Anxiety

Anxiety… we all have experienced some form of it in our lives. But what about the people who have anxiety attacks, or on going issues with anxiety?

I am not sure if it is the weather or what but I have had four people in the last week talk to me about problems they are having with anxiety, me being one of the four!! Yes I do talk to myself…. that is a post for another day!

For the rest of this post I will only be referring to my own issues with anxiety, please don't read this  and think you now have the answer's for all your friends who have anxiety because like everything in life, what works or doesn't work for one person may or may not work for another.

I have had problems with anxiety my whole life. I was the kid in kindergarden who cried and wanted to go home for not one day, or one week, but the whole half of the year!

For those of you who are laid back easy going people who don't understand what all the fuss is about, can I enlighten you?

What causes an anxiety attack in me?

• Things being unorganized or cluttered. 
• Decisions that need to be made quickly that I don't feel like I have had time to think through.
• People invading my personal space.
• Not being able to exit a place easily.** This is a BIG one for me!
• Not being heard.
• Loud, cluttered, places with tons of people.

What helps when it is happening?

• Go to a quiet place
• Breathe
• Pray
• Organize something
• Help someone else
•  Call a friend 
• Hugging my husband
• Petting my dog
• Go outside for a walk
• Make a list

How do I try to avoid them?

• Sit on an aisle seat not in the middle
• Check out exit signs to know how to exit if I need to
• If I need to go somewhere with lots of noise, people, and such I make sure I am well rested and have had time to unwind before I go. Going to a place like that after a really hectic day is a big no no for me.
• If someone asks me to make a decision I tell them I am not a quick decision maker, could they give me some time?
• Get lots of sleep
• Write down scripture when I a calm and have them on index cards, and keep them in a handy place.
• Be intentional about my calendar and don't plan too many (what I call ) "people days" in a row
• If sitting somewhere where I am concerned about personal space I usually carry a large purse that allows me to sit it in an empty chair to give me some extra space.
• If I am having a conversation and someone is not listening I simply stop speaking until I have their attention

This is not an end all be all but a few things to consider. I am interested for people to comment on things that have worked or not worked for them. Let's all be considerate, and empathatic to the people we know who struggle with what can be an absolutely debilatating life struggle. 

Praise Him

Praise Him

I recently went to a Christian conference. It was held at Conseco Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis. This is a ginormous place.  It can seat roughly 20,000 people. 

The first night of the conference I was floored at seeing all of us singing and praising the Lord. It was humbling! I caught myself whispering to the Lord. I said, "Lord, do you hear us? Does this bless you Lord? Are you as in awe of this as I am?" With tears streaming down my face I heard him say "Yes." Not an audible voice but a soft whisper from within that I knew was Him.

I did not expect to be more moved than I had been that very first night, but God has a way of surprising me. The last day of the conference I had come alone. With it just being me I was able to get a closer seat. I sat still high but was able to look out at the people on the ground floor. Right before things started I noticed an American Sign Language translator. She was amazing to watch. She fluidly signed all the announcements. Then another person caught my eye. There was a gentleman in a wheel chair being wheeled to a handicap accessible spot right below me on the ground floor. He was older with gray hair. Once he got to his spot he took out a cane and tried to stand. He seemed to be having some trouble so decided to sit back down in his chair. 

About this time the praise and worship team entered and asked us all to stand and lift our voices to the one and only true God. As I looked at all these very different people, old, young, black, white, women, men, hearing, non hearing, people with disabilities, people without, the one thing we all had in common was our willingness to praise. Just as I was about to cry again, I looked over at the man in the wheelchair, raised high above his head was the cane. He was praising God with his cane.


Psalm 150:1-6 Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with a tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!  

Psalm 150:1-6