A PRACTICAL AND GODLY GUIDE TO ADDRESSING ANXIETY
Do not be anxious for anything, on the contrary, make your prayers with thanksgiving to your Heavenly Father. And the peace of God, which transcends all our own understanding, will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6
If you’re living in the 21st century then I believe you’ll understand what it means to be busy, and this is especially true if you’re a woman juggling both a home and a business. We live our life with the busy switch set to full throttle (trust me, I know – I’m a full throttle expert).
And as we endeavour to be an awesome mum, a wife, and a business owner (just to name a few) the pressure of the busy begins to affect our emotional and physical wellbeing. Today, I want to share with you how we can become overcomers of anxiety and how to reduce the impact of our busy lives on our physical body.
Anxiety is a clinical term that describes the sensation of worry, particularly when there is nothing really to worry about. One in three women will experience this in their lifetime and symptoms can range from very mild to extremely debilitating. Although most of us don’t fall into the latter category I believe we all know what it feels like to feel stress over the little things, to feel pressured by deadlines, or worse to feel an ever present weight that you just can’t do it all.
This is not how God designed us to live out our lives as we chase our God given dreams. He asks us to ‘Cast all our anxieties on Him for He cares for us’ (1 Peter 5:7).
The constant pressure of deadlines and our to do list wears down our physical and emotional being especially when we fail to seek times of rest and refreshing. Without this R & R there is no time for the body and mind to repair and regenerate. And that’s a whole lot of R’s hence why we begin our practical tips with the letter R.
R – Restoration of you.
Rest and regeneration is essentially the activity of switching off, logging out, or going away from the things that create the busy in your life and allow you to focus on you (Yes you!), God and whatever activity brings you joy and peace. Research shows us we need to do this at least every 6 hours – that’s more often than we thought. Right?
E – Eat Well.
Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and in the busy it is easy to turn to quick, less nutritious forms of eating. Your diet doesn’t have to be perfect (mine isn’t), however nourishing your body with good food and lots of vegetables will support and protect it from the stressors that you face.
S – Sugar, wine and caffeine.
All the fun things right? While these can have a place in a well-balanced healthy life they counter the body’s ability to rest and relax. They stimulate the nervous system and mind and over time they can cause nutrient deficiencies and burden the adrenal system. All this can lead to rising anxiety levels and an inability to experience peace.
T – Tea.
Traditional black, white and green tea contains a compound called theanine which relieves the effects of stress on our nerves. Although tea does contain caffeine the theanine appears to counter it creating a more nourishing effect. Other fantastic (caffeine free) herbal teas for the nervous system include; chamomile, passionflower, valerian and oat straw. Stay calm and drink tea.
When you’re struggling (as we all do from time to time) and you feel your anxieties rising remember to R.E.S.T. and trust in Him. He will carry your burdens and allow you to pursue the dreams that He created you for!
This article is designed for education purposes and is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical conditions. If you’re experiencing symptoms we recommend that you visit your trusted practitioner for more advice.
