Anxiety

I have struggled with anxiety for my entire life. It’s something that has controlled me and weighed me down consistently. I have always fought to live free from anxiety. There have been seasons of life where I felt calm and at peace, and others where I craved control over my life to the point where I felt helpless and depressed. Today, I wanted to come on the blog and share with you guys a few ways I have learned to manage my stress throughout all seasons of life.

If y’all didn’t already know, middle school was roughhhhh on me. I had panic attacks every night and every morning because I dreaded going to school. My mom taught me multiple tips to self-regulate during these hard times. We would put on good music in the car before school or while getting pjs on before bed (a lot of Hamilton in this era lol), practice deep breathing, speak affirmations over ourselves, and declare in Jesus' name that God loves me and knows that I am more than enough. These coping mechanisms still help me to this day and I hope you can benefit from them as well!

Have you ever been in a fight with a friend/boyfriend/parent? You are not alone. We’ve all been there. I was in a difficult situation with a friend once when this bible verse really stuck out to me: “A friend loves at all times, he is there to help in times of trouble.” Proverbs 17:17. This means that even if we have disagreements with our friends, we should always aim to approach conflict with a posture of love and understanding. Sometimes people are in your life for a reason or a season. Keep your head up and remember what God defines as true friendship and loyalty.

Love reigns over anxiety. Trust God and he will make your paths straight. Pray consistently and you will find hope and peace in Him. God has a perfect plan for your life, all you have to do is follow Him. Your future is in great hands!

Do not put your focus on things you cannot control. This is a self-destructive habit that we all have to some degree. Stressing over the what-ifs does nothing but cause us to feel overwhelmed and panicked. Instead, focus on the things you can control. Personally, I focus on having more positive self-talk, eating balanced meals, reading a couple of pages of a book every day, and doing small acts of kindness whenever I can. This way, the focus shifts off of me and my worries and I can put my energy and love into other people.

I hope that you found this helpful and can use some of these tips the next time you experience any anxious thoughts! I love you guys! Please never hesitate to reach out if you need somebody to talk to. 💗