Mental Vitamins: Stop Worrying and Start Living

What's The Worry?

An average person's anxiety is focused on :

40% -- things that will never happen
30% -- things about the past that can't be changed
12% -- things about criticism by others, mostly untrue
10% -- about health, which gets worse with stress
8% -- about real problems that will be faced

So, 92% of our worries are nothing to worry about.

I used to let worry and anxiety consume me. I can still let my thoughts get away from me at times...I am human afterall. But when the reality of worry is broken down like this - it really helps me to get a hold of my fears and anxiousness. Truth is, worry accomplishes nothing. In fact, it does more harm than good. When we are anxious our focus is on the worry and not how to overcome whatever it is we are facing. And stress from our constant fear and anxiousness weakens us more because it is damaging to our health and well-being. 

My family often jokes about how my Mom's side of the family has the "worry wort gene" and often frets over nothing so I'm all too familiar with being worry stricken. It's apparently in my genes! ;) But I have learned from my own personal experiences that giving our worries over to God and trusting He will help us through any and all situations that will come up in our life is the best way to handle our anxiousness. Now, I don't mean give up and not try to actively fix our problems or expect God to do all the work - I mean acknowledge our struggles and surrender our weaknesses to Him so that WITH Him we can overcome.

 Here are a few verses to comfort and encourage during those stressful times we all face.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. -Philippians 4:6

Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  -Matthew 11:28

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? -Matthew 6:25-27

An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up. -Proverbs 12:25

I hope this found you encouraged and gave you strength to face the weeks ahead.