Beyond the Spiral: Why You Shouldn’t Believe Everything Anxiety Tells Youनमुना

Anxiety’s Lie: Just Ignore It.

Maybe you think that if you ignore your anxiety, it’ll just go away. This is not the solution. It might (kind of) work for a short time. But when we ignore our emotions, they’re still there—just stuffed deep down inside somewhere. They don’t go away. They just show up later—bigger—and with serious health consequences. Internalizing your emotions in this way can eventually lead you to either emotionally implode (like a sinkhole) or explode (like a volcano) because emotions come out eventually.

Emotional implosions might be panic attacks, depression, obsessive behaviors, or despair. If you find yourself imploding in any of these ways, please don’t make a permanent decision because of a temporary problem or feeling. You won’t always feel the way you feel. There is always hope.

Emotional explosions take the shape of anger, bitterness, and rage. These emotions swirling around in your mind can cause more harm than you’d think.

The truth is your emotions are real, and they matter (even if you’ve been told to just get over them). Every emotion is valid, but just because it’s valid doesn’t mean your belief that caused the emotion is true. And it doesn’t mean you should always act on how you feel.

A good way to process emotions is to:

(1) identify the emotion,
(2) allow yourself to feel the emotion, and
(3) exhale the emotion: move it to the logical side of your brain by communicating about it in some way.

God created your emotions. He understands how you’re feeling, and you can invite Him in by talking to Him—anywhere, anytime. Prayer is the brain-boosting tool God gives you to emotionally exhale. Be honest and open with Him, the way His people throughout scripture were. He’s not waiting to judge you. He’ll listen and respond with love and guidance.

Perhaps you’re trying to be strong, not to burden others. Don’t deceive yourself into thinking if you ignore your anxiety, it will just go away. Your emotions will come out eventually—as an implosion or explosion. You can only deal with your emotions when you acknowledge them for what they are. Don’t be afraid to feel your feelings and allow yourself to emotionally exhale. That’s one of the most essential steps in breaking the spiral of anxiety. Invite God into the process by talking to Him. Let God know your true feelings. You can be sure that He already understands.