26 Mar From Overwhelmed to Overcoming: Dealing with Anxiety in Everyday Life

I have a confession to make: I never used to think of myself as an anxious person. Maybe because of my upbringing, where the unspoken rule was to “grin and bear it.” Anxiety always seemed like something other people struggled with, a sign of weakness or a lack of faith. Admitting to feelings of unease, let alone full-blown anxiety, was simply not an option.

But life has a way of reshaping our perspectives, doesn’t it? The past couple of years have brought challenges I never anticipated, and for the first time, I found myself battling something I couldn’t just push through with sheer determination. It wasn’t just the occasional moment of worry – it was the kind of anxiety that grips you in the middle of the night, tightening in your chest, stealing your breath, and whispering worst-case scenarios into your mind. It was gut-wrenching, peace-stealing, joy-draining fear.

Suddenly, my old way of coping – just “being brave” – felt woefully inadequate. I realised how ill-equipped I was to handle the weight of stress and uncertainty that had settled over me. And as much as I wanted to deny it, I had to admit the truth: I was struggling with anxiety.

You are Not Alone

Maybe you can relate. Maybe you, too, have felt like anxiety has slowly taken up more space in your life, making it harder to breathe, harder to think clearly, harder to feel joy. If so, I want you to know this: you are not alone. Anxiety is something many of us face, often in silence, believing we have to handle it all on our own. But the truth is, we don’t. Anxiety is real, but so is hope. There is help and healing available – we just have to be willing to reach for it.

I would like to share some of what I’ve learned about facing anxiety, finding peace, and learning to let go of the things that feel too heavy to carry alone.

Understanding Anxiety

Anxiety is an emotion; therefore, it is not a sin. But like any other emotion, it can lead us to sin in how we choose to cope with it – lashing out at those around us, seeking comfort in unhealthy habits, or neglecting our responsibilities. The question is, where do we go with our anxiety? Jesus warns us about letting the “cares of this life” weigh us down (Luke 21:34). The cares of life are inevitable but being trapped by anxiety doesn’t have to be.

Biblical Encouragement: Be Anxious for Nothing

For the last couple of years, I’ve intentionally focused on what the Lord has to say about anxiety, worry, and fear. Scripture has a lot to say about it! Take Luke 12: 22, 25-26 ESV:

And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life… And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?

Or Matthew 6:34 ESV:
Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Or 1 Peter 5:7 ESV:
Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

But perhaps the most impactful passage for me has been Philippians 4:4-8 ESV, where Paul outlines how to find peace through prayer and thanksgiving. This passage inspired an acronym I’ve found helpful: C.A.L.M. – Celebrate, Ask, Leave, Meditate (adapted from Max Lucado’s God Will Help You). This framework offers a practical way to shift from anxiety to peace.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 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.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

There are four admonitions in these verses that lead to a delightful promise, “the peace of God which surpasses all understanding”.

C.A.L.M.: A Framework for Facing Anxiety

1. Celebrate

“Rejoice in the Lord”, which is to celebrate who He is and what He has done in our lives. We do not ignore our current struggles, but we simply remind ourselves of the Lord’s past blessings to us, bringing them to remembrance. James 1:17 highlights that all good things originate with God, urging us to see and appreciate His role in our blessings. Psalm 78:4 ESV declares:

We will not hide them from their children,
but tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might,
and the wonders that he has done.

Celebrate His goodness and faithfulness for these traits remain unchanging no matter what we are going through. Gratitude shifts our focus from fear to trust. Keeping a gratitude journal can help us see His blessings more clearly.

2. Ask

Ask God for His help: “let your requests be made known to God” because He is near to the broken-hearted (Psalm 34:18). Verse five of Philippians 4 emphasizes God’s close presence and willingness to be near to those who seek Him. Psalm 145:18-19 ESV affirms,

The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
he also hears their cry and saves them.

The Lord’s prayer teaches us to ask our Father in heaven for our daily bread (Matthew 6:11) for He already knows what we need (Matthew 6:8). Asking for His help reminds us that we don’t have to carry our burdens alone.

3. Leave

Leave your concerns with God. Be honest with God about your anxieties – do not belittle them, no matter how trivial they may seem. The Psalms encourage us to be completely open with the Lord about our feelings. Psalm 13 ESV is one of my favourites, where David cries out:

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I take counsel in my soul
and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.

4. Meditate

What we dwell on shapes our perspective. Meditate on good things: “think about these things” (verse 8). We can choose to fixate on fear or on what is true, honourable, and praiseworthy. I have a propensity for seeing problems in every promise, dismissing the positive, downplaying good news. It masquerades as “pragmatism” in my life but, if I am honest, most of the time, it isn’t truth that I fixate on. Yet Paul admonishes us to meditate on truth. And what is truer than the Word of God? Memorizing Scriptures about fear and anxiety – like Isaiah 41:10, Psalm 23:4, and Psalm 118:3 – can help us anchor our thoughts in God’s truth.

Final Thoughts

We would hope that, as Christians, we wouldn’t have to worry, that our lives would be free from anxiety. But they are not. In fact, for some of us, we have needed to also seek healing through therapy and medication, and there is no shame in that. However, with God’s ever-present help in His Word (Psalm 46:1), we can overcome the grip of anxiety. For we know for sure that God’s plan for our lives is not for us to lead a life of unending anxiety (2 Timothy 1:7) because He loves us.

Whether you’re struggling with occasional worry or deep, persistent anxiety, my hope is that you’ll find something here that reminds you: you are not alone, and you are stronger than you think because God is by your side, every step of the way.

If this post resonated with you, take a moment to reflect on how you’ve been handling anxiety. What truths from Scripture encourage you the most? I’d love to hear your thoughts—feel free to share in the comments or pass this along to someone who might need it today.