Khia Glover - Rising Above: Teen Devotional for Girls: Prayers and Activities to Help Manage Anxiety

Acknowledgments

To my sisters, Kambr and Kalyn. Thank you for listening to me and encouraging me when I doubted myself on this project. Thank you for your many insights, and for helping me recall anxious situations we had as teenagers. You are incredible women. I am so proud to be your big sister.

Aria and Kenya, thank you for sharing your struggles with me as you move from your teen years and into adulthood. I have enjoyed watching both of you grow up. I am so excited to see what more God has planned for you.

My therapist, Karyll, your patience and our work together helped me so much in completing this book. You have been a rock for me the past couple of years. You have helped me understand myself better and identify my anxious thoughts and feelings. With your support and on top of my formal training, I was able to complete this with an entirely different perspective and level of understanding. I am grateful for you.

To my friends, who respected my privacy when I couldnt tell you many details about this project but encouraged me anyway. Your kindness did not go unnoticed.

Last, but not least, my parentsSURPRISE! I really wanted this to be a surprise for you. Imagining your responses kept me energized to complete this book.

About the Author

Khia Glover, LCSW, is a therapist and mental health coach who specializes in working with children and BIPOC communities.

Khias work as a school-based therapist and school social worker has given her a front-row seat to the emerging needs of children.

She started her company, Notes by Khia, in response to the mental health struggles she witnessed in her professional work with children of all ages, as well as her own mental health struggles, both in childhood and adulthood.

Notes by Khia is a mental health education platform that offers a variety of services for individuals, families, and large groups. One of her primary focuses is leading children and families to regain optimal mental health. She does this by teaching parents and professionals who work with minority children and families mindful skills that will provide children the safest and most nurturing environment for success.

Khia is dedicated to providing a safe space for her clients to express themselves authentically and to receive the support they need to manage their stressors so they can begin to live a life of peace and wellness.

Visit her website, notesbykhia.com, or connect with her on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter @notesbykhia.

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The Zeitgeist Team

AnxietyCauses and Self-Care

WEEK

Anxiety versus Fear

Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns.

Philippians 4:6

Did you know that anxiety and fear are different? Fear is a biological response to perceived danger and it energizes the body to move to safety. Anxiety is an emotional response that churns up when we are not able to express our emotions and needs. Anxiety is more a reaction to our pushed-down emotions about danger rather than a response to immediate danger around us.

With fear, we feel insecure for a moment, until a danger has passed. With anxiety, we feel insecure and nervous all the timeespecially when theres something that makes us feel afraid or worried. Anxiety can impact our ability to do normal activities.

For instance, you may not want to leave your home because youre anxious about what might happen to you when you go outside. You might miss school because your anxiety makes you feel unsafe. Your anxiety may get in the way of your relationships and prevent you from enjoying time with your friends.

But know this: God invites you to turn your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. He knowsand understandswhat youre going through, and he wants you to be free from the worries that hold you back. He can help you overcome anxiety and empower you. Can you think of a worry you can give up to God?

Anxiety Relief Activity

Anxiety-Attack Safety Plan (). Develop (and then keep with you) a one-page safety plan for sudden and severe anxiety attacks. Having a safety plan will make it easier for you to manage your symptoms in the moment. Consider sharing a copy of your plan with a close, trusted friend or family member, because there may be times you feel too overwhelmed to manage the panic attack on your own.

Prayer

God, thank you for knowing and understanding what Im going through. Help me get free of the anxiety that has held me back. Amen.

WEEK

Anxiety from Trauma

Dont panic. Im with you. Theres no need to fear, for Im your God. Ill give you strength. Ill help you. Ill hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you.

Isaiah 41:10

Anxiety is rooted in fears, but it is much more than the fear of spiders or being nervous about speaking to a crowd. Often, anxiety is not tied to anything apparent. Some days you just wake up anxious and have no idea why.

A more extreme form of anxiety can develop after experiencing trauma. For example, being in a serious car accident, witnessing a tragic event, losing a loved one, or being the victim of abuse. Anxiety caused by a traumatic experience is often diagnosed as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A person with PTSD may startle at loud noises, react strongly to accidental touch, and avoid people and situations that prompt memories of the traumatic event. If you think you may have PTSD and your symptoms are severe and disruptive to your everyday life, its important to find a trauma therapist to help you recover.

Whether or not your anxiety is connected to a specific experience, God promises to be with you and to help you. You do not have to be strong on your own. You can lean on him. He will give you strength.

Anxiety Relief Activity

5 Senses, or 5-4-3-2-1 (). When your anxiety and emotions are on overload, and even if youre dissociating (when it feels like you are outside of your body or watching yourself live), this simple activity will guide you to use your five senses to help calm you and bring your mind and body back into reality. You should then feel more grounded and think more clearly.

Prayer

God, thank you for upholding me when I dont have the strength to stand on my own. Help me regain a healthy, balanced life. Amen.

WEEK

Effects of Stress on Anxiety

No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; hell never let you be pushed past your limit; hell always be there to help you come through it.

1 Corinthians 10:13

What is the connection between anxiety and stress? Anxiety happens when stress becomes too much for our bodies and minds to hold. Some adults say that teens cant have stress because theyre young and dont have many responsibilities outside of school. But the truth is, teenagers experience stress, and a lot of it.

Your body is changing. Youre discovering new feelings. Learning about yourself. Dealing with the stress of grades. Preparing for your future. Peer pressure. Pressures from social media. Not to mention balancing time with friends, family, school, church, and maybe even a job. There is a lot on your plate.