When Anxiety Creeps In - Grit & Grace

I hesitate to even use the word sometimes. Anxiety. I don’t ever want to seem flippant or cavalier about it. I also never want to come across as some sort of expert. My relationship with anxiety has looked differently over the years. And just to be clear, I’ve never been officially diagnosed with any type of anxiety disorder by a medical professional. I just know what I’ve read and researched. The shadows of overwhelm have a well-worn path in my heart, mind, and soul. I know enough to know what it feels like when anxiety creeps in.

I haven’t wanted to write anything specifically about it because honestly, I just didn’t want to add to all the noise that’s already out there on the interwebs. Every article we read, broadcast we watch, or conversation we overhear seems to be buzzing about the same thing. Overwhelming much?

There’s so. much. noise out there right now. So many people with so many things they want to say. I get that. I don’t know if I have any special insight when it comes to all this COVID19 business. There are a lot of unknowns when it comes to this thing. Lots of unknowns tend to invite those anxious thoughts to take root in my heart, soul, and mind. I don’t even know if I have any special insight on what to do when anxiety creeps in. Honestly, I’m still processing all of it.

I find that because there’s so much new information available each day from so many different sources coming at me from so many different directions, as soon as I’ve pieced some of it together, it all starts to unravel and make absolutely no sense again. Especially when I start picking up pieces that don’t belong in the puzzle box to begin with. It’s like you’ve got that 1000 piece puzzle, and a group of people you don’t even know just dump a bunch of other pieces that don’t even belong to the puzzle you were originally putting together.

I’ve got to keep that box cover front and center. That’s the image I’m trying to put together; the goal I’ve got to fight to keep in my sights.

With all the noise out there, I’ve really appreciated those that are choosing to use their voices for good. Folks that are using the gifts they’ve been given to encourage and uplift. Helps me keep all those puzzle pieces in the right box, if you know what I mean. Here are a few of those links from the past few weeks that have helped:

• If you’re anything like me, then you’ve been feeling all. the. feelings. In a recent post, Holley Gerth reminds us that emotions are okay. Being overwhelmed by our emotions isn’t good or bad. It just is. We don’t need to feel like a failure because we have emotions. “Emotions aren’t the enemy; they’re temporary messengers telling us about what we’re experiencing.” You can read the rest of her post here – Whatever You’re Feeling Today is Okay.

• Did you know that the word “quarantine” comes from the Italian word “quaranta” which means “forty”? At the time of this writing, I am just a few days shy of forty days with the new normal of social distancing and the COVID19 quarantine. If your new normal has left you in a bit of a fog and needing fresh hope, The Hope of Quarantine will help clear the haze by reminding us to fix the gaze of our hearts on God and his Word.

• An increase in video calls and meetings are part of our new normal. If looking your best on WhatsApp or Zoom calls is causing its fair share of anxiety to creep in for you, this quick video shares some pretty helpful tips.

• If you haven’t seen Some Good News, then stop what you’re doing right now, and subscribe to the You Tube channel here. Actor and filmmaker John Krasinski highlights stories from around the world on this web series news show dedicated entirely to good news. You can also follow them on Instagram and Twitter.
• Finally, I’d love to include some recent posts published on Miami Moms Blog and Hatch Creatives on meal planning and time management. I’ve found that both of these areas have added some serious stress and anxiety to my life over the years. I hope these articles are a help and encouragement to you.

If you’ve ever struggled with anxious thoughts, I’m here to tell you that you’re not alone. I’m in it with you. I know what it feels like when anxiety creeps in.

Even in the shadows when anxiety creeps in, beauty can still shine through.

Becky is a Miami native, and has lived here all of her life. Married to her husband for over 20 years, they lead a very active lifestyle along with their three teenagers and Riley, their rescue dog. Becky loves to teach, and has had the awesome privilege of home educating her children for over twelve years. When not teaching academics, Becky loves to equip, encourage, and empower women through the teaching of her group fitness classes. Becky and her husband lead various ministries, and their family loves to serve the community through the countless opportunities provided over the past twenty years+ in their local church. She enjoys filling her "free" time with reading, writing, watching movies, and just spending time with the family. Becky has a passion for living her life with grit and grace, and encouraging others to do the same.