Gifts from the Garden, Part 2: God's original blueprint for calming an anxious mind

For so he giveth his beloved sleep.

Psalm 127:2b

When I was first struggling with panic attacks and anxiety, the advice was to pray more and read my Bible because I "lacked faith". I even had more than one person suggest I was demonically oppressed. (Though honestly, my husband, as a missionary to Niugini, recognises genuine demonic oppression far better than any typical Westerner.)

But anxiety is a physiological problem, and therefore needs physical solutions.

Last week I introduced you to the four internal regulators God built into your biology at Creation: nasal breathing, eating real food, rest and sleep, and a safe place. This week we continue with four more, all present at creation, and all focused on lowering your daily baseline and getting you back into the world.

1. WALKING

And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: (Genesis 3:8)

Walking is the most basic form of human movement. It’s simple, achievable, and can be done almost anywhere.

When I first started walking, I was slow, it felt exhausting, and I just wanted to hide in bed. But my daily walk became part of my routine, and I soon realised the drained feeling that used to send me to bed in the afternoon was undone by walking. My mind felt clearer.

When I broke my knee last year, not walking was a massive struggle, and it was something I was keen to get back to.

Scientifically, walking causes bilateral stimulation. This forces both brain hemispheres to communicate, disrupting intrusive “what-if” thoughts. Did you get that –  walking literally makes you worry less!

Plus, it forces you to use some of the “fight-or-flight” hormones running through your bloodstream, allowing you to return to a healthy baseline. God is awesome.

(Tip: If you are unable to walk, seated shadowboxing stimulates exactly the same bilateral effect.)

2. NATURE

And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, (Genesis 2:9a)

God created nature to look pleasant. Sit with that thought for a moment. God provided nature for food and to be useful, and to look nice – beauty isn’t an accident, it’s part of God’s design.

It has consistently been shown that the power of nature is so strong, you don’t even have to be in it. Even just looking at it or hearing it works. The science says that seeing or hearing nature triggers an automatic shift in your nervous system. Automatic – that means it is something it was designed to do!

Personally, I combined being in nature with walking, for an instant–one, two. But if it isn’t something you can access, introduce it to your home instead as:

• Art and prints

• Documentaries

• Indoor plants

• Nature sounds

• Even lying on a patch of grass.

3. PURPOSE

And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. (Genesis 2:15)

From the very beginning God made humans to have purpose. When we spend day after day feeling anxious our brain is primarily using the amygdala to function. However, a purposeful task will redirect the brain’s primary function to the prefrontal cortex. It is almost impossible to focus deeply on a task and be anxious at the same time.

And there’s more: accomplishing the task releases dopamine, the feel-good hormone.

For me, creativity helped in breaking the anxious pattern. Sitting in bed while my kneecap healed reignited my passion to create – prints, t-shirts, hoodies – all the items you see on our website. Our website became my reason to get up in the morning and gave me purpose.

4. COMPANIONSHIP

And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. (Genesis 2:18)

Humanity needs companionship. Your anxiety is lying to you: You need companionship. And look I get it, socialising is hard when you’re anxious. But companionship requires just one trusted person.

In a perfect world that would be a friend, but I ended up finding help from…are you ready for it…a secular counsellor (cue the shock horror).

Talking to a counsellor this last year, helped me unpack the trauma and abuse that I was carrying. And she reinforced the tools I’ve been sharing with you plus a few extra. I cannot recommend counselling highly enough.

(By the way, if the people telling you not to see a secular counsellor aren’t willing to schedule a weekly time to talk with you…do they really have the right to offer you advice?)

There is no stigma in speaking to a counsellor – secular or otherwise.

[NB: Modern Australian counsellors are ethically bound to respect your beliefs and protect your faith. Professional bodies explicitly forbid therapists from imposing secular or atheist worldviews, or trying to dismantle a client's religion.]

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There is a person in the Bible who clearly struggled with anxiety. The evidence is all there, even though most people overlook it:

When Moses killed an Egyptian, he responded by running away. In other words, he panicked and responded with flight. When Moses encountered God in the burning bush, his anxiety was on full display: four times in one conversation he questions God’s decision to send him to Egypt (Exodus 3:11, 4:1, 4:10, 4:13). And in the end, God sends Aaron to speak on his behalf (4:14).

But after travelling (walking) across the wilderness (nature), with a calling (purpose), and his people (companionship), it is Moses who champions following God in every possible way, met Him on Sinai and then led the Israelites for 40 more years.

God used the physical solutions He engineered in at creation to combat Moses’ anxiety.

TOTAL HONESTY

And in the spirit of total transparency and honesty, there is another part: get diagnosed.

If you have an underlying medical condition causing your anxiety, get diagnosed and treat it. And if that includes taking medication for clinical anxiety, that’s ok too. There’s no shame here. (After all, no one is shaming people for using blood thinners and insulin.)

I had two conditions to treat: an inflammatory autoimmune disease and autism. Seeking treatment and support for those took me a step further, but it also made me realise my anxiety is something I’m genetically predisposed to and will never totally overcome.

And you know what? That acceptance took me a step further still.

The reality is I’m still learning, and I’m still healing.

I used to think I had to be completely healed to write to help others, and I knew I wasn’t there yet. And so I abandoned writing. But as I’ve healed more, had more setbacks, and healed again, I’ve realised there is no ‘healed’ this side of eternity.

And that realisation gave me the peace to accept parts of myself I always felt I needed to change.

This life will always be a battle, but God has already revealed who wins the war. This life will always require us to strive, but God will always be by our side.

I’m still healing. It’s a slow process and it takes time. But I don’t have to be totally healed for God to use me, or to help others.

And neither do you.

Made, Just as I am, for His glory,

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. The insights, physical practices, and biblical principles shared in this series come entirely from my own personal experience, scriptural study, and journey through severe anxiety and panic. This content is for informational and educational purposes only and should never replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider regarding any medical or mental health condition.