Time to retrain your brain?

June 21, 2024

I made a discovery this week – I don’t have to live in fear. I can choose, each day, to live in the fear anxiety causes or just live my life. I won’t succeed every day. In fact, at first, more days than not the anxiety will be in control too much. It is the way that I’ve trained myself to be for much of my life and the way that anxiety works. But, if I continue to be involved with life, despite the pain, it will eventually turn around. We can retrain our minds, although it does take some time. If we persevere, the growth and strength we attain will make all our pain and difficulty worth the struggle.

Don’t misunderstand, I’m not saying everyone suffering from anxiety is responsible for their situation. Many things affect our mental health; abuse, neglect, grieving and imbalances in our bodies to name a few. But sometimes, as in my case, although there are physical imbalances to correct, I am what some would call a pessimist. I seem to focus more easily on the negatives than the positives (many people do), and that is where I can choose differently. Will it make an immediate difference? No but we must start somewhere and be consistent, daily focusing on positivity and joy.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23:6

My husband is an optimist and doesn’t understand my worrisome way of living. Sometimes I don’t either. I have so much in my life to be joyful for. I just seem to get stuck in worry and fear sometimes and the older I get, the harder it seems to walk through it. Positive affirmation statements are a good way to start your day and to repeat throughout the day as negative thoughts try to take over.  An affirmation is a positive statement that something is already happening such as ‘I am breaking through old patterns and moving forward with my life.’

Do not worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks. And God’s peace, which is so great we cannot understand it, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4: 6-7

Surrounding yourself with positive quotes also helps. Write them on sticky notes and put them up near your bed, on the bathroom mirror, on your computer, maybe near the kitchen sink, in the car, wherever you spend your time. I often write Bible verses on my sticky notes but write whatever speaks to you. And make sure to read them often. I forget to do that part. Whatever you decide to do, repeat positive statements either out loud or to yourself consistently throughout the day. It’s the repetition that will create those new healthy pathways in your brain.

I’m not saying that I do all these things daily, but I do some of them every day, and I know that the more I do them, the better my thought patterns will be, and eventually, the better I will feel. It still takes far too long when you’re caught in anxiety but there is always hope. Don’t ever forget that.

The Lord your God is with you; the mighty one will save you. He will rejoice over you. You will rest in His love; He will sing and be joyful about you. Zephaniah 3:17