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

Anxiety’s Lie: I Am Not Safe.

The foundational lie anxiety tells you is that you’re not safe. A lack of safety triggers your fight, flight, or freeze response, causing your anxiety to spiral. Sometimes, you may be in real danger and feeling unsafe is appropriate—for instance, if you’ve been in a car crash or have been caught in a hurricane. But you sure don’t want to get stuck in your fear, sucked down into the anxiety spiral.

It's not only massive life storms that jeopardize our feelings of safety. It’s small things, too—like starting a new job or moving. Anxiety is like a leaky faucet. Constant dripping over time creates a lot of water. Similarly, when we experience repeated stress, cortisol (the body’s stress hormone) can keep dripping until we begin to believe we’ll always feel this way.

Once you’re out of a scary situation, you should feel safe again. But anxiety takes the past and projects it into the future.

Christians can sometimes give unhelpful advice about anxiety, like, ‘if you’d just trust God more, you wouldn’t be anxious.’ Easier said than done. Those well-meaning phrases often throw us back into despair. They’re not helpful when we’re trapped in the anxiety spiral. That’s why practical techniques like breathing deep are a great place to start.

God created our bodies and minds to work together, so it’s no wonder that deliberately getting essential oxygen can calm our stress. Deep breathing while resting in God’s presence can help you renew your strength and remind you of the truth: I won’t always feel this way. I’ll be okay.

The psalmist boldly declares—and you can too—

“[God] lifted me out of the pit of despair . . . He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along” (Psalm 40:2).

So, breathe . . . and remember that no matter what happens, God is always with you. (Joshua 1:9, Hebrew 13:5)

God tells us at least 145 times in His Word, Do not be afraid. He knew we’d struggle with fear. God isn’t saying we shouldn’t ever be afraid. What God is saying is, ‘you’re never alone.’ Jesus left heaven to experience human life—human emotions and needs and even death—and He’ll walk with you every step, guiding you and helping you conquer your anxious thoughts (Isaiah 41:10). So, take a deep breath. Invite God into your story and your struggles. He’s always been with you and always will be. You are safe.