Overcoming Axiety in the Era of Clicks, Likes and Swipes

By Dave Hauser

The number one epidemic on Long Island in 2023 is anxiety.

Ever since the advent of social media, COVD-19, economic problems and political division, our culture has been driven by fear in an unprecedented manner. The constant worry of trying to predict the future by drawing from our past makes us feel like we are so out of control of our lives. The need for “likes” on social media artificially medicates us for a short time. The internet is full of quick fixes from addictive games, video sharing websites, pornography and divisive message boards which, on the surface allay our fears, but in reality, augment the panic.

From our experiences working at prayer booths, outreaches and just being in society, we live in a world where prayer is now being commonly accepted. Prayer involves intently listening to people and understanding their pain points in today’s world. It also connects them to God, which is something that is lost in today’s world.

So many people pray - but have no idea they are actually praying - in the form of self-talk. Ask any person that is stuck in traffic on the highway and experiences an immediate need for a restroom what’s going through his or her mind and whom they might be asking for help. Who do people ask for relief when they are pulled over by the police? What are people muttering when money is tight, and they need to pay for something in anticipation of their credit card declining?

All of this is instinctive behavior that is built into us that makes us dependent on something that we cannot see, feel or touch. In this daunting time, it is so important to connect with people who care. When stress hits, most people feel like they are on an island and build mountains in their mind that become unsurmountable. Perspective can become altered quickly.

Picture two different people experiencing the same situation: one feels blessed while the other feels ambushed. The person who feels blessed is a person who has a relationship with God. This person knows that if they saw a video of their entire life, they would see that not one single worst-case scenario ever truly occurred, and the unexpected things were relatively easy to deal with. Those people know that moments pass.

However, the ambushed person thrives on worrying and panic. They will feel the blood rushes to the head and within two hours, they will go from dealing with the external stimuli to amplification. The amplification is usually a road map from receiving the negative news to the worst that could happen. I used to deal with this constantly before I found my relationship with God. I would receive a negative email from a client and my mouth would drop and go dry; I could feel the blood circulating in my body. Within two hours, by a complicated series of events constructed solely within my mind, I would be out of business and in litigation.

Anxiety is learned from growing up in households where there is a strong absence of God and a commitment to fear. I grew up in a house where we never celebrated a single positive event, but if we hit any speed bump, we were going to be broke, out on the street, sick, or even dead. That fear permeates into your adult life and will dominate you and steal your joy. No matter how successful you think you are, you never have any peace because you are always waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Life is quite simple and binary. You either rely on God or rely on yourself. Relying on yourself is just a poor long-term strategy. You are your own God and are singularly responsible for all your ups and downs. As humans, we think we are set apart, so if you have a successful moment in life you will relish it, but at the same time, anything that does not go your way becomes your fault and you feel like a failure.

Relying on God is faith-based. You are probably reading this and thinking “Oh boy here it comes now”, but I write this from a position of living my first forty years of my life without God and the next seventeen years with God in the middle, and I really wish I could have a “do-over”. When you rely on God and have a relationship with God, it goes beyond the aforementioned “panic prayer.” You give Him the glory when things go well, and you take your problems to Him.

I remember when the Mets won the World Series in 1986. My favorite player was Gary Carter, and he gave God the glory when the Mets won. I was just twenty years old, and I was thinking, “why would he do that?“ Gary Carter was at peace in his life and knew that he had talent that came from God and his enablement to win the World Series came from God. Every time I think of the Mets winning that World Series, I think of his words.

Praying to God is a lot simpler than you think. A person once told me: “Imagine God sitting in the chair across from you and you start to have a conversation with Him. You tell Him your problems, you tell Him your fears, and you communicate as if He was a friend. By doing this you will start to see fear reduce in your life.”

Once you have established a life of prayer, you will want to read the Bible and see what God says and you will want to attend a local church and be with similar people. If you have any questions, you can reach me by email at david@hausernet.com and I will get back to you and even pray with you.

Dave Hauser is CEO of two analytics companies HLS and Favored Panel and is a deacon at Smithtown Gospel Tabernacle at 1 Higbie Drive in Smithtown with Sunday services 9:00a.m. and 11:30a.m. with many other programs.