Anxiety, worry, fright, fear....all cousins of each other in the world of emotions.  They wear out our emotional energy and rob us of the energy we would put into joy or smiles!  Anxiety is good in that is helps us recognize scary situations but what about those places that are not scary and yet we are feeling so anxious?

If we can then take a DEEP BREATH and THINK about what our brain says is scary, we may be able to figure out if it really is that nerve-wrecking. Sometimes our brains play tricks on us, based on the past, by telling us that something is scary, when it really is not. For example, before I learned how to ride a bike I thought it would be really scary to go fast down a hill on two skinny wheels. Then I learned how to ride a bike and found out that going downhill on my bike was really fun. But my brain was still trying to tell me it is scary! I have to tell my brain to relax and laugh -this is good fun and I am not in danger - I have the skills and experience to manage my ride so that I am safe.

Anxiety is also often God's way of inviting us to talk to him - to pray. He promises that if/when we talk with him about our worries and cares, no matter how silly or scary, he will replace that fear with calm and peace. It's a great trade-off and only takes a few minutes of being honest about those fears to get some relief.

So, when you are tired of that exhausting anxiety, take a Big STEP away from it by taking a:

And then enjoy a FUN-filled day!