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You all, the newsletter went out yesterday morning and I completely forgot to add the three things that helped with my anxiety!!! I don't know how I forgot but here we are. 
MY ANXIETY
I have had some level of anxiety my whole life. This doesn't usually display itself as one might think: I am not kept up at night thinking of bad things happening or dreading dangerous situations with my kids. Mine has always displayed itself as an overflow of my energy. If you are new here: I have the energy level of a cocker spaniel puppy. This is a blessing 95% if the time. 5% of the time…especially when I have too much caffeine, I become extremely on edge and anxious. 
 
One of the few times I do find myself going down the rabbit trail of scary thoughts is when it comes to traveling. Yes, packing is stressful. But this has nothing to do with that. This is pure “what if we crash?!” anxiety. I have it when I fly on planes and over the last few years it has really crept up when we travel in the car. I have written about this from a spiritual standpoint on my Instagram and will share that at the bottom of this email. 
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3 THINGS THAT HELPED MY TRAVEL ANXIETY
One of these things I knew would help, one was new, and one was a pleasant surprise!
  1. KNEW: Exercise: Exercise has always been a vital part of bringing my anxiety down, and I found it crucial on this trip. On our travel mornings, I would wake up and immediately do a fifteen or twenty minute yoga class. Nothing too intense or stressful; just something to get me breathing. Bonus of doing yoga: I was much less stiff despite all the car travel.
  2. NEW: Taking lemon balm. I tried lemon balm at the suggestion of a friend and it really did seem to help. I would do two squirts in a cup of water each morning and start taking it a few days before we left for our trip.
  3. A PLEASANT SURPRISE: Sitting in the back seat. I was not expecting how much this would help! In the back seat, I was way less aware of what was happening on the road around me and therefore wasn't constantly bracing every time an 18-wheeler switched lanes. I have also learned over time that Nate is going to brake…he's just going to brake 1.5 seconds later than I would brake. In the front seat, every single time the car in front of us would stop I would have a mild panic for approximately 1.5 seconds until Nate hit the brakes. In the backseat, I didn't see the cars ahead of us breaking. No more constant 1.5 second panic!
THE FINAL THING THAT REALLY HELPS:
Below is an excerpt I have posted to Instagram that still rings true ever single time I travel:
I do not enjoy flying. Which is very unfortunate because I love to travel.

But every single time I fly, I have the exact same realization:

Flying is extremely good for me. Being buckled 23 rows back, utterly unable to do a gosh darn thing except squeeze my six-year-old’s hand, is extremely good for me.
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I have this misbelief that as long as I am behind the wheel, as long as I have the kids, as long as I have the “power,” that I can make it ok. "I have got this covered, God! Don't worry about us. I can handle the day to day, you just step in for the big things like flights and emergencies."⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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And here’s what I am certain that The Lord, in His great patience and kindness, uses planes to show me: I am no more in control behind the wheel of my own car than I am on the 23rd row of an aircraft. 
 
*I just think I am.*
 
And in recognizing that, I realize my trust in God should be ever present in my mind. He cares about the ordinary. He is not just there for the flight. He is there, daily, hammering in His goodness as we pack lunches and drive to school. If I see Him as the one carrying us safely down the street, it makes it easier to see how He carries that aircraft. He doesn't just jump in for the big occasions. 
 
He is, ever and always, in the details.
Our Keeper.
Our Daily Bread.
 

               Warmly, 

                Kate

 
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