How I Overcame Overwhelming Anxiety By Avoiding The News

For the better part of 2018, I was anxious about everything.

I was scared about stepping out of the house and being hit by a car.

I was scared about what might happen to my siblings when they went out.

Even when I had to shower, I feared I might slip and hit my head.

One time, I had a painful lump in my throat, and I thought it was cancer.

It got so bad that I avoided going altogether; I always made sure I double-checked everything.

It was crippling.

Fear is of the devil, and it is the quickest way he can access your life. He feeds the paranoia till you believe it, and your belief eventually comes to pass.

As someone thinks within himself, so he is — Proverbs 23 vs 7

As Job said, “What I always feared has happened to me. What I dreaded has come true.” (Job 3:25; NLT)

When I ponder what Job said, I am confident there was a constant fear of losing all he ever had, and he eventually did.

Fear is like the crack in the wall that lets the serpent through. When you fear, you doubt the power of God to save, and it is with only faith God can reveal His might in our lives.

A fearful person is not in the will of God.

I prayed and spoke the Word of God about protection over my life and family. But I was still crippled. It was not working; my words were not aligning with my faith.

A few days later, I was reading the latest happenings on the news, and I had an epiphany. I realized then that the news caused all my paranoia, fear, and panic.

God had answered my prayer.

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. — Proverbs 4:23

By reading about all the happenings in the world, I was planting seeds of fear and nurturing it, affecting my outlook on life and living in constant fear and anxiety.

As soon as I realized it, I made a vow I would protect what I fed my mind with, what will be will be whether or not I knew about it.

Sometimes, family members send me WhatsApp messages about the most horrific things happenings.

If they are authentic, I do not read them. I am protecting my mental health, and that is all that matters.

2020 has been a very year most people will never forget.

Social media is brimming with news of COVID, racism, and rape. When I stumble on all these, I am overwhelmed, and most times, all I can do is pray or search for something funny to watch. Protecting your mental health is as important as watching what you eat. In your right mind, you will not drink something harmful to your health. Why should you feed your thoughts with negativity?

It is not enough to avoid toxic relationships. You should also sieve the content you feed your mind with.

To live a fulfilling life on earth, you must know what goes into you.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.- Philippians 4:8.

Thank you for sharing your time with me.