a new way to think about anxiety

Welcome back to Sunday Goods!

Anxiety isn’t just a mental state — it’s a signal. A smoke alarm in the soul.

Not something to be ignored, feared, or shoved down… but a gentle (and sometimes loud) reminder that something inside us needs care.

A couple months ago, I listened to a church series that reframed the way I understand anxiety — not as weakness, but as wisdom.

Not as something to silence, but something to investigate with compassion.

Here are the notes that stuck with me — and honestly, still speak to my mental health today:

• Anxiety is a smoke alarm. It’s not the fire.

It’s alerting you to something that might be out of alignment — emotionally, mentally, spiritually, or physically.

• “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds…” (Philippians 4:7-8).

That verse is a mental health prescription. Shift your focus to what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable.

That’s how we train our brains to think in healing ways.

• Elevate your thoughts to lower your anxiety.

This is neuroplasticity in real life — what we think about, we strengthen.

• You don’t control every thought that flies into your mind.

But you do get to decide which ones land and build a nest.

This is where mindfulness and boundaries meet.

• Your most consistent anxious thought? That’s your stronghold.

But the good news is: strongholds can be torn down with truth and intention.

• Fear sees a threat and passes.

Anxiety imagines one — and stays stuck.

But you can unstick yourself.

• You defeat a lie by replacing it with truth.

Whether that’s scripture, therapy, journaling, or affirmations — don’t just cancel the thought, counter it.

• And maybe the most comforting reminder of all: The presence of anxiety is unavoidable, but the prison of anxiety is optional.

Mental health isn’t about never feeling anxious. It’s about recognizing it early, responding with love instead of shame, and reminding yourself — you’re not your thoughts.

You’re the one hearing them. And that means you’re in charge of what comes next.

You’re not broken. You’re healing. One thought at a time.

love you always,

elle