Often the way you conquer a passion is by focusing on a greater passion. To focus on earthly matters like riches and basic needs will always breed worry and anxiety. Focusing on eternal matters delivers us from those worries and brings God’s peace. Create a “worry period.” Choose a set time and place for worrying. It should be the same every day (e.g. in the living room from 5:00 to 5:20 p.m.) and early enough that it won’t make you anxious right before bedtime. During your worry period, you’re allowed to worry about whatever’s on your mind. The rest of the day, however, is a worry-free zone.

It may seem like a simplistic solution, but talking face to face with a trusted friend or family member—someone who will listen to you without judging, criticizing, or continually being distracted—is one of the most effective ways to calm your nervous system and diffuse anxiety. When your worries start spiraling, talking them over can make them seem far less threatening. Although everyone is different, and some people experience social anxiety, spending time with friends and family regularly may help you manage your anxiety. However, beyond that first reflection, the ability to “let it go” is a great thing, and hugely powerful. If we cannot let a worry go, we risk magnifying it. It can become all-encompassing. The apostle Peter wrote to people undergoing intense persecution and offered this alternative to worry: “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you”( 1 Peter 5:6–7). Two steps are involved in this process: Accept What We Cannot Change. Instead of emotionally unraveling, or avoiding reality by denying our worry, we can humbly accept that these circumstances are part of our life. Give to God What We Cannot Change. Peter’s words also encourage us to put our helpless feelings of worry into those same all-powerful hands. He urges us to cast our cares on God, entrusting ourselves to the One who cared enough for us to send His Son to die for us. A decision to let the ultimate worry bring us to the One who died for us is the first step. From then on, every concern of life, regardless of how troubling, can help us to care for others or trust the Lord for what He alone can do.Interpretation Question: Why does God only provide grace for the day and not for tomorrow or next year? Second, I had developed a bitterness habit. I didn’t really recognize it as such, because I felt I was always justified in feeling as I did. Mine was always a just cause. Because stressful anxiety is an issue of the heart that costs far more than it gives, the wisdom literature of the world regards worry as a habit that none of us can afford. The Bible, however, treats worry as an emotion of choice that impedes our relationship with our Father in heaven. Journalling can also have long-term benefits. Studies show that regular emotion-led journalling can help reduce anxiety, depression, and feelings of distress. While negative beliefs, or worrying about worrying, adds to your anxiety and keeps worry going, positive beliefs about worrying can be just as damaging. Positive beliefs about worry

Look at the birds in the sky: They do not sow, or reap, or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you more valuable than they are?... Why do you worry about clothing? Think about how the flowers of the field grow; they do not work or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these! And if this is how God clothes the wild grass, which is here today and tomorrow is tossed into the fire to heat the oven, won’t he clothe you even more, you people of little faith?It’s tough to break the worry habit if you believe that your worrying serves a positive purpose. Once you realize that worrying is the problem, not the solution, you can regain control of your worried mind. How to stop worrying tip 1: Create a daily “worry” period It’s tough to be productive in your daily activities when anxiety and worry are dominating your thoughts and distracting you from work, school, or your home life. This is where the strategy of postponing worrying can help. Occasionally reflecting on something bad that has passed – or something that may be scary or bad in the future – can be helpful. It can help us to problem-solve how we might deal with issues next time. Fear may be a one-off feeling when you are faced with something unfamiliar. But it can also be an everyday, long-lasting problem – even if you can’t put your finger on why. To overcome worry, we must focus on eternal matters—like becoming holy, seeing others saved, growing, and building God’s kingdom. Colossians 3:1-4 says:

Anxiety is a word we use for fears about the threat of something going wrong in the future, rather than right now. Application Question: How can we grow in understanding our value? 1. We must constantly study Scripture to know our value. Here in Matthew 6:25-34, Christ commands his disciples to not worry about their needs—what they will eat, drink, or wear. Previously, in Matthew 6:19-24, Christ taught the disciples to not store up treasures on earth. Believers should not store up wealth like the rest of the world, but they also should not be consumed with worry about their needs, as God will provide for them. Jumping to conclusions. Making negative interpretations without actual evidence. You act like a mind reader: “I can tell she secretly hates me.” Or a fortune teller: “I just know something terrible is going to happen.” Here is one of the most brilliant, simple quotes about social anxiety to help us re-think this assumption:

If we get too caught up in our own heads, we give our thoughts too much power. Here is one of my favourite anxiety quotes demonstrating this. Exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, and staying connected to people who care about you are great ways to stave off anxiety symptoms. SANE Help Centre – Provides information about symptoms, treatments, medications, and where to go for support in Australia. Call: 1800 18 7263. (SANE Australia). Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.” Thich Nhat Hanh

Even significant life events such as buying a house, having a baby or planning a wedding could lead to feelings of stress and anxiety. Worry can either bring us to the Father in heaven, or it can drive us away from Him. The challenge is how we choose to deal with it. Author David Egner offers a biblical and practical perspective on how we can put our worries to work for us, rather than allow them to consume us. He spells out how we can actively trust God with the unknown and experience the beauty of His peace. 1. Let Worry Turn Your Attention to God Eat lots of fruit and vegetables and try to avoid eating too much sugar as resulting dips in your blood sugar can give you anxious feelings. Try to avoid drinking too much tea and coffee, as caffeine can also increase anxiety levels. Avoid alcohol, or drink in moderation Worry is a feeling of uneasiness, apprehension, or dread usually related to negative thoughts of something that may happen in the future. Such possibilities may be important to think about, but those thoughts are healthy only if we are able or willing to do something positive with them. Worry defeats us when it replaces wise action or needed rest with fearful emotion. Reacting in fear based only on our emotions will detract from the present while doing nothing to prepare us for the future. Catastrophizing. Expecting the worst-case scenario to happen. “The pilot said we're in for some turbulence. The plane's going to crash!”

What makes you anxious?

Regular anxiety, fear or panic can also be the main symptom of several health conditions. Do not self-diagnose – speak to a GP if you're worried about how you're feeling. Identifying the cause Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ (who is your life) appears, then you too will be revealed in glory with him. This makes perfect sense. If the Bible is God’s words for us, as it contains his teachings about our value to him, his providence over our lives, and promises to us, and yet we still live in worry, then essentially, we are calling God a liar. How can God’s Word profit us if we don’t believe him? How can anybody’s words profit us if we don’t trust what they are saying. If every word is received with suspicion, then we won’t make plans based on what they are saying. In the same way, to worry is to say that God and his Word are untrustworthy, and therefore, Scripture will not profit us.