Morning everyone!
Welcome to another edition of the Doctor’s Note, where we talk about what’s on our minds when it comes to your health.
This week we wanted to talk about fear and anxiety.
We’ve been getting a ton of questions in the office, as well as online through our social media channels, about anxiety and what to do about it.
As a Family Practitioner, it’s something that I see everyday.
So this week on the podcast we brought on my pastor and friend, Derek Harden of Christ Fellowship Church, to give us some wisdom and insight into how to deal with fear and anxiety.
Derek is actually an engineer turned minister. He played football at The Ohio State University, and overall is just a really cool guy.
As you know, I’m a huge believer in finding root causes. And in this conversation we talked a lot about some root causes of fear and anxiety, which I hope brings value to a lot of you.
I encourage all of you to check it out, and maybe even listen to it with a friend or loved one.
Here are some of my key takeaways from the conversion with Derek. Things that I took note of after sitting down and listening to our conversation.
Division happens when we allow fear to have a stronghold.
Think of “fight or flight” as our response to fear. When we fight, we are separating. And when we run away, we are separating.
Recognize the power of fear.
Both politics and religion have largely been driven by fear. One of the first steps towards not living in fear is recognizing the power of it.
Fear paralyzes us.
It keeps us from moving forward. And when we slip into fear, we resort to the lowest level of thinking possible. It keeps us from progressing.
Fear is misdirected faith.
Fear is not a liar. It’s real. You feel it. It’s not that it’s not true. It’s actually just giving us insight into what we’re actually believing.
Fear, Shame, and Guilt
These are three negative emotions that are given to us for a reason. They serve as “check engine lights” as Derek puts it. When we have fear, something is going on. There’s something I’m believing and leaning into that’s not right. Seek truth.
Be in community.
Find someone you can connect with. Eat right. These times we’re in right now is going to lead to breakthroughs for so many people. It’s going to lead to innovation and different ways of thinking.
That’s it for this week! My notes don’t do our conversation justice, so I hope you’ll check it out.
Don’t fear Covid-19. Fearing it can cause your immune system to go down, and your immune system is what you have to fight this virus.
The people who are having the most problems with Covid are those who have not been taking care of their own health. I think many are realizing just how important health is.
Right now, start focusing on the things that are within your control. Things like eating better and getting a good night’s sleep. Moving and exercise and taking good supplements, etc.
Improving in those areas and focusing on the things within your control can help with anxiety. And when you start to feel fear taking over, ask yourself: Where is this coming from? What am I believing?
Reminder: Keep yourself healthy, so you can fight off any virus.