Do you struggle with anxiety? If so, you are not alone. I have had my own bouts with anxiety and fears. For me, they would result in seizures.
Today, I don’t have any seizures resulting from fears and anxieties. How did I overcome these things?
For me, I was believing lies about myself and other people. These lies would often serve as fuels for my fears and anxieties. If they were left unchecked, my fears and anxieties would overwhelm me and I’d be swept into a grand mal petite seizure. That is, I would become dangerously oblivious to my surroundings and resting in a cocoon.
How did I break out of the cocoon and dealt with my anxieties? It begins by confronting the lies and journaling can help you do it.
What is journaling? In the old days, we’d call it, a diary. I, for one, do not recall boys keeping such a thing. It was typically the domain of girls. They would record just about everything. When I did my research on the topic of journaling and anxieties, it seems the girls had the right ideas.
For me, a journal is a place to record interesting facts and events. I would not have thought to record my thoughts and emotions. The idea of sharing such things would have been the last thing I’d do. How things have changed! Today, it is no longer unusual to write for men to do, likewise.
Keep in mind, your journal is a record of your thoughts and emotions. They are not just limited to facts and events. Feel free to express your emotions, thoughts, and prayers in your journal. You don’t need to share its content with anyone. Your journal entries are private.
How can such a journal help? I am intrigued by what I learned and can imagine how it could have helped me. Such a journal is best kept on a daily basis. For me, it would be on my computer. For you, a journal can be a notebook and pen.
Are you waking up and riddled with anxious thoughts? Do you have fears about what may happen? Write your thoughts and fears in a journal. Don’t let these things take up residence in your head. What should I write?
Such anxious thoughts and fears don’t appear out of nowhere. They are being fueled by something. In my case, I would have written down the lies that I was believing or the events leading up to the anxiety attacks.
Why am I troubled? What is bothering me? Am I worrying about getting a job? Do I honestly believe people will give me, a fair chance? I would proceed to write down what’s happening in my mind. Here’s where praying to God comes in.
Don’t just write your thoughts and feelings on paper. It’s a good start; however, you need to ask questions. That’s why I would encourage you to talk with God, the Father. Invite the Holy Spirit to help you and write down what you are hearing.
If the inner voice is accusatory or critical then it’s not God, the Father. Your own voice is likely to be analytical. The voice of the Good Shepherd is likely to be gentle, kind, patience and not judging you. Jesus is more likely to help you in confronting your fears and anxieties.
Don’t ignore your feelings of anxieties. Don’t leave them sitting around. You do need to deal with it and not dwell on them. That’s why I had my seizures. My fears and anxieties simply grew in my mind; even though I tried to ignore them. At the same time, they would balloon out of proportion if I dwell on them.
You need to talk it out and writing them in a journal -can help. In my case, I would likely have needed counseling and a journal would have helped in seeing the need for such help. A journal would also go a long way in helping to communicate what’s happening inside. My counselor would have received a better idea of how to help.
A well-kept journal can go a long way towards developing a plan of attack when dealing with your anxieties.
Here is another reason that journaling can be helpful in overcoming anxieties. Such fears and anxieties are sometimes fueled by negativity. Your journal can help expose negative thinking patterns. Once you see the pattern then it’s easier to confront them.
You can begin by writing down its opposite. Don’t be afraid to ask Jesus to help you. Ask for God’s perspective on the problem. In the end, you need to choose to do the work of changing your thought patterns. With God’s help, it can be done.
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