Banish Anxiety in 12 Minutes Every Day

Nothing rattles anxiety like a sudden illness.

Especially when you don’t know what it is.

It was a happy uneventful day on February 24, 2019.

Suddenly, every nerve in my body lit up like a July 4th sparkler.

My body flared like a fireworks show!

Pain shots and tingling in my feet, hands, face and lips and it didn’t stop.

Think I was anxious?

• Do I have diabetes?
• Parkinson’s?
• Guillain-Barre syndrome?

Of course, the next step is to Google all the symptoms and diagnose yourself with every possible disease known and unknown to mankind.

In my case, it was Neuropathy.

But, I discovered a three step formula that led to healing.

No-anxiety step 1:  Be easy on yourself

Self-compassion is a powerful first step to dump anxiety.

When my Google searches blamed all my bad eating habits, I beat myself up.

But, what good is that?

So, a little voice reminded me that suffering is part of the journey.

Don’t . . .

• pity yourself
• isolate yourself
• beat yourself up

Instead, give yourself a break.

“Most individuals are dealing with one or more serious health problems while going productively and uncomplainingly about their business.  If anyone is fortunate enough to be in a rare period of grace and health, personally, then he or she typically has at least one close family member in crisis.”  Jordan Peterson, 12 Rules For Life

I have suffered enough anxiety to know that I am not alone and neither are you.

No-anxiety step 2:  Melt the anxious thought

Anxiety is obsessive-compulsive thinking.  It’s hard to let go of.

My anxiety was the frightening projection of uncontrolled pain and discomfort.

So, I practiced this 12 minute exercise three times a day.

1.  Freeze the anxious thought
2.  Surrender it to God
3.  Shift to God’s strength

I did this by meditating on and memorizing the following verse . . .

“But as for me, I shall sing of Your strength; yes, I shall joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the morning, For You have been my stronghold and a refuge in the day of my distress.  O my strength, I will sing praises to You; For God is my stronghold, the God who shows me lovingkindness.”  Psalm 59:16-17

For 12 minutes, I would meditate on these verses and pray . . .

• I don’t have strength, but You do
• I’m vulnerable but You are strong
• I’m distressed but You are my refuge
• I trust in your lovingkindness
• I trust in your mercy

Peace comes from a meditative mind and faith that the highest power has the strength for you and me.

“The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You.  Trust in the LORD forever, For in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock.”  Isaiah 26:3-4

Peace settles the mind to see the next step forward.

No-anxiety step 3:  Targeted action

Most doctors are in the dark about Neuropathy.

Just take pills to cover the pain.

My regular doctor told me to take an antihistamine.  What??

But, my reward for treatment arrived from meditative prayer and curious questioning.

I learned that . . .

• added sugar and carbs damage nerves
• vitamin D and alpha-lipoic acid heal nerves

Long road to go?  Yes, but a clear road.

It was just a matter of making some decisions for new habits.

Recovery began when I decided to . . .

• follow a holistic treatment plan
• permanently change my diet
• take nerve-enriching vitamins

Months after treatment, my neuropathy pain dropped, a lot.

No-anxiety step 4:  Pray like you golf

Practice time in a healing space every day.

12 minutes of daily prayer will . . .

• clarify solutions
• invite God into your healing
• sharpen focus for new solutions

How do you stay on track with a healthy lifestyle?