulfillment we seek.
Bill Gates has a net worth of $100 billion, yet even he acknowledges that success is easily lost. “In this [software] business, by the time you realize you’re in trouble, it’s too late to save yourself. Unless you’re running all the time, you’re gone.”
Jesus taught us to seek goals which have eternal value: loving God, serving others and developing a godly character. Not only can these be attained without fear of competition or loss, but they also bring lasting fulfillment. Paul considered everything else garbage compared to the value of knowing Christ (Phil. 3:7-9).
Purpose. Worries about trivial matters occupy us when we have no greater concerns. Jesus said, “Do not worry about your life … Seek first [God’s] kingdom and righteousness” (Matt. 6:35, 33). Passion for God’s purposes leave less room for anxiety.
Presence of God. Peace is the assurance that God is present no matter what the situation.
“Be still,” His Word exhorts, “and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10). Even in “the valley of the shadow of death,” we are secure for, as the Psalmist declares, “You are with me” (Ps. 23:4).
One day after school, my four year-old daughter made a game of thinking of ways to end the sentence, “God is there even when.” She affirmed God’s presence, “when I feel yucky … when it’s dark … when I’m lost … when there’s a big monster.” How true!
If we depend of circumstances and uncertain treasures, we will worry much. Instead, through practical actions, biblical living and the experience of God’s presence, we gain increasing peace of mind.
PR
Stephen Lim, “10 Keys to Managing Anxiety,” originally appearing in War Cry (April 29, 2000), 14-15. Used with permission of the author.
