Last week I had some real anxiety. Not all throughout the week, but a couple of instances. One of them really stood out to me.
It was the first meeting of the Military Wives Bible Study I go to. I was slightly nervous going in to this but knew that it would be totally fine, as I had attended the study in the fall. However, when I walked in the room there were SO many new faces and I only knew about three people by name.
As I sat there, my heart started to race. I could feel my muscles tensing up, I thought to myself “okay, it hasn’t even started yet, how I am I supposed to make it through and hour and a half of this?”. I felt really uneasy and I remember looking at the door because I felt like I needed to escape.
I contemplated “escaping” for about three seconds. Maybe I could just excuse myself for a moment to gather my thoughts and breath for a minute. Or maybe I could leave early because I had some place to be, what excuse could I think of to get me out?
And then I stopped (mentally). I thought to myself, “This is nothing new. You’re just a little nervous being around a bunch of new people. Other people are nervous too, i’m sure. ‘I am calm, I am in control of my thoughts and reactions.’ Okay, stick it out.”
So I stayed; I felt my heart racing for probably 30 minutes. But as everyone started talking and the study began everything seemed to calm down. I conquered it!
Not going to lie, I left that bible study feeling really good. And not just because I was around like-minded military wives who were there for the same reason, but because I felt like I had a “win” with anxiety.
I CONQUERED IT.
I was able to take back control of my thoughts and physical feelings. I was able to push through. I was able to talk about it in front of the group, and I didn’t have to escape.
A couple of months ago when I started to feel an anxiety attack coming, I would automatically freak out. It would scare me half to death as I felt like something terrible was about to happen. I would let those feelings take control; sometimes I would cry, breath really heavy, walk around aimlessly, or shake.
I wasn’t able to control it.
But guess what?
I am learning to control and conquer it! It’s a really great feeling.
A few weeks ago I would wake up thinking, “I wonder what will throw my anxiety a bone today?” But now I wake up and don’t even think about it!
As I talked about last week, I have created a new habit of washing my face every morning and getting ready. It totally works, you guys. The minute I wash my face my mood changes and I am ready to get the day started. You should try it!
I don’t know about you but I am going to keep this momentum going and keep on conquering my anxious brain. Especially as we move next month!
What are some ways you conquered anxious thoughts this week? Let me know in the comments!
“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.”
Psalm 34:17 NIV
Thanks for reading,
~Erin, The Short Wife
The Short Wife 