Are you more anxious than you were four years ago? Probably so, for all kinds of reasons. The question is: how can you get your anxiety meter out of the red zone? Let me offer 5 tips that may help.
1. Less…Noise. In our hyper-connected world, it’s easy to be captivated by the barrage of information, much of it designed to stir up fear, outrage, or confusion. Keeping the television on in the background or constantly checking our smartphones allows the noise of the world to control our “inner being.”[1] Lately, I’ve started checking the news only once a day, in the morning after my quiet time of Bible reading and prayer.
2. Less…Mocking. Over the past two decades, I’ve noticed a growing acceptance of mockery as the basis of cultural discourse; think of political debate, talk radio or late-night comedy. The fact is, mockery attracts an audience, but it destroys civility and the common good. Proverbs reminds us that “mockers can get a whole town agitated, but the wise will calm anger.”[2] I’ve discovered that subtly mocking other perspectives in conversation can be funny, but it infects my heart with an “us vs. them spirit.”
3. More…Compassion. Jesus said, “This is my command: love each other.”[3] No mystery there! The challenge is to live it out in a divisive world. One way I do this is by viewing people around me with the thought, “There’s a struggling soul God loves.” Try it for one day and see if it helps you have more compassion.
4. More…Scripture. Whenever my anxiety meter spikes up, I’ve learned it helps to say the words of Scripture aloud. “Take courage. It is I. Don’t be afraid.”[4] Or, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”[5] Why? Because sometimes you just need to hear what’s true.
5. More…Prayer. Jesus said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”[6] Lately I’ve been praying for national leaders I disagree with, or world leaders who are enemies. As a Christian, I believe God can change any heart.[7] When I pray like this, I try to imagine how different the world would be if even one of these leaders had a “Damascus Road experience.”[8]
So, there you go...no more anxiety, right? Maybe not. But next time your anxiety meter starts rising, give one of these tips a try and see if it soothes your uneasy soul.
[1] Ephesians 3:16
[2] Proverbs 29:8, NLT
[3] John 15:17
[4] Matthew 14:27
[5] Philippians 4:4
[6] Matthew 5:44
[7]1 Timothy 1:15-16
[8] Acts 9:1-19
Image is of the Anxiety character from the movie Inside Out 2.