Be anxious for nothing

The old year has ended and it can be a time of very mixed feelings. We think about what we have achieved and in many cases there are a few key things that we did not achieve and it’s easy to focus on the stuff that we did not do or did not happen which we would have loved to have ticked off our list. The tendency is to focus on the stuff which are still on our list. As we focus on these, we start to worry about these things. As worry gets hold of us it leads to anxiety, our mind is bombarded with thoughts that if we did not achieve these things in the last twelve months what are the chances that we will tick these off our list in the coming year. If we continue with these train of thoughts, we can easily spiral into negativity, feelings of despondence and anxiety. If this is you, STOP!!

I would like you to think about the fact that you are alive. Yes, you being alive is a big achievement because there are many who did not make it to the new year. They did not get another chance to tick off the stuff on their list but you have another chance to do so. All the things that you had wanted to do or achieve they are just things. Your life is more important and if you are a believer I say to you that the God who saw you through 2025 without all the things that you wanted to achieve will also see you through 2026 so be anxious for nothing as the bible verse says in Philippians 4:6. We forget about the good things that we achieved just being alive to see the end of the current year and the start of the new year is a big achievement.

Here are three tips I use to help me when my thoughts start to spiral into worry and anxiety.

Firstly, recognise when you are starting to dwell too much on things that you cannot control. An example of this is if you are job hunting and you start thinking about going through another year of unemployment. Getting an employer to employ you is not in your control, what is in your control is searching for vacancies and applying for it. This is something that you can do and the more willing you are to invest time in this and leave the rest to God the better you will feel. The more you think about not getting a job the more you move away from the things you can control in this situation.

Secondly, As you recognise you are dwelling too much on things you cannot control, take a conscious step to stop by breathing in and out, or just looking out of the window or closing my eyes it helps me to stop those negative train of thoughts and I start to focus on the things I can do which are within my control and leave the things I cannot control to God. The more you focus on the things that you can do the better you start to feel within yourself. This has definitely worked for me and I hope it works for you too.

Lastly I think of, at least one thing which I achieved or did last year which I am really happy about. You would be amazed how many things that were not on your list that you achieved. It does not have to be last year, it could even be last week or the day before. Something that made me smile or made me happy and I focus on that. The more I do that the more I shake off the worry and the anxiety.

Remember not to be too hard on yourself. Take one day at a time. Try to live in the moment. I am sure these are all words that you have heard before but you may have dismissed it. Believe me, it is true it actually works. As human beings we are our worst critic be gentle with yourself.

I would love to hear from you if you are trying these tips and they are helping you.