Examine me, God. Look at my heart. Put me to the test. Know my anxious thoughts.
Psalm 139:23
I read this very interesting article in Harvard Business Review about the Three Stages of a Crisis, which gave me some clarity into why people have been feeling so anxious lately. Basically, the Three Stages of a Crisis are Emergency, Regression, and Recovery. In the state of Emergency, the collective group tends to be laser focused and collaborative for a common goal. If you may remember at the beginning of Covid, almost all businesses shutdown immediately, everyone worked and studied from home, and the streets were empty. In the state of Regression, the group starts to unravel, people lose their sense of purpose and become more hostile towards each other. In the state of Recovery, the group or society begins to heal and rebuild themselves.
The reason why we are so anxious is because we expected to be in Recovery stage by now, but we’re not. We’re still in the Regression stage. This false expectation that we placed on ourselves has left us disappointed, discouraged, or even depressed. People have tried to make drastic changes in their lives in reaction to their inner anxiety, such as changing careers, moving to a different city, or impulsively buying a home. But after the excitement fades, the anxiety has still remained simply waiting to emerge until the dust has settled.
We cannot rely on the surrounding circumstances to give us peace. Peace can only come from a rich spiritual life, deep relationships, and healthy rhythms of life. Instead of looking “out there” to cure your anxiety, look within your soul. As painful as it may be, ask the Holy Spirit to examine you, diagnose you, and heal you.
