Managing Anxiety

Have you been dealing with increased stress and anxiety? You're not alone: polling by the American Psychiatric Association revealed that 62% of Americans felt an increase in anxiety from 2020 to 2021. And it's not just adults - the publication JAMA Pediatrics reports that anxiety in children doubled in the same time frame. Christians are not immune to life and it's challenges, and anxiety is no exception. While there is no easy answer or solution, there are tools we can have in our toolkits to help manage stress and anxiety. Here are a few:

- Alone time with God

- Reading God's word

- Hanging out with believers (go to church)

- Get outside, enjoy nature

- Exercise

- Limit screen time

- Take a break from the news

Remember, the goal here is not to eliminate all stress, but to keep stress at a manageable level. If you find you are overwhelmed by anxiety despite your best efforts, seek the aid of a doctor or counselor. With God's help, this too we will overcome.

"These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full" (John 15:11).

- Bro. David Copeland