My Anxiety Prayer

When in an anxious state, our minds are chaotic.  We negative think, we self-doubt, we jump from one thought to another, and we believe every word that is "spoken".  Anxiety plays the role of a second brain. It has a mind of its own - one that is deceiving, behaving like the enemy.

​The most effective way to get out of the anxious mind chatter is to self-talk and convince your brain that you are none of the things that your mind is telling you you are, like "I'm not important." Or, "no one will like me if I go to that new group."  None of these statements swirling in your mind are backed by facts, but, your brain needs you believe this because training it to believe the TRUTH is hard work.  The brain is lazy and likes to operate on autopilot.  It doesn't like to form new neuronal paths and new cellular activity if it can use the path of least resistance.  

​Teaching your brain to work to your advantage both cognitively and behaviorally takes practice and consistency.  Self-talking yourself out of an anxious moment or even a panic attack is almost like an exhausting workout.  To be successful in lifting that new stack of weights, you tell yourself to stay calm, keep at it, and it's okay if it doesn't happen this time.  Once the mind chatter starts and the anxiety is in full swing, it becomes our job to manage the anxiety - to control it with true statements that counter the false ones; to steadfastly repeat supportive (not defeating) thoughts; and to believe that you are in control of your mind and the tricks it is playing on your at the moment.

​This Anxiety Prayer is a simply mind calming reminder that your worries may have a mind of their own, but that they are temporary and will pass in time.  Remembering the lines of this prayer will help you find calm in the midst of anxious moments.  Telling yourself that the worries are not a part of your reality and believing this is key to how well you manage your anxiety.

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