What Anxiety Feels Like and How God Meets You There
You’re managing all the things, but peace always seems out of reach. You plan the day, write the list, check the boxes… and still feel behind. You lie in bed at night, exhausted but restless. Your thoughts race through every "what if," every unfinished task, every fear you've been trying to push down. And underneath it all is the aching question: "Why can't I just be okay?" Friend, if that sounds familiar, you're not alone. Anxiety doesn't always look like panic attacks or spiraling thoughts.
Sometimes it looks like perfectionism. Over-functioning. Numbing out on your phone. Saying "I'm fine" when you're anything but.
So, what’s actually going on in your brain? Anxiety is your body's alarm system-a fight-or-flight response designed to protect you from danger. But in chronic anxiety, that alarm gets stuck in the "on" position. Your brain starts scanning for threats even when there's nothing truly dangerous around you.
That's when thoughts get distorted. You might start believing:
- "I can't mess up or everything will fall apart."
- "I have to hold it all together."
- "Something bad is going to happen."
These are called cognitive distortions-thinking errors that fuel anxiety and steal your peace. And they're incredibly common, especially for high-achieving women and moms. But here's what I want you to know:
Just because your brain is loud doesn't mean God is silent.
You may feel like you're drowning in the noise-but even there, God is with you. Scripture doesn't shy away from anxiety. David wrote, "When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy" (Psalm 94:19). God doesn't ask you to "get it together" before coming to Him. He meets you right in the pit-with compassion, truth, and peace. I believe God extends His hand in the very moment you feel you can't climb out-and gently shows you a new way forward. As a Christian therapist, I often tell my clients: healing isn't about silencing every anxious thought. It's about learning to name what's true, challenging what's distorted, and leaning into the One who holds what you can't control.
3 Things to Remember When Anxiety Takes Over
1. Your thoughts are not always telling you the truth. Just because it feels urgent doesn't mean it is. CBT teaches us how to spot distorted thinking and reframe it in light of truth.
2. You don't have to fix this alone. Anxiety thrives in isolation. But healing happens in connection-with God and with people who get it.
3. You are already enough. Not because of how much you do, but because of who you are: a child of God, fully known and deeply loved.
