Anxiety Resources
Books:
Intensive Care:
Anxiety First Aid:
Grounding:
Grounding is a self-soothing technique that helps us control our anxiety by giving us something tangible to think about. By turning our attention away from our racing thoughts, grounding helps us focus on the present moment so that we can calm down.
We do this by taking a deep breath, looking around us, and identifying:
5 things you see
4 things you feel
3 things you hear
2 things you smell
1 thing you taste.
Hopefully, after slowing your breathing and paying attention to your surroundings, you’ll be able to help your brain recognize that there is no threat and give your body permission to calm down.
Breath Prayer:
There is a physiological reason that breathing slowly reduces anxiety. Breathing deeply engages the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the part of our nervous system that shuts down the fight or flight reflex. When we engage in slow, deep breathing, we tell our brains that we are no longer being threatened, and our bodies and minds start to slow. This is why breath prayer can be helpful anxiety first aid. When we breathe deeply, center ourselves, and repeat the same prayer over and over again, we’re inviting God into the process of calming our bodies.
INHALE: I can rise to meet this fear. EXHALE: My soul will remain steady.
INHALE: I can listen to my body. EXHALE: I will honor this breath.
INHALE: I am free to feel. EXHALE: I will stay whole.
INHALE: I will listen for my voice. EXHALE: In this silence, I am heard.
INHALE: Be still my soul. EXHALE: In the quiet, I’m renewed.
INHALE: God has not left me. EXHALE: I will rest in this silence.
INHALE: God, I am not okay. EXHALE: With You, that is okay.
INHALE: Even still. EXHALE: There is hope.
INHALE: I am known. EXHALE: I am held.
INHALE: I’m not waiting to be whole. EXHALE: There is love in this breath.
INHALE: Be still my soul. EXHALE: In the quiet, I’m renewed.
INHALE: I can honor every feeling. EXHALE: Joy can contain sorrow.
INHALE: God, my hope trembles, EXHALE: Steady me as I wait.
INHALE: In this quiet, EXHALE: I take refuge.
INHALE: In the stillness, I’m renewed. EXHALE: I can rest in sacred silence.
INHALE: The night is long, EXHALE: I will rest as I wait.
INHALE: God, I do not know the way. EXHALE: Go before me in the dark.
Mindfulness:
Mindfulness meditation is a mental training practice that teaches you to slow down racing thoughts, let go of negativity, and calm both your mind and body. It combines meditation with the practice of mindfulness, which can be defined as a mental state that involves being fully focused on "the now" so you can acknowledge and accept your thoughts, feelings, and sensations without judgment.
Practicing Mindfulness:
Choose to be present: Your mind will often wander. Practice returning to the present moment, over and over again
Observe: Notice internal & external experiences: thoughts, emotions, urges, and all 5 senses Notice, with curiosity, where your attention went when your mind wanders
Describe nonjudgmentally: Describe with your senses rather than judging as “good” or “bad” “This coffee is bad” vs. “This coffee is cold and bitter” Put words to your experiences “I just had the thought ‘I’m going to fail this test.’ I notice my heart beating a little faster. I’m feeling the urge to leave”
Participate: Participate by fully immersing yourself into the activities of the moment What are Some Tips to Practice Mindfulness?
Daily Practices:
Prayer of Serenity:
The Prayer of Serenity exists to refute the lie that we can somehow gain control over our lives. It acknowledges God’s sovereignty, accepts that there are things we can’t change, and asks God for wisdom and courage. In choosing to begin our day by praying this prayer, we can actively invite God to take charge and shed the lie that we can control everything that happens to us. This prayer brings freedom in a simple and powerful way.
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardship as a pathway to peace; taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it, trusting that you will make all things right if I surrender to your will; so that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with you in the next. Amen.
Welcoming Prayer:
Welcoming Prayer is a powerfully transformative, contemplative practice of becoming deeply present and attentive to ALL that comes to us in our lives, so that we may live in healing and freedom.
In welcoming prayer, we begin by making space for keen attention to what’s happening right now in our experience – both in our circumstances, and our mental, emotional, and physical responses to those circumstances.
Attunement Prayer:
Attunement prayer is a journaling process that helps us receive attunement from God by seeing ourselves from his perspective. When we engage in this type of prayer, we choose to pause, listen, and journal about a situation as if God was speaking to us in it.
As you journal, follow the prompts below. Write about how the Lord sees you in what you’re going through, and how he hears your thoughts and prayers. Continue through each of the steps, and read it to yourself out loud when you’re done.
Journal:
Step 1—I see you
Step 2—I hear you
Step 3—I can understand how big (hard) this is for you
Step 4—I am near you and glad to be with you and treat your weaknesses tenderly.
Step 5—I can do something about what you are going through.
Step 6—Read it out loud.
Examen:
The Daily Examen is a technique of prayerful reflection on the events of the day in order to detect God’s presence and discern his direction for us. The Examen is an ancient practice in the Church that can help us see God’s hand at work in our whole experience.
The method presented here is adapted from a technique described by Ignatius Loyola in his Spiritual Exercises. St. Ignatius thought that the Examen was a gift that came directly from God, and that God wanted it to be shared as widely as possible. One of the few rules of prayer that Ignatius made for the Jesuit order was the requirement that Jesuits practice the Examen twice daily—at noon and at the end of the day. It’s a habit that Jesuits, and many other Christians, practice to this day.
Praying Through Anxious Thoughts:
Centering Prayer:
Lament Prayer:
Similar to the Prayer of Serenity, Lament Prayer helps us embrace uncertainty. In particular, Lament Prayer helps us express our feelings as we face uncertainty.
Lay out your problem
Allow your emotions to flow.
Make your request.
Examine yourself.
Note God’s past work.
Trust in God’s faithfulness.
- Anxiety Transformed: Prayer that Brings Enduring Change—Nader Sahyouni
- The Anxiety Field Guide--Jason Cusick
- Prayer in the Night--Tish Harrison Warren
Intensive Care:
- Immanuel Prayer
- Talk to your staff if you don’t know where to start.
- Seek Professional Help
Anxiety First Aid:
Grounding:
Grounding is a self-soothing technique that helps us control our anxiety by giving us something tangible to think about. By turning our attention away from our racing thoughts, grounding helps us focus on the present moment so that we can calm down.
We do this by taking a deep breath, looking around us, and identifying:
5 things you see
4 things you feel
3 things you hear
2 things you smell
1 thing you taste.
Hopefully, after slowing your breathing and paying attention to your surroundings, you’ll be able to help your brain recognize that there is no threat and give your body permission to calm down.
Breath Prayer:
There is a physiological reason that breathing slowly reduces anxiety. Breathing deeply engages the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the part of our nervous system that shuts down the fight or flight reflex. When we engage in slow, deep breathing, we tell our brains that we are no longer being threatened, and our bodies and minds start to slow. This is why breath prayer can be helpful anxiety first aid. When we breathe deeply, center ourselves, and repeat the same prayer over and over again, we’re inviting God into the process of calming our bodies.
INHALE: I can rise to meet this fear. EXHALE: My soul will remain steady.
INHALE: I can listen to my body. EXHALE: I will honor this breath.
INHALE: I am free to feel. EXHALE: I will stay whole.
INHALE: I will listen for my voice. EXHALE: In this silence, I am heard.
INHALE: Be still my soul. EXHALE: In the quiet, I’m renewed.
INHALE: God has not left me. EXHALE: I will rest in this silence.
INHALE: God, I am not okay. EXHALE: With You, that is okay.
INHALE: Even still. EXHALE: There is hope.
INHALE: I am known. EXHALE: I am held.
INHALE: I’m not waiting to be whole. EXHALE: There is love in this breath.
INHALE: Be still my soul. EXHALE: In the quiet, I’m renewed.
INHALE: I can honor every feeling. EXHALE: Joy can contain sorrow.
INHALE: God, my hope trembles, EXHALE: Steady me as I wait.
INHALE: In this quiet, EXHALE: I take refuge.
INHALE: In the stillness, I’m renewed. EXHALE: I can rest in sacred silence.
INHALE: The night is long, EXHALE: I will rest as I wait.
INHALE: God, I do not know the way. EXHALE: Go before me in the dark.
Mindfulness:
Mindfulness meditation is a mental training practice that teaches you to slow down racing thoughts, let go of negativity, and calm both your mind and body. It combines meditation with the practice of mindfulness, which can be defined as a mental state that involves being fully focused on "the now" so you can acknowledge and accept your thoughts, feelings, and sensations without judgment.
Practicing Mindfulness:
Choose to be present: Your mind will often wander. Practice returning to the present moment, over and over again
Observe: Notice internal & external experiences: thoughts, emotions, urges, and all 5 senses Notice, with curiosity, where your attention went when your mind wanders
Describe nonjudgmentally: Describe with your senses rather than judging as “good” or “bad” “This coffee is bad” vs. “This coffee is cold and bitter” Put words to your experiences “I just had the thought ‘I’m going to fail this test.’ I notice my heart beating a little faster. I’m feeling the urge to leave”
Participate: Participate by fully immersing yourself into the activities of the moment What are Some Tips to Practice Mindfulness?
Daily Practices:
Prayer of Serenity:
The Prayer of Serenity exists to refute the lie that we can somehow gain control over our lives. It acknowledges God’s sovereignty, accepts that there are things we can’t change, and asks God for wisdom and courage. In choosing to begin our day by praying this prayer, we can actively invite God to take charge and shed the lie that we can control everything that happens to us. This prayer brings freedom in a simple and powerful way.
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardship as a pathway to peace; taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it, trusting that you will make all things right if I surrender to your will; so that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with you in the next. Amen.
Welcoming Prayer:
Welcoming Prayer is a powerfully transformative, contemplative practice of becoming deeply present and attentive to ALL that comes to us in our lives, so that we may live in healing and freedom.
In welcoming prayer, we begin by making space for keen attention to what’s happening right now in our experience – both in our circumstances, and our mental, emotional, and physical responses to those circumstances.
- Jesus, I let go of my need to be safe and secure. Welcome.
- Jesus, I let go of my need to be accepted and approved of. Welcome.
- Jesus, I let go of my need to control this person or event. Welcome.
- Jesus, I let go of my need to change reality and receive it as is. Welcome.
Attunement Prayer:
Attunement prayer is a journaling process that helps us receive attunement from God by seeing ourselves from his perspective. When we engage in this type of prayer, we choose to pause, listen, and journal about a situation as if God was speaking to us in it.
As you journal, follow the prompts below. Write about how the Lord sees you in what you’re going through, and how he hears your thoughts and prayers. Continue through each of the steps, and read it to yourself out loud when you’re done.
Journal:
Step 1—I see you
Step 2—I hear you
Step 3—I can understand how big (hard) this is for you
Step 4—I am near you and glad to be with you and treat your weaknesses tenderly.
Step 5—I can do something about what you are going through.
Step 6—Read it out loud.
Examen:
The Daily Examen is a technique of prayerful reflection on the events of the day in order to detect God’s presence and discern his direction for us. The Examen is an ancient practice in the Church that can help us see God’s hand at work in our whole experience.
The method presented here is adapted from a technique described by Ignatius Loyola in his Spiritual Exercises. St. Ignatius thought that the Examen was a gift that came directly from God, and that God wanted it to be shared as widely as possible. One of the few rules of prayer that Ignatius made for the Jesuit order was the requirement that Jesuits practice the Examen twice daily—at noon and at the end of the day. It’s a habit that Jesuits, and many other Christians, practice to this day.
- Become aware of God’s presence
- Invite the Holy Spirit to help you as you prepare to walk through your day, to shed light on your reflection.
- Begin to sort out the events of your day (or last 24 hours, depending on timing of your examen) in the company of the Holy Spirit. At first it may seem confusing to you—a blur, a jumble. Ask God to bring clarity and understanding, and to reveal himself in various places in your day.
- Celebrating God’s good gifts
- Gratitude is the foundation of our relationship with God. Note and name some of the joys and delights of your day. In the work you did, the study you engaged in, the people you interacted with, what gifts did God give you? What gifts did you give them?
- Pay attention even to small things—the food you ate, the sights you saw. God can be found in the details as much as the big things.
- Reviewing the day’s emotions
- One way we detect the presence of the Spirit in our lives is in the movements of our emotions. Reflect on the ebb and flow of the feelings you experienced during the day. Was there sadness? Elation? Resentment? Compassion? Did you feel anger? Joy? Disappointment? Peace? See the “emotion wheel” on the other side of this sheet for more options.
- What might God want to reveal to you through these feelings?
- As you look at the events of the day and your emotions, pay attention to two types of experiences:
- Consolations: When, and in what ways, did you cooperate with God’s grace and purposes during the day? What things that you did, or experienced, drew you closer to him?
- Desolations: When, and in what ways, did you draw further away from God? What things that you did, or that you experienced, led you to withdraw from his presence, to feel more distant from him?
- Offer yourself – your consolations and desolations – to God. Don’t attempt to fix or explain or solve. Just give the good and the hard things of your day over to Jesus in peace.
- Choose and pray one thing
- Ask the Holy Spirit to direct you to something from the day that is particularly important. It may involve a feeling—positive or negative. It may be a significant encounter with another person or a vivid moment of pleasure or peace or fear. Or it may be something that seems rather insignificant. Whatever it is, look at it. Pray about it. Allow prayer to arise spontaneously from your heart – whether intercession, praise, repentance, gratitude or something else.
- Look toward tomorrow
- Ask God to give you light for tomorrow’s (or the rest of the day’s) challenges. Pay attention to the feelings that surface as you survey what’s coming up. Are you doubtful? Cheerful? Apprehensive? Full of anticipation? Allow these feelings to turn into prayer for the next day. Seek God’s guidance, ask him for help and understanding, pray for hope.
Praying Through Anxious Thoughts:
- Pray for God to fix the problem
- If it seems he is not fixing it, express gratitude for how he is redeeming it.
- God is sovereign, and in charge, and is trustworthy.
- Remember the positive things with gratitude. “this is especially needed since the natural tendency for many of us in that moment is to feel negative relational connection toward God. This application of gratitude to calm anxiety is also seen in Philippians 4:6-7.” (45)
- Pray for how he is redeeming it.
- Accept the situation. If that is still difficult, pray for strength and courage to endure and to accept it.
- Lord, I’m very afraid that _________. I pray that as much anxiety (or cause of anxiety) as can be taken from me within your will, you would take it from me.
- Lord, I acknowledge that you are at work to redeem this somehow. Even though I don’t know how, I have faith that you are redeeming it, and I thank you.
- Lord, it is hard to know how you are redeeming this or using it for good for me and for others. But I know that you are doing that, so I pray for whatever it is that you are doing, that you would bring about the fullness of your will in and through this situation.
- Lord, I accept the suffering you have not taken away, and I accept the suffering of not knowing at this point what you will or will not take away or how you are using it all for good. I pray that you will help me to be calm in the midst of this storm, and that you give me the strength to endure.
Centering Prayer:
Lament Prayer:
Similar to the Prayer of Serenity, Lament Prayer helps us embrace uncertainty. In particular, Lament Prayer helps us express our feelings as we face uncertainty.
Lay out your problem
Allow your emotions to flow.
Make your request.
Examine yourself.
Note God’s past work.
Trust in God’s faithfulness.