Anxiety, Exposure, and Jesus

Let’s just say it:
We are chronically overstimulated and deeply under-supported.
We’re told to hustle but also “be mindful,” to do more but also rest, to show up fully while staying perfectly composed.

We praise productivity but shame anxiety — like it's not baked into the system.
We throw around “mental health” like a buzzword, but when someone’s actually struggling, we whisper about it.
Or worse — pretend it’s not real.

So let me go first.

💭 My Relationship with Anxiety

I’ve dealt with anxiety for most of my life — though I didn’t always have the language for it.
Growing up, people talked about “being stressed” or maybe “going through something,” but anxiety? Therapy? OCD? Panic spirals?
That wasn’t really in the conversation — at least not where I was.

So I learned the way a lot of us do:
Through books, podcasts, journaling, late-night Google searches, and finally, God.

And the more I learned, the more I realized that anxiety isn’t just about overthinking — it’s about disconnection.
Disconnection from peace.
Disconnection from ourselves.
Disconnection from God.

🧠 The Science + The Spirit

Dr. Russell Kennedy says anxiety is really about separation — from love, from safety, from presence.

And honestly? That tracks.
Because when I feel the most anxious, it’s almost always when I’ve drifted spiritually.
Not in rebellion — just slowly, subtly, one distracted day at a time.

When I’m deep in Scripture, journaling, praying, present with God — I’m grounded.
But when I’ve been running on empty, living in my head, and ignoring the still, small voice that tells me to breathe — that’s when fear creeps in.

👀 Why We Don’t Talk About It (Even Though We All Feel It)

A lot of people still don’t like talking about anxiety.
It can feel dramatic. Or shameful. Or like a personal failure.

But here’s the thing: everyone experiences it on some level.
Some just call it different names.
Some of us cry in the car before or after a normal day at work.
Some of us cope with hyper-productivity.
Some of us freeze and go quiet.

We don’t need more hiding.
We need more honesty — with ourselves and with each other.

🎧 Mel Robbins, Exposure, and Doing It Anyway

I recently listened to a Mel Robbins podcast (she’s got great stuff — definitely recommend), and she talked about exposure therapy — how doing the thing that makes you uncomfortable is often the way through it.

And I believe that… to an extent.

I’ve been trying to practice it myself — leaning into the little things that scare me.
Not just big, emotional risks… but also things like touching the door handle in a public restroom when there are no paper towels and I have to just accept my fate like a mild germophobe.

But here’s the key:
I’m not doing it for the exposure.
I’m doing it because fear doesn’t get to boss me around anymore.
And because I’m not doing it alone — I’m doing it with God.

✨ What I’m Actually Learning

• Anxiety is real.

• Peace is possible.

• And no, you don’t have to be fearless to have faith.

Peace isn’t something we earn by getting our lives perfectly together.
Peace is a person — and His name is Jesus.

I still overthink.
I still spiral sometimes.
But I don’t live there anymore.
Now, I try to remember to bring it to God instead of letting it bury me.

🧰 The “Do It Scared” Toolkit

This kit is as much for me as it is for you (like all of these posts really). These are the real tools that have helped me — grounded in psychology, faith, and actual experience (not just Pinterest quotes):

🙏 Prayer

Lord,
You know the thoughts I don’t say out loud.
The fears I try to mask with busyness or silence.
Help me stop spiraling and start surrendering.
Show me where I’ve been disconnected — from peace, from truth, from You.
I don’t want to carry what You’ve already offered to hold.
Give me the courage to do it scared, but not alone.
In Jesus’ name, amen.

🪞Journal Prompt

Where have I been letting fear lead — and what’s one thing I could do today that would reconnect me with peace?

📖 Scripture

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You.”
— Isaiah 26:3 (NIV)

🧠 Real Tools That Actually Work

• Name the fear out loud.
  This isn’t just cute — it’s neuroscience. Naming what you feel activates the logical part of your brain and settles the emotional overwhelm. Try: “I’m anxious because I don’t want to be misunderstood.”

• Try 4-7-8 breathing.
  Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 7, exhale for 8. It calms your heart rate, engages your parasympathetic nervous system, and physically slows down your stress.

• Move your body.
  Stretch. Walk. Wiggle. Shake it out. Anxiety lives in your body — motion reminds it you’re safe.

• Kneel when you pray.
  There’s something humbling and powerful about bringing your whole body into surrender. It changes the moment.

• Take a tech break.
  Most spirals are fed by constant input. Step away from your screen — even just 10 minutes — and let your brain breathe.

🕊 Final Thoughts

You’re not weak. You’re not broken. You’re not behind.

You might just be disconnected — from peace, from God, from your own voice.

But the beautiful thing? He’s not far. He never has been.
And He doesn’t need you to be fearless — just willing.

So today, do the thing that makes you nervous.
Have the conversation. Say the prayer. Go for the walk.
Touch the public restroom door handle (optional, obviously).

Whatever it is — do it scared.
Just don’t do it without Him.