How to Beat Anxiety & Live Confidently Through Crisis

When I think back to February of this year, it almost feels like a distant memory of a different life we used to live. Remember the good ol’ days when we would just wake up, come to work, see all our fellow co-workers, go to an actual restaurant for lunch, meet up with friends after work, spend our weekends doing what we wanted without restrictions, we could hug people, shake hands with strangers, and not have worry about a toilet paper shortage at our local grocery store? (I’m still trying to wrap my head around the toilet paper thing, haha!)

I still remember the day in late March when my boss, Coach Gary, came into my office and said that our local government was planning on enforcing a shelter-in-place order within the next few days. An unsettling feeling of fear began to permeate the room. He didn’t know what to expect, I didn’t know what to expect, in fact, I don’t think anyone in the world knew exactly what the next few months of 2020 would hold. We had no idea how this shutdown would affect our businesses, our jobs, our communities, our income, our families, or our personal well-being.

I’m writing this to you, because--for the first time in history, as far as I know--the entire world is going through the same thing together. I’m sure we’ve all experienced the waves of uncertainty, of facing the unknown, of fear, and of loss in some way this year.

So how do we navigate this? Rather than allowing the chaos of the world and external circumstances to rule our lives, how do we harness our individual power to still move forward and lead our lives with confidence, and, dare I say, even joy?

If you find yourself worried and unsure of what to even do right now, here are 3 practical mindset shifts you can make to get you from anxious to CONFIDENT TODAY:

1. Anchor Yourself in Unchanging Truth

I don’t know what your beliefs are, but as a company and team, we could not have gotten through any of this without our personal beliefs in God. When everything feels chaotic, we have a Bible full of promises that tell us that God has authority over it all, so we can trust that there will be a good ending.

Jesus said, “I have told you this so that through me you may have peace. In the world you’ll have trouble, but be courageous--I’ve overcome the world!” John 16:33.

If we don’t have a stable, unchanging foundation to base our lives on, our lives will always be ruled by circumstances and our own emotions. So if you want your life to be full of peace and confidence to move forward, you must be rooted in an unshakeable foundation.

For more encouraging truths, here are 100 Bible verses about God being in control.

2. Become Innovatively Adaptable

Maybe your business is facing restrictions that are making it almost impossible to keep your doors open. Maybe your income took a huge hit. Maybe what you’ve been doing for years doesn’t work in this new reality. Take some of Coach Gary’s favorite advice: KEEP GOING, KEEP GOING, KEEP GOING! If it looks like doors are closing in your face, look around until you find an open one. Get creative in the way you do business. One of my favorite local coffee shops, Old Soul, got innovative and temporarily turned into a commissary, selling their on-hand ingredients as groceries to the community. Don’t be so attached to the way you’ve always done things, that you miss new and better opportunities waiting to be tapped into. There are ALWAYS new possibilities.

3. Gratitude Changes Everything

One of my favorite quotes is, “Gratitude turns what you have into enough.” There will always be circumstances around us that we can’t control. Even in times when it feels like we’re losing certain things, let it magnify what you do have. Daily, get in the habit of verbalizing what you’re thankful for. No matter how bleak things might seem, there is ALWAYS something to be thankful for. Watch gratitude transform you from a place of worry and “lack” to realizing that, at the core, you really do have everything you need.

Lift your head back up. We can’t control everything, but we can control our attitude and our choices. I hope that even while the world is spinning in chaos and uncertainty, you can rise to see above it all. Move forward in peace and confidence; it’s all going to be okay!

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