Overcoming Anxiety: Finding Peace in a Hectic World

Summary

Summary of "Overcoming Anxiety: Finding Peace in a Hectic World" – Focus on the Family with Jim Daly

Podcast Information:

• Title: Focus on the Family with Jim Daly
• Host/Author: Focus on the Family
• Episode: Overcoming Anxiety: Finding Peace in a Hectic World
• Release Date: April 2, 2025

In the episode titled "Overcoming Anxiety: Finding Peace in a Hectic World," hosts Jim Daly and John Fuller engage with renowned mental health expert Dr. Gregory Jantz to explore the pervasive issue of anxiety in today's society. The discussion delves into the causes, manifestations, and practical strategies for managing anxiety, all through the lens of Christian faith and holistic well-being.

Introduction: The Prevalence of Anxiety

The episode opens with Greg Jantz sharing his personal experiences with anxiety, emphasizing how common and varied anxiety symptoms can be.

Greg Jantz: "I get anxious when I'm going into a situation that I feel like I am not prepared for. What really stresses me out are awkward silences, especially when you're dealing with your boss or something like that." ([00:04])

Jim Daly adds his perspective, highlighting how feelings of being unprepared and fears of others' perceptions contribute to anxiety.

Jim Daly: "I get really anxious when things feel out of control or I feel like people are perceiving me wrong." ([00:24])

John Fuller sets the stage for the episode by acknowledging the widespread nature of anxiety and promising insights and strategies for overcoming it.

John Fuller: "On today's FOCUS on the FAMILY with Jim Daly, we're gonna help you confront your anxiety and get moving in a positive direction to find hope and healing." ([00:31])

Understanding Anxiety vs. Depression

Dr. Jantz differentiates between anxiety and depression, providing clear definitions to help listeners identify and understand their experiences.

Greg Jantz: "Worry is a mental process... but anxiety takes on a life of its own. Anxiety has a physical side to it. You feel it in your gut usually." ([03:41])

He explains that while worry involves ongoing thoughts, anxiety encompasses both mental and physical symptoms, such as headaches, sleep disturbances, and panic attacks.

Personal Stories: Navigating Anxiety Through Crisis

Greg shares a deeply personal story about his wife's cancer diagnosis, illustrating how significant life events can trigger severe anxiety.

Greg Jantz: "If you've been given a medical diagnosis that can create some anxiety. You have a loved one, in my case, Lafon, a cancer diagnosis." ([05:35])

Jim Daly empathetically acknowledges the profound impact of such experiences, likening them to a "shockwave to the norm."

Jim Daly: "It's like a shockwave to the norm." ([05:32])

Lafon Jantz joins the conversation, reinforcing the family's collective journey through anxiety and the importance of mutual support.

Root Causes of Anxiety

The discussion delves into various root causes of anxiety, emphasizing that it often stems from unresolved trauma and lifestyle factors.

Greg Jantz: "Early childhood trauma... betrayal... lack of stable relationships." ([15:50])

Greg highlights how childhood experiences, such as frequent relocations and unstable friendships, can leave lasting imprints that contribute to adult anxiety.

Greg Jantz: "Maybe they feel like they never had a friend or relationships never lasted." ([16:55])

Cultural Factors Driving Anxiety

Jim and Greg explore how modern societal dynamics, especially post-pandemic uncertainties, exacerbate anxiety levels.

Greg Jantz: "We live in a culture of great fear. Every day we wake up and there's something else to be afraid of." ([02:34])

The unpredictability of societal changes and the constant influx of information contribute to heightened anxiety, making it a leading mental health concern.

Practical Steps to Overcome Anxiety

Greg outlines actionable steps listeners can take to manage and overcome anxiety, integrating both practical and spiritual approaches.

1. Identifying Triggers

Greg recommends writing down the primary sources of anxiety on a three by five card to gain clarity and focus.

Greg Jantz: "Write down what are all the issues that's creating anxiety for me." ([22:55])

2. Self-Assessment

Recognizing patterns such as disruptive sleep, headaches, difficulty concentrating, and social isolation helps in understanding the severity and scope of anxiety.

Greg Jantz: "Headaches, they have a hard time focusing... you can't concentrate." ([13:10])

3. Seeking Support

Jim emphasizes the importance of reaching out for professional help, highlighting Focus on the Family’s counseling services.

Jim Daly: "We have free counseling that you can take advantage of." ([24:12])

4. Lifestyle Adjustments

Modifying lifestyle habits, such as reducing caffeine and sugar intake, can alleviate physical symptoms of anxiety.

Greg Jantz: "Change my diet. When you're anxious, you love a lot of sweet food... may not be helpful." ([10:48])

5. Spiritual Integration

Integrating faith-based principles and scriptures provides a strong foundation for overcoming anxiety.

Greg Jantz: "Second Timothy 1:7... do not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind." ([20:21])

Integrating Faith and Treatment

Jim Daly and Greg discuss the harmonious relationship between spiritual faith and medical treatment in managing anxiety.

Jim Daly: "Set the record straight about how physiology, pharmaceutical and the Lord all can work together to help someone." ([10:48])

Greg supports this integration, advocating for a comprehensive approach that combines faith, medical interventions, and lifestyle changes.

Greg Jantz: "Not looking for the magic pill... look at the whole person." ([10:48])

Listener Support and Resources

The hosts encourage listeners to engage with Focus on the Family’s resources, including counseling services and Greg’s book, "Anxiety Reset: A Life Changing Approach to Overcoming Fear, Stress, Worry, Panic Attacks, OCD and more."

John Fuller: "Donate generously... we'll send you Greg's great book, the Anxiety Reset." ([26:27])

Listeners are urged to take advantage of free consultations and support systems to aid their journey toward healing.

Notable Quotes

• Greg Jantz: "Sometimes I just don't know what to say... I have a lot of things to do and not enough time to get it done." ([00:16])
• Jim Daly: "John being anxious is just part of being human... sometimes difficult to put that into practice." ([00:51])
• Greg Jantz: "Fear can get a stronghold, a spiritual stronghold in a person's life. It will lie." ([13:22])
• Greg Jantz: "Early childhood trauma and unresolved issues can create anxiety." ([15:50])
• Greg Jantz: "Second Timothy 1:7... a sound mind." ([20:21])

Conclusion: Hope and Healing

The episode concludes with a message of hope, emphasizing that overcoming anxiety is attainable through a combination of self-awareness, professional support, lifestyle changes, and spiritual faith.

Greg Jantz: "There is hope for anxiety and this is affecting large numbers of folks." ([02:27])

Jim Daly reinforces the availability of resources and encourages listeners to seek help and support.

Jim Daly: "If you can make a gift of any amount. We'll send you the book as our way of saying thank you for being part of the ministry." ([25:46])

The conversation promises continued support and further discussions in subsequent episodes, ensuring that listeners have ongoing access to valuable insights and assistance.

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Note: For those seeking immediate support, Focus on the Family offers a network of over 1,500 pre-qualified Christian counselors. Listeners are encouraged to reach out through the provided contact information for personalized help.

Transcript

[Greg Jantz]

I get anxious when I'm going into a situation that I feel like I.

[Jim Daly]

Am not prepared for. What really stresses me out are awkward silences, especially when you're dealing with your boss or something like that.

[Greg Jantz]

Sometimes I just don't know what to say. Something that makes me feel stressed is when I feel like I have a lot of things to do and not enough time to get it done.

[Jim Daly]

I get really anxious when things things feel out of control or I feel like people are perceiving me wrong.

[John Fuller]

Well, there are plenty of things in this world that can cause us to be anxious. And I'm sure you could add your own anxiety inducing circumstances to that list. On today's FOCUS on the FAMILY with Jim Daly, we're gonna help you confront your anxiety and get moving in a positive direction to find hope and healing. Thanks for joining us. I'm John Fuller.

[Jim Daly]

John being anxious is just part of being human. And this is something that we have different degrees of and some struggle far more with anxiety than others. And we want to talk about this. Even within the church, we know the scripture says don't be anxious. It's easy to hear that. Sometimes it's difficult to put that into practice. And I'm excited for the next couple of days to talk to Greg Jantz, Dr. Greg Jantz, about how we go about managing anxiety, especially for those that sometimes can be crippled by it. And this will be a big help if you or a loved one is dealing with anxiety. I think it's going to give you great tools to identify it and then what to do to work with the Lord to get ahold of it.

[John Fuller]

Yeah. And Dr. Jantz is the founder of the Center, a Place of Hope that's located in Edmonds, Washington, and it's a renowned treatment center for anxiety and depression. He's a mental health expert and a pioneer in whole person holistic care. And he's got a book on this topic that is really just terrific. It's a primer that covers so much. It's called the Anxiety Anxiety Reset, A Life Changing Approach to Overcoming Fear, Stress, Worry, Panic Attacks, OCD and more. And you can learn more about our guests and this terrific resource when you stop by our website. And the link is in the show notes.

[Jim Daly]

Dr. Gregory Jantz, good to have you back.

[Greg Jantz]

Oh, it is always good to be with you.

[Jim Daly]

You do brighten a room. I so appreciate you effervescence.

[Greg Jantz]

I'm telling you, I want to say just to begin with, there's hope for anxiety and this is affecting large numbers of folks.

[Jim Daly]

Well, let's hit that. It's one in five adults and one in four teenagers are suffering from and likely higher.

[Greg Jantz]

We live in a culture of great fear. Every day we wake up and there's something else to be afraid of. Lots of fear, lots of anxiety.

[Jim Daly]

What's happening in the culture that's creating that kind of increase in anxiety?

[Greg Jantz]

Well, Jim, we have a lot of unknowns. People wake up, they don't know, they don't know what to believe. They don't know what's true, what's not. And so we're seeing that since post pandemic, anxiety has become the number one diagnosis in our country.

[Jim Daly]

Yeah.

[Greg Jantz]

So let's just say that again, it's.

[Jim Daly]

The number one diagnosis for mental health issues.

[Greg Jantz]

Well, you go to your physician, you go to your doctor and they ask you questions that they're required to ask. Now, a lot of those are related to depression and anxiety because it is such a problem.

[Jim Daly]

Wow, that's amazing. But it's true. Let's, for those that may not experience it, let's describe it so people can get a handle on it. What does anxiety look like and how is it different from depression?

[Greg Jantz]

Sure. Well, or worry. Or worry. Worry. Think of worry as it's our thoughts, it's the cognitions. Worry's a mental process. I may have worried this morning. Did I wear the right clothes? Did I say the right thing? We worry and it's something we do to ourselves. Okay. But anxiety takes on a life of its own. Anxiety has a physical side to it. You feel it in your gut usually. And then it's like, where do you feel all that fear? And it's my whole body eventually. So we know that fear gets a stronghold in our life. So anxiety always has a physical component. Could be a headache, could be sleep disturbances. Anxiety could be you filled in your gut, your appetite seems off. You wake up during the night and you're feel like you're wide awake, but you've just woken up. It feels like a panic attack. That's anxiety.

[Jim Daly]

Okay.

[Greg Jantz]

You wake up in the morning and there's something kind of free floating that seems to follow you around and you can't seem to shake it off. That's anxiety.

[Jim Daly]

What's that line where that tips into depression? Just to identify it, we're not going to talk about depression.

[Greg Jantz]

Sure. So anxiety and depression can live together. Depression is going to be different in that it is an oppression that is upon you that you, you have apathy, you lose all motivation, you'll have some similar symptoms and just like depression, anxiety comes in different degrees. There's mild anxiety to quite severe anxiety.

[Jim Daly]

Now, you and your wife, Lafon Lafan's here in the studio today. Yes, Lafan, good to see you. She's out in the gallery. You did experience some turbulence in your life with a cancer diagnosis, and it really gave you some insight into that anxiety issue, what happened?

[Greg Jantz]

And I'll just add, all of us will have some anxiety at some time and maybe multiple times in our life. If you've been given a medical diagnosis that can create some anxiety. You have a loved one, in my case, Lafon, a cancer diagnosis. And so the first thing that happens is all the unknowns, what's going to happen? And we go to an immediate fear response. So in our situation, my anxiety was very real. I didn't know, where is this going to go. We have two young boys. Ultimately, you know, mom doesn't look so good. She's going through treatments. And you have your kids asking you, is mom okay? Is mom going to live? And so those kinds of things add to the anxiety.

[Jim Daly]

And you both walked through that together. But it was sleepless nights and other things that you describe in the book.

[Greg Jantz]

Oh, absolutely.

[Jim Daly]

It's like a shockwave to the norm.

[Greg Jantz]

I want you to know I've walked through anxiety. And of course, we run a facility where we're working with people that come with anxiety. I see the reality of it. I know how paralyzing it can be. I know that people can try to go. I've tried so many different things, and I still have this anxiety. Has God forgotten me? So those very real questions.

[Jim Daly]

And people are going to wonder, how's Lafon? So tie a bow on that story.

[Greg Jantz]

We don't want to end. So how's Lafan? Well, she's here today. She's with us today, and she's well. And she's an example of what it's like for all of us as a family to walk through unknowns, to walk through anxiety, to have those sleepless nights, to have all those questions that come up, what's going to happen to my loved one?

[Jim Daly]

You say in the anxiety, reset your book, that some anxiety can be good. Sure. Now people with anxiety are going, are you crazy? What do you mean by good anxiety?

[Greg Jantz]

Well, there could be a motivating anxiety. I need to take care of something. Anxiety could be a signal that, oh, I need to address some things in my life. I'm not sleeping well, My appetite's off. I don't want to be with people. I want to isolate. Well, that's all a sign. What is it I need to address. So anxiety can be communicating to you, a need to address something. Now, I don't want it to get so intense that you can't think straight because, you know, anxiety takes all that blood flow from our brain, the way God designed us, and the blood goes in the back of that primitive part of the brain. And we have something I'm pointing here in my forehead, because we have our executive function. This is where we're supposed to make good decisions. But if you're filled with anxiety, you can't think. And so this is why we've got to look at this and go, okay, this affects the whole person.

[Jim Daly]

Yeah. You know, there's. And maybe again, clinically you can help me, but there seems to be degrees of anxiety.

[Greg Jantz]

Yes.

[Jim Daly]

Some people can be so riddled with anxiety that they're actually frozen. They can't make decisions, like you just said.

[Greg Jantz]

Right.

[Jim Daly]

They can't take that initial step. And I think sometimes we as believers, particularly, that don't experience that in the same way, are trying to say the right thing, but we're probably adding a lot of weight to them. So just describe that awareness that we need to have to say, come on, you can do it. It's just this and what that sounds like to somebody with deep anxiety and.

[Greg Jantz]

Somebody with deep anxiety. I believe they would have done whatever they need because nobody wants to live anxiety. So the word grace comes to mind, and we want to believe in that person that has anxiety. Okay, look at this from the whole person. There's going to be solutions. There are missing pieces to the puzzle. We're going to pray for great wisdom, but there are missing pieces to the puzzle. So they need us to come alongside them versus judge them real heavily. And, you know, it's hard to live with somebody with anxiety or even depression. It's hard to know what to say, because you really do love them, you really do want to help. And if you have a teenager that's got anxiety and you're seeing this in your kids, that can be very challenging.

[Jim Daly]

Right. And again, some things that you might say actually add weight to it rather than relieve it. Like, come on, you can do this.

[Greg Jantz]

And it's all out of good. It's out of good intention.

[Jim Daly]

Yeah. Greg, let me insert this because we have many listeners and they have different theologies. You know, we all believe in Jesus, but then we have a lot of tributary rivers from that point. But for the people that may struggle with the idea that some medicine can Help somebody with anxiety? Well, you know, if the Lord is really in you and you love him and he loves you, I don't see why you would need medication. I'm not proposing that. I'm just saying some people may have that attitude. Just set the record straight about how physiology, pharmaceutical and the Lord all can work together to help someone.

[Greg Jantz]

Oh, and it all needs to work together. And that's why we're not going to look for the magic pill. We're going to look at the whole person. Do I need something to help me carry me over that bridge for a short period of time? Do I need that? And is that coming in the form of a medication? Sometimes I need to change my diet. When you're anxious, you love a lot of sweet food. When you're anxious, you may be doing the 10 cups of coffee a day and that may not be helpful.

[Jim Daly]

Is this under the lifestyle rubric that you talk about? Is the lifestyle part of that? Too much coffee, Too much. What are the lifestyle contributors to anxiety?

[Greg Jantz]

Well, if you're living a life that's been chronic stress, okay, you've had a lot of worry, there's been a lot of stress, you will develop at some point some anxiety because your body's going to cry out, going to say, I've had enough.

[Jim Daly]

What are those signs, though? Because again, you know, for the layperson who hasn't earned their PhD, what does that look like? Just so I can be self aware. Maybe I'm thinking I might have anxiety, but I don't know. And that makes me anxious.

[Greg Jantz]

That makes me anxious.

[Jim Daly]

But what are those things we should be looking at?

[Greg Jantz]

And we do want to be. I'm so glad you mentioned that because we want to be careful. We're not just putting a label on us, you know, oh, I have anxiety disorder. That's why I'm this way. No, I don't want you to do that. You may be struggling with anxiety. Let's come up with a plan that's going to help you with that and get you through that. Okay? Some of the signs that I may be really struggling, well, you're going to probably eventually see it in your sleep. Sleep's not going to feel restful.

[Jim Daly]

I thought that was age. Okay, tick that box.

[Greg Jantz]

As you get older, you may take or sleep a little bit less.

[Jim Daly]

It seems like that's my pattern. I don't know about you guys, but.

[Greg Jantz]

We'Re talking about a disruptive sleep. We're talking about a sleep that doesn't sleep. Feel restful when you wake up and you wake up with that sense of burden. Something's in your gut. You feel something. It's hard to label what it is. People with anxiety may have headaches, they may have aches and pains, they have a hard time focusing. Things that were easy for you before. Now with anxiety, it's like I can't even concentrate. You go, I'm trying to read the Bible, but I'm reading that same verse or chapter over and over and I can't even remember what I just read. So that's anxiety.

[Jim Daly]

Family conflicts, doing the normal routines of life, paying the bills. Are those things that if they give us too much anxiousness, is that a sign that maybe we have some anxiety?

[Greg Jantz]

Well, if I have an exaggerated response, I become hyper vigilant. Things that normally I could just handle those. Now I feel like I can't handle anything. So you're gonna have a lot of self doubt. Okay, I've got self doubt. And here's something I really wanna speak to. You may end up feeling unlovable. It's like I just don't feel people really love me. I don't feel appreciated, I don't feel God loves me. So you can have that sense of just feeling. Anxiety lies to you. Anxiety tells you things about yourself that it's not true. That's why we say fear can get a stronghold, a spiritual stronghold in a person's life. It will lie.

[Jim Daly]

That's powerful. Greg, we've had Dr. Chang here and he wrote a book called the Anxiety Opportunity. His thesis was Western Medicine. We tend to want to take a pill and get rid of it or find ways to get rid of it. And his realization is, you are going to be able to moderate it, to minimize it. But people with anxiety, the expectation there needs to be how to manage it.

[Greg Jantz]

And I believe we can go from managing to okay, Lord God, give me the wisdom to know what needs to be addressed in my life. If I've had significant trauma or emotional abuse and I have things in my life that really are unresolved that could be following me and creating anxiety. And so I want to look at what's the root causes of this. We mentioned lifestyle can be one.

[Jim Daly]

Yeah, that was my next question. I'm going to. So in that context, again, I just want to provide people with a perspective on what does it mean to live with anxiety. And I like that idea of minimizing it. But if your expectation is eliminating it, that may be a really difficult task for people with anxiety.

[Greg Jantz]

Well, you'll find that you have with God's help power over that anxiety.

[Jim Daly]

Yeah, that's fair. That's a good point. Let's move to those root problems when you're taking a look at it. And just so folks know, we're going to spend a couple of days with Dr. Jantz, we're not going to get all tucked in today because there's more to talk about. But for day one here, what are some of those root causes of anxiety?

[Greg Jantz]

Well, I mentioned trauma, early childhood trauma, and this is difficult to talk about, but there could have been significant abuse. There could be betrayal. There could have been maybe your family moved a lot and you never really anchored in and had close friends. And so there was a lot of uncertainty in your life. So trauma comes in different forms.

[Jim Daly]

You know what's interesting with that? And I don't know, John, if you've had this experience, but so often if you don't struggle with anxiety and you have a family member or a friend who does and you hear those situations, some are obvious, like someone who was abused physically, sexually, whatever, your heart goes out and you're instantly connected to that. And there's got to be a lot of healing for that person. But somebody that moved around a lot, you start going, well, okay, that seems pretty light. But we have to be equally as intense about that experience that they had because we're not living it with them.

[Greg Jantz]

And maybe they feel like they never had a friend or relationships never lasted.

[Jim Daly]

So we don't know all the connecting factors to that description is my point. And for us to be sensitive. You had a story in the book about Diane. I'm sure that's not her real name, but it was a patient of yours, and she's given you permission obviously, to use this. But what was Diane's story with trauma?

[Greg Jantz]

Yes, Diane was a executive at a very large software company, and she worked in the legal department. There's a little bit of stress right there. Right. And she also had two kids, and her husband also had a career where he was traveling a lot. And what happened was, you know, it's just managing the schedule. How do you manage the kids and the schedule and the, quote, executive stress got to be too much.

[Jim Daly]

I think her mom was also suffering.

[Greg Jantz]

Her mom had Alzheimer's.

[Jim Daly]

It's like everything was folding in on her right around her.

[Greg Jantz]

And it was probably her felt that she had to carry it all. And she was up to a certain point, but then we begin to break down for her. Couldn't sleep. She would describe situations where during the night, wake up two or three in the morning and everything's on her mind. Her mind is racing. She's trying to solve work related problems in the legal department and she's got the kids and things are not going well with the kids. She has one teenager who's particularly acting out. So it's pretty complex. And of course, she wakes up in the night and her husband happens to be on a trip and it just reached a breaking point.

[Jim Daly]

And what did that look like for her?

[Greg Jantz]

So for her, her breaking point was she even had panic attacks. So her body was crying out. You know, by the way, a panic attack is a form of anxiety. So it's the person, after a while, their body says, I've had enough. And the body's gonna respond and you're going to have. It feels like you're dying, but you're going to have a panic attack. So there's a physical reason for that. So her body, there was the physical responses to this. So you know what she wanted to do? She wanted to isolate, run away and never come back.

[Jim Daly]

Sounds rational.

[Greg Jantz]

That's what anxiety does.

[Jim Daly]

Yeah, but in the end, what was her.

[Greg Jantz]

In the end, she sought help. But we had to begin to create a more realistic schedule. She had to learn what does self care really look like? How do I really take care of myself? And she had to get family support, she had to get others involved in her life. And you know, ultimately it did involve the husband, some marital counseling coming up, a different plan to manage our lives.

[Jim Daly]

Yeah, and that's so good. And that's part of the process and why we want to encourage people to get a copy of your book as a starter, but then to engage with Christian, good Christian counseling that can help, particularly the believers, to be able to live a life that's empowered and can get a good.

[Greg Jantz]

I can tell you I've seen some really difficult situations. And Jim, you can live a different life.

[Jim Daly]

Well, that's also hopeful that people can get there and that's important. Greg, let me ask this as well. We've talked a lot about the science of anxiety, but what are some of the ways that Jesus speaks to us in the scripture about anxiety?

[Greg Jantz]

Well, we hear and the first thing that comes to our mind is the two words fear not.

[Jim Daly]

Right?

[Greg Jantz]

Okay. There's a lot of scriptures around fear. Okay. I use Second Timothy 1:7 as my foundation when I'm dealing with anxiety. And that says, for the Lord did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love. And I like this, a sound mind. Okay. So what we're doing when we're dealing with anxiety. We're working on building that sound mind. How do we build it with the whole person? I gotta look at my life spiritually. I gotta look at my. Do I have a relationship in my life that's creating a lot of anxiety? You know, look, I need to look at everything. Do I have some really poor lifestyle issues that's creating anxiety? Do I have a secret addiction? Am I so anxious that I'm drinking alcohol every night in order to deal with anxiety? Then I'm creating more anxiety. So this requires a whole person assessment.

[Jim Daly]

That's good. Let me ask you this. Anxiety will affect nearly every part as you're saying of a person's life. Yes. What are some of those common areas where anxiety diminishes our well being? I mean, you've mentioned that with alcohol, but again, it's kind of an assessment.

[Greg Jantz]

Sure. Well, you'll want to escape from people, so you'll also probably want to do escapism behaviors. You get home at night and you go, I deserve that ice cream. And you sit down and have that half gallon of ice cream.

[Jim Daly]

Is that a problem?

[Greg Jantz]

So you get into patterns where we look for comfort, isolation. Yeah. And I can also choose digital social media over real people.

[Jim Daly]

So it's a coping skill.

[Greg Jantz]

So I'm looking for comfort. But most of the things we choose create more discomfort and in the end create more anxiety. But we're looking for that relief.

[Jim Daly]

Yeah. Well, and that's another good sign. If you're snagged by anxiety and you're isolating yourself, you're gaming, I mean, in abundance.

[Greg Jantz]

I just need to look at what am I doing and have an honest conversation with yourself. What am I doing that could be contributing to more anxiety?

[Jim Daly]

Yeah. That's so good. Let's wrap up here and we'll pick up next time like we talked about. But some of those practical steps. Again, some people are just coming in the last half of this program. What are some of those practical steps to heal a person that is suffering with anxiety? Practical steps?

[Greg Jantz]

Well, one of the practical steps that we can do is, and I love 3 by 5 cards. Can I show you something?

[Jim Daly]

Yes. You got them in your pocket?

[Greg Jantz]

I got them in my pocket. It's always good because a three by five card. Okay, here's a blank one. So I need you to write down what are all the issues that's creating anxiety for me. Just write it down. But I said a three by five card because I don't want you to write a legal pad full.

[Jim Daly]

Right.

[Greg Jantz]

Okay. Just the top, Maybe it's top eight or 10 things that are creating anxiety. Write them down. Okay. Of those, some of those I could address. But some of those I need other people to help me with. Okay. Is it work related? And then look at the predominant emotions. Am I carrying around a lot of anger, frustration? Is that a big issue? Because I'm probably going to have some anxiety. Right. But I want you to be honest. This is creating awareness. Next is action.

[Jim Daly]

Yeah.

[Greg Jantz]

And the action may come. Okay. I'm not making good decisions. I need to get some help. And being honest, I need to get some help with this.

[Jim Daly]

I was gonna say, and not to cut you off, but I'm thinking of the person who might call here. Focus on the family. And we wanna encourage people to call. We got free counseling that you can.

[Greg Jantz]

Take advantage of and do take advantage of.

[Jim Daly]

Yeah, it's an awesome opportunity. Then we can refer you to a pre qualified counselor in your area. We have, I think about 1500 counselors on our referral list. So it's a good mechanism to get help. So don't hold back. Get ahold of us. And John will give those details in a moment. But I'm thinking of that person. When you mention the word anger. I've heard this more than a dozen times from people. You know, I really do struggle with anger. But you know, it's kind of how God made me. It's just I don't have a dose of patience.

[Greg Jantz]

Sure.

[Jim Daly]

You can't stay there.

[Greg Jantz]

You can't stay there because that goes to unforgiveness and that goes to resentment. And bitterness.

[Jim Daly]

Yeah, that's like a person who's unwilling to work toward the fruit of the spirit. You know, that's how God made me. I don't really have a lot of patience.

[Greg Jantz]

Right.

[Jim Daly]

It's not a restaurant menu. I mean, these are things that you need to be growing in your neighbor.

[Greg Jantz]

And here's what we know, that anger, maybe another word for anger, could be hurt. It's going to make you really toxic. You're going to feel emotionally toxic and you're going to be toxic to all the people around you. So one of the areas we always look at with anxiety is are there any areas of unforgiveness in your life?

[Jim Daly]

Boy, that's another good idea.

[Greg Jantz]

That's a big one.

[Jim Daly]

Write that down on a three by five.

[Greg Jantz]

Yes. Do I need to look at bitterness and resentment in my life? That's going to create anxiety.

[Jim Daly]

Yeah. Wow, this is so good. Dr. Gregory Jantz. This is the start. This is day one. But we're going to come back and have another day with you to talk about your great book, the Anxiety Reset. And I'm looking forward to it. Thanks so much for being here today.

[Greg Jantz]

So good to be with you folks.

[Jim Daly]

If this is striking a chord with you and you're going, man, I need this. I know somebody that needs this. My family member needs this. Get ahold of us. If you can make a gift of any amount. We'll send you the book as our way of saying thank you for being part of the ministry. You can do that monthly. That's how Gene and I support Focus. You and Dina do it that way, John. And you know, it's just a fun way to get some help or provide help for a friend or family member and then also be part of the ministry. You know, only about 1% of the listeners actually support the ministry, so 1% are making it possible to do this broadcast. We'd love to move that to 2%. So if you can just make a gift of any amount and we'll send you Greg's great book, the Anxiety Reset.

[John Fuller]

Donate generously as you can when you click the link in the show notes or call 800-the- Letter A and the word family. And we mentioned our counseling services. Our donor community makes it possible for us to offer you a free phone consultation with one of those caring Christian counselors. Call today 800, the letter A and the word family. And on behalf of the entire team, thanks for joining us today. Focus on the Family with Jim Daly. I'm John Fuller inviting you back as we once again continue the conversation with Dr. Gregory Jantz and help you and your family thrive in Christ. Culture is changing so fast. How should Christians respond? At our next Lighthouse Voices event, you'll hear from John Stonestreet with the Colson Center.

[Jim Daly]

We live in what is called a civilizational moment. Civilizations ebb and flow and we are at a pivotal moment. I think a lot of us have felt that existentially for a long time.

[John Fuller]

Learn how to face this moment with clarity, confidence and courage. Lighthouse Voices is on April 15th and you can register for the free [e-mail].