Tacoma Christian Counseling Logo

  • ServicesRead about the expertise available
    • Individual ServicesAddress your personal concerns confidentially
      • ADHD
      • Aging and Geriatric Issues
      • Anger Management
      • Anxiety
      • Autism Spectrum Disorder
      • Bipolar Disorder
      • Chemical Dependency
      • Counseling for Children
      • Counseling for Teens
      • Codependency
      • Depression
      • Eating Disorders
      • EMDR
      • Grief and Loss Counseling
      • Individual Counseling
      • Infidelity and Affairs
      • Lifespan Integration Therapy
      • Men’s Issues
      • OCD
      • Pornography Addiction
      • Personal Development
      • Psychological Testing
      • Relationship Issues
      • Sexual Abuse
      • Sexual Addiction
      • Spiritual Development
      • Trauma
      • Weight Loss
      • Women’s Issues
    • Christian Couples CounselingWork through challenges together
      • Couples Counseling
      • Premarital Counseling
      • Marriage Counseling
    • Family CounselingEstablish the peaceful home you desire
      • Couples Counseling
      • Counseling for Teens
      • Counseling for Children
      • Family Counseling
    • Group CounselingBenefit from the support of others
      • Men’s Sexual Addiction Recovery
        Group
      • All Counseling Groups
    • Online Counseling
    • Anxiety
    • Depression
    • Sexual Addiction
    • Marriage Counseling
  • LocationsWe have offices at various locations
    • Bellevue Office FrontBellevue
    • Bothell Office Front EntranceBothell
    • Edmonds Christian CounselingEdmonds
    • Everett Office Front EntranceEverett
    • Federal Way 2Federal Way
    • HansvilleHansville
    •  1Kent
    • Kirkland Christian CounselingKirkland
    • Lacey 2Lacey
    • Mill Creek Office Waiting RoomMill Creek
    •  1Monroe
    • Oak Harbor OutsideOak Harbor
    • Poulsbo
    • Puyallup Christian CounselingPuyallup
    • Redmond OfficeRedmond
    • Seattle Downtown Christian CounselingSeattle Downtown
    • Seattle Greenlake 1Seattle Greenlake
    • Silverdale Office FrontSilverdale
    • Tacoma Office FrontTacoma
    •  1Vancouver
    •  1Online Counseling
  • CounselorsFind out more about our counselors
  • CareersJoin our team of Christian Counselors
  • (253) 777-1997Please give us a call, we are here to help
header-image

The Challenges of Anxiety

Tacoma Christian Counseling
https://tacomachristiancounseling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/SHIRLL-20150519-DSC01825.jpg 2048 1536
https://tacomachristiancounseling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Mount-Rainier.jpg
https://tacomachristiancounseling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Tacoma-Christian-Counseling-Logo-Fill-Stacked.jpg
621 Pacific Ave, Suite 302
TACOMA, WA 98402
United States
621 Pacific Ave, Suite 302
TACOMA, WA 98402
United States
Tacoma Christian Counseling
Jul
2014
14

The Challenges of Anxiety

Tacoma Christian Counselor

Anxiety
SHIRLL-20150519-DSC01825In today’s society, we have all become accustomed to the notion that anxiety is a bad or negative thing to be avoided or repressed as much as possible. Yet our bodies seem to betray our wills whenever we feel stressed or anxious and it can feel as if we are having a heart attack instead of a panic attack. Our hearts and minds becoming cluttered and start racing. Breathing becomes hard, everything seems to have to us on edge, and all we want to do is make it stop. Sadly, an approach to stress that seeks to avoid it causes us to worry even more about our lack of control. We even repress these feelings, which makes our anxiety worse. We begin to worry about worrying!

In truth, most people know very little about the various ways in which their anxiety is triggered, and do not understand why they have the feelings, thoughts, and actions they do when they get anxious. This is often something that my clients see as a problem, but they need not be concerned for they are not alone. Some research indicates that about 40 million people over the age of 18 experience anxiety, which is about 18% of the population.

Confronting Your Anxiety

It is time to confront what it is that makes our heads spin and our hearts beat out of our chests. Over the next few articles, I want to help you to begin to understand, evaluate, and accept the various aspects of anxiety. We will focus on how you can practically begin to regain “control” of your body, unpack the thoughts that lead to your physical responses, and confront those habits that reinforce your anxiety.

The Physical Sensations of Anxiety

Typically, the most noticeable feature of anxiety is that it is accompanied by physical sensations, such as rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, etc. These physical responses come out of seemingly nowhere and scare most people, causing them to believe that something is wrong with them. This is not accidental as these reactions are simply a part of the body’s way of naturally protecting us. We developed these reactions as a type of early danger response system to the many external stresses and complications we faced in nature when we needed to be able to quickly assess the situation and act.

Like us if you are enjoying this content.

Fortunately, we have evolved and no longer live in the nomadic world with dangers on all fronts that made this response system a constant necessity. Most people with symptoms of anxiety will hear physicians or counselors explain that the body is trying to “fight or flee or freeze.” The body continues to respond to just about anything, even though there does not appear to be a real threat. Unfortunately, this response system has yet to evolve to our modern type of lifestyle, and this leaves many anxiety sufferers in the dark and confused as to why they are experiencing these sensations when there is no apparent external threat.

Remember that Your Feelings are Just Feelings

The most important thing to remember about these feelings is that they are just that: feelings. Begin to consider that the feelings you experience can be non-harmful and natural. You experience these same feelings whenever you get excited, angry, or even when you exercise. In most cases, the feelings subside in a few minutes as they are designed to be temporary in order to prepare your body to respond to some outside element. The difficulty that most people have with anxiety is that they focus on the feelings. This causes the body to extend the duration of these feelings, and this in turn causes more anxiety.

Deep Breathing to Counter Anxiety

While we cannot completely eliminate these reactions, we can actively reduce the effects of these symptoms. There are a variety of techniques that can help you to refocus your mind on something else and allow the feelings to subside. One of the most effective treatments that I recommend to my clients is deep breathing. It is a well-established fact that deep breathing helps to calm and relax the body. Since most of the sensations you experience with anxiety are reflexes, breathing is one thing you can actively control and override. Here are some tips for successful deep breathing:

  1. 1. Close your eyes, take moment, and mentally accept that the feelings are natural.
  2. 2. Visualize yourself filling up a balloon in your stomach and slowly inhale for five seconds.
  3. 3. Hold the breath for two seconds and exhale slowly for five seconds.
  4. 4. Repeat this process 10 times.

I typically recommend that people practice this exercise outside of an anxiety episode in order to get the hang of the timing and experience how effective it is at calming the body.

Christian Counseling Can Help You Face Anxiety

When dealing with anxiety, having a helping hand can make all the difference. A Christian counselor can enable you to communicate your real concerns about your anxiety and can help you to learn to regain control.

 

The photo is courtesy of the author, Shirley Lytle.

DISCLAIMER: THIS ARTICLE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE

The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this article are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please contact one of our counselors for further information.

  • Share on Facebook
  • Tweet it
  • ↑ Back to top

Other articles that might interest you...

The Challenges of Anxiety and Relationships 1
Tacoma Christian Counseling

The Challenges of Anxiety and ...

For most people, addressing anxiety feels overwhelming. Since anxiety has a physical and mental toll, it often feels like a...

continue reading »
Anxiety: Our Best Friend or Worst Enemy 1
Tacoma Christian Counseling

Anxiety: Our Best Friend or Worst Enemy

How do we deal with feelings of anxiety? In Philippians 4:6 we are told: “Do not be anxious about anything.”...

continue reading »
8 Things You Can Do to Tame the Anxiety Dragon 1
Tacoma Christian Counseling

8 Things You Can Do to Tame the Anxiety ...

The Bible instructs us “to be anxious for nothing,” but that is easier said than done. In our high-tech, high-speed...

continue reading »

Related Services

  • Anxiety
Tacoma Christian Counseling Logo
Tacoma Christian Counseling
Professional help with faith-based values
We are an association of professional, independently licensed Christian counselors experienced in helping people of all ages find healing for a wide variety of issues.
© 2025 Tacoma Christian Counseling. All rights reserved.
621 Pacific Ave,, Tacoma, WA 98402. Tel (253) 777-1997.
Facebook Twitter Online Counseling About Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use Feel free to contact us!
We are open for business. In person and online counseling are available now.