Anxiety has been around since Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden, but over the past few years, anxiety has skyrocketed.

Helpguide.org, one of the top ten websites for mental health, advises those who are chronically in distress to create a “Worry Period” in their day. Instead of letting worry ransack activities, give it a specific time and place. When worries come to mind at other times, jot them briefly down, save them for later.

We can invite God into our planned worry periods.

According to Helpguide.org, talking to a good listener is one way to diffuse anxiety.

Jesus wants to be that listener! He said, “Come to Me all you who are weary and burdened, I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

Several studies suggest that if we spend regular times talking to God (which is a form of meditating) our bodies will “rest.” Meditation can include pondering God’s goodness, counting our blessings, giving thanks. As we do, the activity on the left side of the prefrontal cortex of our brain increases. Feelings of peace and joy grow. Regular practice physically reduces our body’s tendency to jump into a state of worry.

Whether we’re freshly kicked out of a Garden of Eden or running for shelter at the end of time, God holds the key to every “worry period.”