21 Day Conquer Anxiety Challenge

Three: Write down three things you are grateful for.  Remember, you never repeat them, but look deep into your blessings which will shift you away from your anxious thoughts.  Even in the small things you can be grateful.  Don’t under estimate the power of gratitude this week which can be found in the little things. Paul challenges us in Philippians 4:6 to be thankful as we make our request known to Him.

In many ways, as a society, we’ve lost touch with the true meaning of gratitude. And that’s understandable—gratitude requires reflection and stillness, two things that can be difficult in our busy, overstimulated everyday lives. As a result, we’re also missing out on the benefits of gratitude, which may be greater than many people realize.

Four: Choose one specific prayer need that you want to target for the day.  Take time through out your day to present it to your heavenly father. 

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us” (1 John 5:14).

The apostle John, one of the disciples who was closest to Jesus, shares this advice with the early church. It speaks of us having confidence when we pray that God hears us. It also brings in the principle of being close enough to God to know his will so we will be able to know when we ask for things whether they line up with God’s purposes for our lives and his kingdom.

Five: You will find a section called Tools.  Click the links and choose a tool to study (habit, step, or procedure) you desire which are most helpful.  Write it down in your journal labeled in the section called Tools.  The next two weeks I want you to research and find tools that can help you with depression and anxiety.

 (Resources for the 21 days) 

•  Pastor Tommy Lead Pastor @ Crossover address  Triggers of anxiety and depression 
•  Video resource Mental Health 101
• Mayo Clinic 11 tips to managing stress

Six: Find the section called Fruit of the Spirit.  Read the scriptures provided for a variety of fruits, (remember, only target one daily) to maximize the desired outcome.  

• (Galatians 5:22,23 NIV)  
• “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
• (Colossians 3:12-17 NIV)

  Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

  ¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Seven: Take inventory of how you are feeling in the morning or when you first get up.  Be honest with yourself and be aware of how you are feeling.  Our feelings can only emote from our thoughts.  In other words, the way you think will be a great predictor of how you feel.

Thoughts drive your emotions, ‘what you think you become’ – Guatama Buddha. When your thoughts appear to be the product of your overwhelming sadness and grief, know that it is your thoughts that are feeding the sadness rather than the other way around. Your thoughts generate a feeling which you then act upon.

Eight: Keep a score card of all the things you accomplished and not a to do list.  Studies have shown that your brain gets overwhelmed when it sees a list of 7 or 8 options; it wants to shut down.[1] For this reason, you need to work from different lists. A score card on the other hand allows you to celebrate what you accomplished as compared to what you didn’t complete.  Every time you accomplish a task or goal, score it.  It doesn’t mean you can’t write down urgent appointments,  just remember to use this part of section as a score card for what you accomplished to create that feel good moment.  You will be surprised how many things you can get done in a single day.

Nine: Record your weight.  I know what you’re thinking, “we are going a bit too far, but do you realize your diet plays major role on anxiety and depression. 

 What it boils down to is that what we eat matters for every aspect of our health, but especially our mental health. Several recent research analyses looking at multiple studies support that there is a link between what one eats and our risk of depression, specifically. One analysis concluded:

“A dietary pattern characterized by a high intake of fruit, vegetables, whole grain, fish, olive oil, low-fat dairy and antioxidants and low intakes of animal foods was apparently associated with a decreased risk of depression. A dietary pattern characterized by a high consumption of red and/or processed meat, refined grains, sweets, high-fat dairy products, butter, potatoes and high-fat gravy, and low intakes of fruits and vegetables is associated with an increased risk of depression.”

In the larger scale of things your diet is crucial, and when you monitor your weight you can take inventory of your progress.  It might be fearful to start but the progress and potential is worth it all.  Recall, we spoke about mindset.  Change the way you think towards what makes you feel good and you will crave to exercise, eat healthy and invest in your body.  

This is the guiding truth, if our bodies belong to God and is a gift from God, shouldn’t we take care of them?  Scripture expresses it this way, ““Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19,20)

Ten: Finally sum up your day by reflecting.  Write out a prayer using the scripture to thank God regarding what you learned and how HIs Word spoke to you.  Here is an example:  using (Philippians 4:6) I will use the traffic light again and start with red moving down to green.  

Dear Lord thank you for encouraging me not to be anxious for nothing.  You have provided the way of escape when I become anxious by challenging me to pray.  I am thankful as bring my request to you.  Lord, I will let go and let you be God in my life, and when I experience anxiety I will release it to you.  For only you can bring me true peace.