As someone who has personally gone through what seemed like the worst levels of anxiety, I know first hand how debilitating it can be. I also know what is possible when someone gets really serious about getting free. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise: freedom from anxiety is possible. We just need to cultivate some keys mindsets in order to have the maximum breakthrough possible.
As I have walked my personal journey of freedom and worked to help many walk into freedom themselves, I have taken note of some key mindsets if we want to gain greater victory over anxiety. These are critical factors we need to carry to get started:
1. Recognize that healing and freedom involves a process.
The very nature of anxiety is that it will drive us to get free from the torment right away. We feel hurried to feel better three weeks ago. This actually works against our healing, because we get more anxious that we are not free yet from being anxious! You want to learn to develop greater patience with yourself.
It takes time to get free and allow your body to come into a place where it is used to living without chronic anxiety pulsating through your system. All long lasting victory comes through a process.
2. Develop a willingness to do whatever it takes.
One thing that no one can give to you is the “want to.” People can give you encouragement, advice and teaching, but no one can stir up passion and desire for you. Only you can make a heart connected decision to get free.
Many people want to be free, but they don’t want to do whatever it takes. Any transformation involves hard work and most people want to avoid any personal labor on their part. We want the easy way out, which often leads us stuck. Being willing to do whatever it takes can often cause our healing to accelerate because there are less arguments we have with the process.
3. Cultivate a humble and teachable heart.
Humility is the key here. Many people battle anxiety but are too proud to get help or they fight the help that is offered to them. Others remain in stubbornness and not willing to learn what they need to learn to overcome.
You can’t seek for help and be defensive at the same time.
You also cannot get adequate help while acting like you know it all at the same time.
When I was desperate to get healed, I often approached those who helped me as “I know nothing. Teach me.” This put me in a position to learn the maximum amount that would impact my life immediately and effectively.
4. Be aware of thought patterns and beliefs that need to shift.
It is very important to understand that many of our thought patterns and belief systems can get in the way of our healing. Specific thought trails can easily invoke anxiety and cause us to lose our footing for peace.
When I began to walk free of anxiety, I had some “stinking thinking” that I needed to change. I carried perceptions of God, myself and life that were just not healthy, yet it took some time to address them and rewire my mind. If you give yourself time and are willing to be teachable, you will find yourself taking one step each day towards healing.
My healing process sped up the moment I prayed this prayer: “God, I am willing to do whatever it takes. If there are things I need to learn that I don’t know. Teach me. Use people in my life. Use any means necessary to help me develop a mindset for freedom.” In doing this, I opened my heart to allow God to do a renovation in me. Sometimes we just want God to change one area, when in reality, we need to get ready for a majestic overhaul.
5. Position your heart to receive what love can do.
1 John 4:18 tells us that perfect love will cast our fear.
This means that love has a power to displace the anxiety that works in our life.
Whatever makes you anxious is an area where Father God’s love needs to be experienced. When I recognized my need for love to heal my heart, it opened me up to receive from healthy people in my life. I allowed God to use my relationships as a place where I let love flow and set me free from anxiousness.
6. Recognize you are more brave than you think you are.
Most people with anxiety become so aware of their struggle, they lose sight of how brave they really are.
Just because you walk into a situation while shaking in your boots, does not make you any weaker than someone else. In fact, some of the bravest people I know faced their fears while anxious the whole time.
The fact that you are searching for help shows your level of bravery already!
7. Structure your day for greater peace.
When I was neck deep in anxiety, I thought that once I felt better, I would take better care of myself, my time and my environment.
But it’s important to structure your day and life for peace and clarity.
Sometimes it starts off with something as simple as keeping your house clean or making sure to have breaks in the day for quiet and prayer.
I highly recommend that your daily structure have habits, routines and rituals that promote your healing from anxiety. In the course of walking out my journey, I developed daily pits stops of exercise, healthy eating and meditation to set my day up for victory. I learned to develop daily declarations that encouraged my freedom.
I also made sure to make room in my week for rest, prayer, reading, stillness and relationship connection. Overcoming anxiety involves cultivating an environment and lifestyle that promotes stillness and peace.
8. Be patient with yourself.
One of the greatest ways we can love ourselves is to be patient with ourselves. 1 Corinthians 13 says that love is patient and one of the best ways to be patient is to give yourself time to walk this freedom out. In order to maximize our transformation, we need to love the learning and lean into the journey we are on.
It never helps to beat yourself up over where you are or where you are not. This is a self-defeating pattern many, including myself, have fallen into.
The day I said, “God, however long it takes for me to be free, I am fine with it” was the day that a new level of peace entered my life. In fact, being ok with the process actually accelerated my growth and overcoming!
If I can break free, I know anyone can be free. I just know that it takes a process and we have to give ourselves permission to walk that process. God gives us that grace. Why not receive it and give it to ourselves!
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