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Tips and Remedies For Natural Antidepressants: Let Nature Take Its Course

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Tips and Remedies For Natural Antidepressants: Let Nature Take Its Course

 

It's still a beautiful summer in the northern hemisphere, but there's a hint of autumn in the early morning air. In turn, politicians not only hint but openly talk about what awaits us in the winter. And there is nothing cheerful about this; an energy crisis is expected. 

The temperature in offices and apartments it's supposed to be heavily regulated. Gasoline and diesel prices still hold extremely high, and what other complications will cause the conflict in Ukraine better not to think about.

Before we feel an extraordinary strain on our psyche and before the summer stocks of optimism and good mood are exhausted, it is good to turn for help to nature. There are many herbs that can help us, and some are processed even into tablets and capsules.

At home, herbs can be used in a variety of forms, such as infusion (infusium), decoction (decoctum), infusion (macerate), tincture, syrup, and extract (extracta), but also as a compress or bath.

Herbs usually do not act as quickly as chemical drugs. Many are suitable for longer use. However, for some, we must be careful when combined with chemical medications.

 

Stress, especially nowadays, is the lot of many people, and its impact is often underestimated. It acts not only on the organism but also on each person's personality.

Which herbal remedies can positively influence mental and nervous problems?

Among the best herbal harmonizers is Eleutherococcus spiny, or devil's root, devil's bush, Siberian ginseng, eleuthero – Eleutherococcus (Eleutherococcus senticosus). The devil's root, or " Siberian ginseng," is a shrub about two meters tall with densely thorny branches and folded five-pointed, long petiolate leaves. 

Small flowers form spherical inflorescences with purple (powdery) and yellow (pistillate) petals. The fruit is a spherical ovoid with a diameter of about 8 mm, containing 2 to 7 ovules. It blooms in late June and July, and the fruits ripen in late August and September.

It acts as an adaptogen and harmonizer; that is, it increases the body's defenses against the effects of stress. It improves cerebral circulation and affects the manifestations of neurasthenia, and conduction of impulses through nerve fibers. It is used for overwork, states of weakness, and exhaustion.

Another effective remedy is Small-leaved Bacopa: A  plant found in the tropics and subtropics. It is a powerful antioxidant that helps improve memory and learning ability. It increases mental performance and strengthens brain activity. It is used for insomnia, fatigue, restlessness, stress, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, and nervous exhaustion.

Mild Climate Herbs

We can use St. John's wort, one of the herbs growing in a mild climate. It is the first choice herb for anxiety, restlessness, mental stress, neurasthenia, panic syndrome, or mild depression. It is suitable for rehabilitation after strokes and is also a primary herb in treating multiple sclerosis. But we must remember that often it can not be used simultaneously with antidepressants, and in the summer months, it can provoke skin redness when exposed to sunlight.

St. John's wort undoubtedly has the ability to improve your mood, but its effects do not appear immediately – it is necessary to take it for about 3 to 4 weeks before you know if it helps you.

To support the activity of the nerve and brain centers, we can use great globe-thistle (Carduus), which helps the organism in the regeneration of the nerve fiber. 

Valerian is another well-known herb often used for a sedative effect on the body. It suppresses states of excitement, nervousness, anxiety, and mental tension. In higher doses, it acts as a hypnotic. It affects cardiac neurosis and also acts as a spasmolytic. The nervous system not only calms but also strengthens. 

The best means of sedative action is gemmoterapeuticum from the Linden tree (tilia). It's an excellent sedative. It acts as an anxiolytic against anxiety and psychological tension. It also reduces feelings of itching and pain of nervous origin. It strengthens the nervous system best in combination with thistle.

Willowherb (It is known in North America as fireweed, in some parts of Canada as great willowherb, in Britain and Ireland as rosebay willowherb)

 

The flower can be up to two meters high, which you will most likely find on forest glades or uncut bows. It is easy to grow even in the garden. Mainly leaves are used, both fresh and dried, for the preparation of teas.

Willowherb removes the feeling of psychological tension, relaxes, soothes, helps in falling asleep, and increases the quality of sleep. It is effective against headaches (especially of nervous origin).

Not only Herbal Teas but also Special Baths

One of the healing remedies from nature, which people have been using since ancient times, was baths from herbs. The advantage of this therapy is the fact that the action of water as such and, at the same time, the healing properties of the herbs are used here together. 

An excellent remedy for soothing is a bath, which is composed of herbs with a soothing effect – St. John's wort, lavender, lemon balm, hops, and others. It helps the body to calm down, cope with stress and energize to cope with today's challenging times. It is excellent before sleep, as it helps to induce them.

Where to find some of these herbs in the temperate climatic belt

Small-leaved Bacopa (Bacopa monnieri)

Bacopa is a 10-30 cm tall, creeping and perennial herb. In conditions of the mild climate, Bacopa is a small-leaved annual or houseplant with the possibility of putting outside during summer.

St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum)

St. John's wort is a perennial that occurs abundantly on sunny slopes, meadows, pastures, and forest glades, from the Lowland to the mountains.

Valerian (Valeriana officinalis)

Valerian is a not very abundant plant in wet meadows, forests, river banks, and ditches. For medicinal purposes, it is grown. Valerian acts primarily as a mild but effective sedative. It suppresses states of excitement, nervousness, anxiety, and mental tension. In higher doses, it works as a hypnotic.

Lime (Linden) (Tilia vulgaris)

Linden is a widely cultivated tree, widespread throughout Europe. The lime blossom is collected at the beginning of flowering. It is best to gather it in the afternoon between two and four o´clock. In folk medicine, as well as official medicine, the lime blossom has been used since ancient times to the present day.

Catnip (Nepeta cataria)

It is nicknamed "cat cocaine" because cats like to roll in it and then fall asleep.

 

Stir a teaspoon of dried catnip flowers in 250 ml of cold water, bring to a boil and let stand for 15 minutes. Drink during anxiety, fussiness, and nervousness. You can also sew a dried Shanta into a canvas bag, attach a pompom or a jingle bell, and give it to your cat to play with. She'll be thrilled.

You can find it in clumps in damp places and around water. It is collected both flowering and non-flowering nasturtium or just flowers, which are used to prepare infusions, baths, and the like after drying.

Ruta graveolens, commonly known as rue, common rue, or herb-of-grace, is a species of Ruta grown as an ornamental plant and herb. It is native to the Balkan Peninsula. It was nicknamed the" herb of grace " because it allegedly helped both judges and prisoners, probably against stress.

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)

It is an effective first aid for stress, nervousness, and fatigue; a pleasant lemon scent quickly washes away all worries. Its sedative effect is used for insomnia.

Licorice root

Licorice root has a long history of medical use. As a herbal remedy, it helps people in many different ways. One of the valuable properties of licorice root is its ability to help the body cope with stressful situations. Licorice root provides a natural hormone, an alternative to cortisone, which can be very helpful in managing anxiety situations.

Herbal Teas And Baths Against Depression

# 1. Pour one teaspoon of lemon balm into 150 ml of boiling water. Leave to infuse for 10 minutes, strain, and drink three times a day. This tea can also be used for a long time.

# 2. Prepare a mixture of equal parts of lemon balm and common oregano: Pour 100 ml of boiling water into one teaspoon of the mix. Leave to infuse for 10 minutes and strain. Tea is recommended to drink mainly for the night, for a quiet falling asleep and restful sleep.

# 3. Pour one heaped tablespoon of St. John's wort with boiling water and drink throughout the day in cups. St. John's wort is rightly called the "herb of nerves". It’s most beneficial when the tea from this herb is taken for a long time, i.e., at least 25 days or more. Only then will its antidepressant effects begin to manifest. However, do not take it for more than two months. 

Bath relieving depression

Baths with sea salt or with essential oils of Lemon balm, Mandarin, and Sage are very beneficial. The bath time should be 20 minutes. After the bath, do not wipe, just wrap the body in a terry toweling dressing gown, lie down for another 20 minutes, and cover yourself warmly.

Finally, something for milk and sleep lovers

Galium odoratum – also called the sweet woodruff or sweet-scented bedstraw (Asperula odorata) sleep milk:

# 1. Heat a quarter liter of milk in the evening, but do not boil it. Stir in it one teaspoon of dried herb and one teaspoon of honey. Allow to stand for 2 hours, then strain, drink slowly, and non-jumpily jump into bed!

Herbs Preservation

Not only can you use fresh herbs, but you can keep them “for a rainy day” by preserving them. There are several ways to process them so that you can use them later. 

One of the oldest is drying, which is suitable for example, bay leaf, thyme, oregano, mint, marjoram, or Rosmarinus. The basis is to pre-clean the herbs well, then leave them dry in ventilated places protected from the sun and heat. You can also use a dryer.

You can also put herbs (for example, parsley, basil, thyme, marjoram, or rosemary) in oil. Wash them well, dry them, and put them in glass jars. Squeeze them well and stack them in layers. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and seal tightly. 

The oil will acquire an aroma, and the herbs will be well preserved. You can also store them in the freezer for a long time. Do not forget to always carefully wash and dry the shoots and leaves. Then put them in ice compartments or freezer bags. You can freeze sage, parsley, oregano, mint, marjoram, and basil. 

 

“Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister, Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us, producing varied fruits with coloured flowers and herbs.” 

                                                                  Francis of Assisi

 

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About: Markéta Hálová. (Czech Republic) A crypto enthusiast, keen online marketer and passion for photography. I love interacting with the community of Entrepreneurs at Markethive. I believe in free speech, liberty, sovereignty for all. Find me at my Markethive Profile Page | My Twitter Account | and my LinkedIn Profile.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

General

How To Cope With Anxiety

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How To Cope With Anxiety

Over the last two years or more, most of us have been living under tremendous psychological pressure. First of all, the threat of the covid epidemic, which was joined this year by the conflict in Ukraine, the threat of food and energy shortages, and high inflation.

It is not surprising that few people remain calm in this situation, although our psychological disposition to lose balance varies.

However, the principles of how to maintain psychological balance remain the same even in this extremely difficult time as in times of relative calm and peace. A generalized expectation of danger occurs during the stressful condition known as anxiety. The anxious person experiences a state of heightened tension.

Many of us ask the following questions: Will inflation break my budget?

Consumer prices rose higher globally in 2021 than at any time since 1982. For those who have fixed incomes or those who are retired, it can mean hard choices like delaying medical care or eating unhealthily.

The global pandemic caused massive disruption in the workplace and across most industries, so it’s not surprising to find that for many people, it is contributing to financial anxiety.

Experts agree that we do have some power to control the things that are making us anxious when it comes to our money, and that usually means finding a way to earn more of it or spend less. 

When a person evaluates the situation as hopeless, he gives up the activity. This is what manipulators use.

Right now, we live in uncertain times. We don’t know what tomorrow shall bring. The experience Covid-19 has brought made our daily routines completely different from what they are usually supposed to be. Many people began to suffer from death anxiety, and now comes to it the anxiety of lack of money because of the energy crisis.

Financial experts say the most important thing is to understand where your money is going. That means making a budget so you can look more carefully at where you could cut back. If your financial anxiety is rising, then getting control over some costs can be a significant factor in paring it back. 

Will I be able to cover my medical expenses?

Especially in the US, as they age, most Americans worry about covering medical expenses. The survey found they’re the number two factor for financial anxiety for Americans 55 and over. COVID-19 also made many people pause decisions about moving into assisted living centers and retirement communities.

Unlike Australia, the U.S. does not have universal healthcare. Private health insurance costs hundreds of dollars a month, and medical debt is one of the leading causes of bankruptcy in the U.S.

Though the situation with health insurance is different in other parts of the world, the financial problems are generally similar everywhere.

Maintain your mental balance

For many people, life involves an element of anxiety. This is perfectly normal, and in some cases, it is also helpful. When we worry over the current circumstances in our life, things such as finances, work, and family, the worry can lead to well-thought-out decisions and carefully made plans.

When worry becomes overwhelming for our psyche and emotions, it can quickly become debilitating and negative. If you have been experiencing worry in an uncontrollable and excessive way for an extended period of time, there is a good chance that the worry has transformed into anxiety. 

Here are some methods which you can use to avoid the anxious mind setting:

#1. Write About It

You can use this method to ease the stress of negative thoughts and feelings when you have something on your mind but aren’t sure how to let it go. It can help to write about the situation or event causing the anxiety to help you process your thoughts and feelings so that you can work through them. From a scientific perspective, writing activates the right side of your brain, which is the side that processes emotions, letting you understand the situation from a new perspective.

#2. Concentrate on Your Breathing

The task is to slow down your heart rate, which is often the physical accompaniment to anxiety. To start out, try breathing in for four beats and out for four beats. Five minutes of this should even out your breathing and calm the heart. 

#3. Question Your Thoughts 

You can easily forget or simply not notice when your thinking has become negative. By watching and questioning your thoughts, you have a chance to reverse a negative train of thought. It is not always easy; some things just seem fundamentally negative. 

#4. Exercise

Physical activity works as both a long and short-term solution to anxiety. Bringing your body’s activities in line with the activity of your mind will help you balance. From there, you can begin calming your body and mind together and enjoy the endorphin rush that exercise brings.

#5. Aromatherapy

Certain aromas have calming and soothing properties, which create a sense of tranquility when they are in the air. There are many new humidifiers and scented candles available to help you set a relaxing and soothing mood within your house, office, or wherever you are staying. Lavender, Chamomile, and Sandalwood are just a few good options.

More possibilities to fight anxiety

We are living through a historically stressful time, with chronic stress from unrelenting issues. Nowadays, it is still more important to focus on taking care of yourself first by eating a balanced diet, spending time outdoors, and talking with others with similar concerns.

There are more methods that are more time demanding – such as meditation which takes time to master, but it can be a helpful tool for managing anxiety.

Root chakra healing – Let go of fear 

 

 

Other relaxation – Let go of fear techniques may be activities such as yoga or tai chi which are also helpful for promoting relaxation and helping reduce anxiety and stress.

Great and uncomplicated help represent some herbs. Here are a few main ones you can use to maintain your mental health.

Indian ginseng induces calm and harmony

Ashwagandha (withania somnifera) is an evergreen shrub that grows in India, the Middle East, and parts of Africa. It has a long history of use in traditional medicine.

Ashwagandha, or Indian ginseng, is one of the most popular Ayurvedic herbs. It is used to treat bronchitis and asthma, while it also works reliably for rheumatism, psoriasis, or insomnia. This miracle drug also has sedative properties, so it calms the mind and helps the body to better adapt to stress.

Dandelion   

A drink prepared from dandelion (taraxacum) has a positive effect on mental mood and induces a good mood. At the same time, it normalizes the blood pressure level and detoxifies the organism.

A drink prepared from dandelion has a positive effect on mental mood and induces a good mood. At the same time, it normalizes the blood pressure level and detoxifies the organism.

Passionflower     

Passionflower (passiflora) as a safe bet  (an evergreen climbing plant of warm regions, which bears distinctive flowers with parts that supposedly resemble instruments of the Crucifixion)

A climbing plant from the passion family is an indispensable helper for all forms of mental exhaustion. Experts are so enthusiastic about its capabilities that they even compare it to pharmaceutical anti-anxiety drugs in terms of effectiveness. However, unlike them, this treasure does not have any unwanted side effects or the risk of addiction, which is why they recommend it so warmly.

Be mindful of your media consumption

You may want to avoid or decrease the amount of time you spend on news and social media, particularly before bed, and refine your information sources to outlets that offer straightforward facts.

No matter how relentlessly bleak the headlines may become, the ability to recognize what we can change and what we have to adapt to can help to limit our stress response.

Czech psychiatrist Karel Nešpor – Fight against anxiety with a laugh

In this short video above, a famous Czech doctor shows how to combat unpleasant anxious feelings by inducing laughter. It may seem crazy to you, but check him out. He looks like a little Buddha.

“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.” 

                                                        – Mark Twain.

 

 

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About: Markéta Hálová. (Czech Republic) A crypto enthusiast, keen online marketer and passion for photography. I love interacting with the community of Entrepreneurs at Markethive. I believe in free speech, liberty, sovereignty for all. Find me at my Markethive Profile Page | My Twitter Account | and my LinkedIn Profile.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

General

The Psychology of Fear

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The Psychology of Fear

In the last two and a half years, perhaps, each of us experienced a surge of fear and did not escape the anxiety of a completely new situation that gripped the whole world. This is quite natural; the events touched the entire civilized world.

However, it is difficult to say what the given level and frequency of experiencing fear, apprehension, and anxiety is. Each will always be a unique cocktail in which they will most likely be mixed early, even prenatal experiences and personal settings, degree of sensitivity, genetic make-up, fulfillment or non-fulfillment of basic emotional needs in childhood, and others.

In addition, during our life, sometimes there comes a period of crises, rebirths, and changes when deep forces forcefully and without question penetrate through the shell of our consciousness. These periods can be accompanied by extreme experiences of fear, anxiety, and even terror.

"There is only one way to happiness, and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.”

        —  Epictetus

According to one medieval story, a pilgrim was walking along the road to the city and met Death. Recognizing her, he asks: "Where are you going and why?" "I am going to the city to kill a thousand people with the plague." "Well, if you have to, go," the pilgrim replies, slowly heading to the same city. When he arrives at his destination, he finds a dead city, tens of thousands dead, not a single living being anywhere. He goes back the same way and meets Death again. "You lied to me, Death. You killed all the people with the plague." "I didn't lie,” answers the Death “exactly one thousand inhabitants of the city died of the plague. Everyone else was killed by the fear of the plague."

This horrible story illustrates well the destructive nature of fear if we are overwhelmed by it and give up the fight. The instinctive reaction to a threat is not only an attack or escape, but if we evaluate the situation as hopeless, then also paralysis and surrender to a higher power.

 

This instinctive reaction is exploited by populist leaders – saviors who can frighten a crowd to the point that it gives up its own chances of solving the urgent sense of threat by its own forces and passively places power and salvation in the hands of a manipulative higher power.

Guidelines for Manipulators and Crowd Leaders:

A manipulator will systematically present people with messages, stories, and images that will create and spread a sense of threat, anxiety, and fear in society.

A larger part of society will stop verifying ghostly information, confronting it with a different point of view. They begin to have a great need to clarify and simplify the whole problem. It is enough to help them with the right stickers and directions, which will be simple and logically comprehensible.

Put more pressure on the saw and try to create the feeling that the situation has no solution. After the initial resistance, anxiety, and then resignation to one's own activity will probably come, but there remains hope for salvation from above.

Give them such salvation with a simple instruction – explain to the crowd (yes, at that point, society is mostly behaving like a crowd) that others are incapable, look where they got us, while you are not afraid and have a solution. In doing so, you will only be repeating ideas that you have already pushed on people before. This way, your ideas will seem familiar, logical, and therefore believable to them.

How to deal with the amount of information thrown at a person? 

Restrict message viewing?
Certainly yes, and watch the news only at certain times and only from specific sources.

Adequacy, not absence of concern. Realize that worry and fear are natural emotions that have an essential function. They mobilize us, orient our attention and show what we should change to prevent the possible negative consequences of what threatens us. It's not about not having such emotions at all but *keeping them within limits where they don't harm us*.

Mental hygiene is essential! Introduce (and if you do, intensify) important psycho hygiene exercises – intensive movement, physical exercises, physical relaxation (autogenic training, etc.), yoga, meditation, mindfulness exercises, walks in nature, etc.

You can prepare crisis scenarios –  and then put them away. If you are overly worried about the possible practical consequences of the current situation for your concrete, everyday life (energy crisis, job loss, financial matters, etc.), do not avoid these considerations, but go through them thoroughly once and conclude. 

Specifically: calmly (alone or with another person who is a reasonable advisor) discuss these concerns and devote yourself primarily to planning activities and measures that (then, if they arise) you can take. Think through contingency plans ("what would I do if") and alternatives. 

Do it once, thoroughly, when you are in a stable mood. For example, write down all the points on paper. And then hide it somewhere and close everything, both realistically and symbolically. Don't come back to it. If needed, you have plans made.

Remember – feeling afraid, nervous, and upset is normal in times of uncertainty.

The way people react to the news can be influenced by how it's presented. While you want to stay informed from credible news sources, you might need to set limits on your daily media consumption.

Fears from the point of view of human biology

Fear actually has a central location in our brain. The area is called the amygdala, and it is located deep on the sides of our head in a place called the temporal lobe. It gets its name from being almond-shaped. The amygdala serves us well and helps us to avoid fearful and anxious situations in our past, so we don’t continue to make the same mistakes or subject ourselves to dangerous situations. It keeps us on alert when we must be careful.

Your amygdala fires the stress/anxiety/fear warnings based on how you see the world. It is complicated because our brain is complicated, but imagine your eyes see a threat, and messages go throughout your brain telling you to run, fight, flee, or whatever response you might take. 

Part of the message goes to your amygdala for many reasons, including the emotional component. The more your amygdala is stimulated, the more easily it can get triggered. When a pandemic has a child or adult in fear all day, the amygdala repeatedly uses minimal stimulus to fire. Everything becomes a threat – and fear and anxiety are everywhere.

First things first, do not let any kind of negativity and hopelessness stop you from taking the necessary actions to care for yourself. Mild anxiety can be beneficial to boosting efforts and achieving a favorable outcome. Excessive anxiety can make it difficult to reason and cause extreme stress. It is helpful to understand what kind of behavior and emotions are normal and which should raise a red flag. 

“Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows but only empties today of its strength.” —  Charles Spurgeon

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About: Markéta Halova. (Czech Republic) A crypto enthusiast, keen online marketer and passion for photography. I love interacting with the community of Entrepreneurs at Markethive. I believe in free speech, liberty, sovereignty for all. Find me at my Markethive Profile Page | My Twitter Account | and my LinkedIn Profile.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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How to Overcome Anxiety

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Facing our fear and anxiety.

Written by Gary Fleetwood on 02/04/2019

Series: Weekly Devotional

Tags: Anxiety, Fear

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

We are creatures of habit; and more often than not, it is difficult to get us to change our habits. We love our routine. We like schedules and disciplines and can find great spiritual value in them. In fact, for most people, it would be very difficult to survive without them.

The problem with our busy lives, however, is that it can also become a habit to worry and fret about things over which we have no control. Worry never solves problems, but only makes them worse and creates problems that God never intended for us to have.

So, how does someone actually overcome this anxiety?

Overcoming anxiety means allowing the Holy Spirit to overtake your life in a very practical way. That is easy to say, but not easy to do. Having the patience and the personal resolve to order our life this way is something that requires a kind of spiritual sensitivity to God, to His Word, and to His purposes that can become easily lost in the normal routine of our lives.

What is interesting is that Paul clearly provides a spiritual remedy for worry. He says it is to “let your requests be made known to God”, through “prayer and supplication”. The man or woman who has learned to pray, and not just during the difficult times, but as a lifestyle, will not be prone to being overly anxious. Why? Because they have a very high view of God and believe there is no problem that is too great for him to handle. That is why they pray to Him as a normal part of their life.

What happens when someone ignores God in prayer?

Not praying to God as a way of life is always an indication that the individual is not living by faith. The Christian life must be lived out by trusting God, by believing in God’s promises, and by demonstrating that trust by coming to Him in prayer. What happens to the person who experiences anxious moments but is not accustomed to seeking God in prayer is that they very quickly forget how great their God really is. It is very difficult to trust God in the very trying and anxious moments if the person has never learned to trust Him in the less stressful moments of their life. Faith in God is not something that a person can just have at will. It has to be learned by maintaining a very meaningful fellowship with God. To ignore Him when things are easy means that a person will not be trained to go to Him when things get hard. These difficult moments are unavoidable, so it is critical to learn how to walk with God before they become a reality.

What does Paul mean when he uses the word “thanksgiving”?

The greater the discipline of faithful prayer that is developed in the believer’s life, the greater their ability to respond to the problems that life brings with “thanksgiving”. Thanksgiving is simply giving thanks to the person who has given you something. For the person who has developed this discipline of prayer and making their requests known to God, they will actually give God thanks for their trials. 

Why? Because they know God’s character and they understand the greater purposes that He wants to achieve in their life through their trials. In fact, the mature believer will be grateful for their trials. They understand that God is overseeing their life and they do not question His wisdom as He works deeper spiritual qualities into their life. This is a great place to be spiritually, but it still requires a certain level of focus and willpower to choose a life of meaningful prayer. It is the cure for anxiety and fear and should be developed in every believer’s life.

Pray this week:

Father, would you please help me to see the importance of making it a way of life to constantly be coming to you in meaningful prayer? I need your help to be focused on what is spiritually important as You develop the character of Christ in my life.

How important is it to you to maintain a journal of prayers with your requests for God and then record how He answers those requests?

Alan Zibluk Markethive Founding Member

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God’s Solution to Fear and Anxiety

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How to face our fear and anxiety is clearly laid out in scripture.

Written by Gary Fleetwood on 16/10/2018

Series: Weekly Devotional

Tags: Anxiety, Fear, Worry

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

Everyone has fears, everyone becomes anxious, and everyone experiences very stressful moments in their life.  Just because someone is a Christian does not exempt them from the stressful events or from the effects that fear and anxiety can produce in their life.  For instance, medical science has been saying for a long time that stress, fear, and anxiety are very harmful to the body because they destroy a person’s immune system.  So, the more that someone worries about things that they often cannot change, the greater will be the negative effects on their life.  Stressful events are more than able to take a person’s focus off of God and to place it on their difficult circumstances.  So, what we want to do is to see what God’s Word says about how a believer can actually win their battle over fear and anxiety.

What does it really mean to be “anxious”?

The word “anxious”  means to become troubled, unsettled, and deeply concerned about something.  It means to constantly be worrying about something that most of the time that we cannot change.  It refers to the person who seems to worry about everything.  Something happens in their life and they begin to worry about it so much that it consumes their thought life.  They cannot rest for worrying about something.  It affects their sleep and their eating, and the fear of something negative that may happen begins to control their life.  

Several years ago my oldest son was working in a very dangerous part of the world. He had to travel every day on what was considered at that time as the most dangerous 10 miles of road in the world.  Obviously, it was something that made our family very anxious.  However, it was during that time that God began to teach me about Philippians 4:6-7 and it became one of my two life verses.  What I learned was how to handle that which made me anxious.  

So, what is God’s solution to fear and anxiety in our life?

God’s solution is simple.  It is to bring our concerns to Him in prayer and He will provide His peace in our life – which He did for me about my son’s daily safety.  These verses do not say that God will change our difficult and stressful circumstances, but rather that God will provide an inner and supernatural peace that will “guard” and protect our heart and mind so that our difficult circumstances will no longer consume our life.  Rather than always being anxious about my son’s safety, I simply began to pray each morning for God to protect him.  Rather than worrying about something that I could not change or control, I began committing my son into God’s care each day.  Once that happened, God’s supernatural peace began to deeply influence my heart and mind and helped me to rest in His control over all things.

What does it mean to “guard” our heart and mind?

The word “guard” means to keep someone safe with a military guard.  Everywhere that the President of the United States goes, he always has people guarding him.  That is the idea with the word “guard”.  It is knowing that God will always protect the believer’s heart and mind so that worrying and being afraid will not consume their life.  Some people seem to worry about everything in life.  Almost anything can make them anxious, and as soon as something goes wrong, they begin to worry.  What that anxiety does is to immediately take their heart and mind off of God.  In reality, God is always the believer’s solution to anxiety and fear.  Jesus provided a great encouragement in Matthew 6:25-26:

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 

So, what God does when the believer comes to Him in prayer is to “guard” their heart, protect their heart, and shield their heart from things that He knows can hurt them.  He is always wanting us to trust Him in every difficult circumstance of our life.

Can fear or anxiety be a good thing?

It is important to understand that some level of fear and anxiety often can be a good thing because it forces us to be more careful and to be much more cautious.  I love to work with wood and have been making things for over 40 years. Several years ago I was working next to a wood machine, my hand too close to it  and part of my thumb was cut off.  Today, I am so respectful of that saw that I will never make that same mistake again.  In fact, I have made a guard and I use it every time I have to use the wood machine. So, in my case, having a healthy fear is a very good thing.  It is the fear of what the saw can do to me that actually keeps me safe.  So, what we want to see in this series is how God actually uses the things that make us afraid as His supernatural tools to strengthen our life to trust Him in every circumstance of our life.  Coming to God in the midst of troubling and stressful situations is always God’s solution to fear and anxiety.

Pray this week:

Father, will you please help me to see how you are able to use the stressful moments of my life to draw me closer into your supernatural peace?
 

Are you willing to make a list of all of the different things that you are constantly worrying about and then commit them each day to your heavenly Father with a grateful heart as to what He is doing through those stressful moments to draw you closer to Him?

Alan Zibluk Markethive Founding Member