How do we bring God into the anxieties of our lives? “Nurses are always caring for others, sometimes to the exclusion of caring for ourselves,” writes Kathy Schoonover-Shoffner in her new JCN editorial, “How Are You Doing?”
Recently Kathy discovered a great resource for dealing with her anxiety, a spiritual discipline called The Daily Examen. “It’s a time to invite God into all aspects of the day, asking him to point out what he has done for me, what he is doing, what he wants to do, where I can walk differently with him,” Kathy learned. “It is stopping and reflecting on the fact that God is here with me, in every moment.”
Kathy’s personal interest in learning how to deal with anxiety arose from publishing the feature article, “Anxiety: Etiology, Treatment, and Christian Perspectives,” in the Journal of Christian Nursing, April-June 2014.
Anxiety is a normal response to stress and danger but it can become excessive and uncontrollable for some people. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the United States, affecting 18% or more adults. As nurses, it is important to learn more about pathophysiology and treatment of anxiety, including nursing and Christian perspectives that can help.
“As Christians, how might we better identify and manage anxiety?” Kathy asks. See her JCN editorial about how to become aware of God’s calming presence in the midst of anxious moments.
Read the full JCN article which includes 2.5 available contact hours. (NCF members will receive 30% off the regular price of JCN CE!)
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