How to Exchange Your Anxious Heart for a Peaceful Heart

Podcast #415

Anxiety, or overwhelm, can make your spirit feel crushed, and your life feel stuck. I know, I’ve lived that life. In this podcast episode we are going to pull back the curtain on what living with anxiety looks like and talk about some effective ways to help alleviate and manage the anxiety on a daily basis that has worked for me and for my students. God invites us into a life of peace – and He can take our anxious heart and exchange it for one that is peace-filled. Let’s talk about how we can step into that together in this conversation. Get the full show notes at www.trishblackwell.com/415

In this episode of The Confidence Podcast, we’ll be talking about:

1. My anxiety story – something I’ve never really shared before
2. The differences between what anxiety says and what peace says
3. 5 effective daily habits that have helped my anxiety 

REVIEW OF THE WEEK:

StrengthSeeker, 5 stars

Trish – I truly feel that God led me to discover your podcast and your virtual friendship! In June I was struggling in a 25-year marriage to the father of our four kids. I couldn’t find the strength to make a change that could deeply impact our whole family. I also had a boss who had started marginalizing and demeaning me daily in my already stressful career. Between work and home life I felt like I was getting beaten down 24/7. It was exhausting and it was breaking me. Even thought I have strong spiritual life and great group of Christian friends I needed a cheerleader. I needed confidence. I “randomly” discovered your coaching and it was exactly what I needed. The first episode I listened to was “How to Have Difficult Conversations” and I was hooked. I was able to work with my husband to decide that divorce was the best thing for our whole family. We’re in the thick of the process now and your weekly pep talks are getting me through. I love the way you blend faith-based statements with real life relevance. I especially like the way you provide a number of tips or steps to accent your coaching message. For busy women like me I find myself replaying those tips constantly. When I wake up on Tuesdays I’m always more energized – it’s Trish Day! I listen to you on my commute into work and it sets the course for the rest of the week. Thank you for cheering me on! You are amazing.

 

BONUS PODCAST EPISODES – EXCLUSIVELY AVAILABLE FOR OUR PATRONS.

1. Accessing the Power of Confidence 
2. Straighten Your Crown, Child of GodHaving Confidence Talking to God and Reading His Word
3. Getting Rid of Grumbling
4. Trusting God to Provide
5. Finding Confidence in What God Says About You

Not a patron yet? You can support the show – and get 2 bonus monthly podcasts per month, for just $5. 

Get started at https://www.patreon.com/TheConfidencePodcast?fan_landing=true

 

Quotes on Anxiety:

I just give myself permission to suck…I find this hugely liberating.

-John Green

No need to hurry. No need to sparkle. No need to be anyone but oneself.

-Virginia Woolf

“Stress is an ignorant state. It believes that everything is an emergency. Nothing is that important.”

—Natalie Goldberg

“Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strength.”

—Charles Spurgeon

“Anxiety is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind. If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.”

—Arthur Somers Roche

“Just when the caterpillar thought the world was ending, he turned into a butterfly.”

—Anonymous proverb

“Do what you can, with what you’ve got, where you are.”

—Theodore Roosevelt

“Anxiety’s like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it doesn’t get you very far.”

—Jodi Picoult

“Life is ten percent what you experience and ninety percent how you respond to it.”

—Anonymous

“People become attached to their burdens sometimes more than the burdens are attached to them.”

—George Bernard Shaw

“You don’t have to control your thoughts; you just have to stop letting them control you.”

—Dan Millman

“Your calm mind is the ultimate weapon against your challenges.”

—Bryant McGill

“A positive attitude gives you power over your circumstances instead of your circumstances having power over you.”

—Joyce Meyer

“It’s not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it.”

—Hans Selye

 

MY ANXIETY STORY 

1. Athletic pressure – the anxiety to fix my family and to be special.
2. Performance pressure – body changes, life out of control, eating disorder
3. Achievement addiction – the need for more and more

I used to think that my anxiety controlled me. It shortened my athletic career. It kept me imprisoned in a cycle of binge eating and compulsive exercise. It made me driven in an effort to feel a sense of control. It kept my mind in overdrive – constantly thinking fearfully about the future. It made me think I was crazy.

I had social anxiety too – sure I’m extraverted, but I was homeschooled, excessively talented athletically, a Bible nerd as a kid and then the poor kid on a scholarship at one of the wealthiest boarding schools in the country for high school. I never fit anywhere.

Isaiah 54:13 

I will teach all your children and they will enjoy great peace.

Proverbs 18:14

The human spirit can endure a sick body, but who can bear a crushed spirit?

1 Peter 5:17

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 

 

ANXIETY SAYS / PEACE SAYS

Anxiety says – There is something wrong with me.

Peace says – God has a plan for me and I am loved. 

Anxiety says – I can barely keep my head above the water.

Peace says –  I am treading strong and will get renewed strength when I need it. 

Anxiety says – My life will always be out of control and overwhelming.

Peace says – This won’t last forever, and I can find pockets of peace right now.

Anxiety says – Everything is going wrong.

Peace says – There is always something good that can be found. 

 

5 EFFECTIVE DAILY HABITS THAT HAVE HELPED MY ANXIETY 

1. Start my day with intentional margin.
2. Journal first thing.
3. Music for mood enhancement.
4. Going in gratitude (a gratitude walk) 
5. Creative expression

 

Bonus Tip:

Calling a friend and encouraging someone else. 

BONUS: Anxiety Journaling Prompts

1. My anxiety says …. / But I know that peace says ….
2. Today I’m thankful for …
3. This is how I will “cast my cares on Him” today…
4. Lord, here is the burden I give you today…
5. The old me would be anxious, the new me knows …
6. My thoughts are saying to stress, but I choose to think these thoughts…
7. I am light and carefree, like this favorite childhood memory…
8. I walk in trust and with peace because I know that …. 
9. I do not need to worry about tomorrow and I will stay present today by rooting myself in this activity …
10. The thought I choose to cling to today is …
11. These are the people I will spread peace to today through my encouragement…

 

ANXIETY COACHING BEYOND THIS PODCAST:

We’re hosting a special bonus live coaching session within the College of Confidence and if this podcast episode has resonated with you, then we want you to join us. 

Friday, November 6th 5PM-6PM EST 

Eliminate Anxiety Now Coaching + Live Discussion

Get Back to Worry Free Living

We have an Anxiety Bundle releasing into the College of Confidence, join today. The bundle includes our best resources on anxiety, access to the live call (and the replay video of it to watch at your convenience), and of course, Anxiety Release Workbook. 

Enroll today and get immediate access at www.collegeofconfidence.com

 

LISTENER OF THE EPISODE:

Thank you for adding me to the group, I am so excited for the next steps in my confidence journey and so happy to be part of a group of go getters. I have been binge listening to the Confidence podcast for the last 5 weeks and listened to almost 200 already.It all started one day when I was thinking, “something is missing in my life” and then it came to my mind yes CONFIDENCE!! 

So I decided to check if there was a podcast on confidence, as I am a lover of podcasts. Podcasts are just great. 

Sure enough a few showed up on my screen, some had like rude titles, which I thought might do the trick quickly but I said to myself “stay true to who you are Alexina” and so I picked the podcast which clearly said Confidence on it, with a lovely pink theme and a beautiful woman on the front of it. 

When I started listening I was pleasantly surprised that Trish references God’s word, it just confirmed to me, that’s where God wanted me to be. 

Thank you, my confidence levels have increased like 5 times since starting to listen.

Thanks again

-Alexina