I can’t quite pinpoint why but, I can feel my anxiety creeping back up more than usual lately. The restless nights sleep, the hormonal acne on my face, the bloating and stomach issues, the racing mind and heart…all the symptoms that consume my mind and body when my anxiety feels under control.

While I can’t pinpoint why my mind is racing and why anxieties fill my mind, I do know that there are things I can add to my day that bring me peace and comfort in seasons that feel a little out of my control. Today, I wanted to share with you a handful of things that I add to my day to bring peace and calm to the days that feel a little hectic and overwhelming to me.

1. Play Worship Music // Literally from the time I open my eyes to the time I lay down for bed at night, I will have worship music playing in the background. Usually I just put on the Elevation Worship station and let it be the back drop of everything - from work to cooking and straightening up, hearing worship music reminds me of God’s goodness throughout the day and it helps bring peace to my aching heart every single time.

2. Take things off my to do list // When I am feeling overwhelmed, the easiest way to make it worse it to feel like I have 1000 things on my plate and that I am not making headway. When anxiety fills my day, I reduce my load and do only the things that I have to so that I can accomplish them and feel peace at the end of the day that my daily list is done. But, that only happens by reducing my load and a mindset shift that I am human and can only do so much.

3. Diffuse oils and meditate or pray // I will diffuse calming oils (like Valor or Peace and Calming) to help get the benefits of essentials oils while I go about my day. And, if I am having a particularly difficult moment, I will add oils to my wrist or my hands and inhale while I meditate and pray for God to help me through whatever it is stealing my peace.

4. Go for a walk // Whether it is for 10 minutes, 30 minutes or whatever you can squeeze in go for a walk and move your body to clear your mind. For me, when my thoughts are holding me captive and I can’t find peace, getting away from whatever it is in front of me and moving my body for even a few minutes helps to clear my anxious thoughts and give me a boost of energy to work through the stressors that are stealing my peace.

5. Journal Your Thoughts // I am a big believer in journaling and and writing things down. I think that the process helps us to get things out of our minds where they are living in isolation into the world where we can see and attack them. Journaling everything that comes to mind, in no fancy formal way will help clear the blocks and get out of your head whatever is holding you back.

I pray that in the moments and days or seasons that are filled with anxiety that you can find the rhythms that bring peace to your days. It won’t be easy, I know that but, it will be worth having tools in your back pocket that help you to process, move through and come out on the other side healthier and happier.