1. Trust trustworthy people.

One thing that was surprisingly helpful for me was to have people in my life who I knew I could trust. These were people who I could open up to and talk to about different struggles I was going through. I could unburden myself and feel that release. I could also hear a gentle voice telling me that my worst fears wouldn't come true and that everything would be all right in the end. Hearing that made me feel more confident and secure. I could feel my anxiety lessen. If a finite human could love me and comfort me and take care of me, then why couldn't an infinite God? Having those healthy, trustworthy human relationships made me feel more comfortable with God. I felt like I understood Him better.

I get it—it's hard to find people who you trust when you have anxiety. There are people out there, though. There are trustworthy people in this world. You may have to look for them, but don't give up. You will find one.

2. Take baby steps of faith.

I'm not going to be one of those people who tells you to just "get over it." There are times when you can't. There are times when it's too overwhelming to trust. Sometimes, that's okay. Take baby steps. Trust God for one little thing at a time. As you branch out and as He proves Himself, you'll begin to trust Him with more and more. It's like with people. When you see that people are trustworthy with little things, it's easier to start trusting them with more important things.

It's okay if it takes time. It's okay if you don't feel better right away. Even a little faith can move mountains, so don't feel like a failure if you don't wake up tomorrow feeling like you can take on the world without a sweat.

3. Shift focus.

When you have anxiety, the anxiety is all you see. I can't tell you how many times I've gotten upset about something that wasn't even true or real because my anxiety kept telling me that it was. It can be really hard to get out of that mindset, so find a way to take preventative measures so that you don't get too far into that space.

Find some things that help you calm down and get you out of your head. Maybe taking a minute to step outside and get a breath of fresh air will help clear your head a bit. Maybe keeping some quotes or verses or prayers on a Post-it note on your desk for you to refer to when you're feeling overwhelmed will help. Everyone has something. Personally, I really like keeping a journal. I feel so much better when I dump all my thoughts onto a page. It helps me really look over the thoughts I've been thinking and see that they're warped and manipulative.

Once you manage to slow down and stop the progression, get your focus on God. If you don't replace a bad habit with a good one, you'll just go right back to the bad. For example, if you're anxious about a particular situation coming up, you might notice that your mind is focusing on the worst possible outcomes. Take those thoughts and put them on a piece of paper. Look them over and think about whether they're realistic or likely to happen. Immediately, read a verse or two and say a prayer. Maybe after the situation happens, go back and write down the actual outcome and compare it with what you thought would happen. Seeing how God brought you through a situation versus what you thought would happen can be really encouraging. It's what I like about journals—you can go back and see how far God has brought you. Seeing this can make you feel a lot better and more willing to trust God in the future. Again, you don't have to journal. You can do whatever (healthy) activity helps.