Jan 3, 2026 / 19:15 pm
In a ballroom filled to maximum capacity on day two of the SEEK 2026 conference in Columbus, Ohio, Director of Discipleship for SPIRITUS Ministries Mike Iverson shared 10 ways to feel less anxious about the future.
“Unfortunately, today, we live in a culture that is constantly telling us that we are not enough,” said Iverson in his talk, titled: “Feeling Anxious? 10 Ways to Live in the Present While Looking Forward to the Future.”
“There's all these voices telling us that we need something more than how God has created us to be in order for us to be okay. That is a lie. Our faith tells us that God had us in mind when he created the universe,” he said.
“The anxiety that's caused by world relativism and the anxiety that's caused by this culture of not enough takes us out of the present,” he said. “It doesn't allow us to live in what we have in front of us, where God has placed us. Instead, it takes us into the future of anticipation for the next thing that's going to give us happiness or the next thing that's going to give us joy.”
Here are 10 ways to combat anxiety, according to Iverson:
Begin right where you are
“Don’t give into the falsehood of the ‘if only’ mindset,” said Iverson. He encouraged attendees to avoid believing that they must jump through hoops to encounter God. “He is always present,” Iverson said. “If you are looking for him, if you think wrongly that you have to go somewhere to do something or join this organization or buy this thing in order to encounter God, that’s wrong.”
Love the one you're with
“If you are longing for people that aren’t with you, you’re missing what God has given you in the moment,” said Iverson. “I know it can be hard when you go to college, especially as you're an underclassman, to be thinking all the time about the match. ‘I miss everybody. I miss my friends, I miss my parents, I miss my mom. I miss my dog right now, actually. I miss all these things.’ But by doing that, you're living in a past of regret and not in the present of where God wants to call you and use you for his glory.”
Be Grounded
The third way to combat anxiety is to stop trying to always keep up with the latest trends, according to Iverson. “Cling to what is stable and established,” he said. “Don't immerse yourself to such a level in the virtual world that you lose track of the peace and the solace and comfort that God has provided to each of us in the moment, if we just pay attention.”
Recognize God is clearly present here and now
The fourth way Iverson recommended to combat anxiety is to “see where God is working and join him there,” rather than keeping oneself distracted from his presence.
Reduce the voices in your head
There are three main voices in one’s head, according to Iverson: God, one’s human internal monologue, and the enemy. He urged attendees to write in a journal, "to take some dedicated time every day to get the thoughts out of your head and on to paper. That really helps not only to get the thoughts that are on repeat out, but then also in the discernment process of, is this God? Is this the enemy? Or is this just me because I want pizza?”
Seek simplicity
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In a world filled with “so many gadgets and life hacks that we take human interaction out of our equation for success,” Iverson encouraged attendees to “practice personal subsidiarity," by relying on only the most basic levels of social and technological complexity to reach one’s goals.
Reduce financial entanglements
“If you don’t have to spend money on stuff, don’t,” he said. “If you're going into debt, if you're charging delicious food and venti caramel macchiatos every day to your credit card, stop that. Stop that because that's just going to create more anxiety because you have this instant gratification, but then you pay for it with interest. That is going to create anxiety in anybody because you owe more than you have.”
Live a life of gratitude
The eighth way Iverson recommended to combat anxiety is to live a life of gratitude and practice poverty in spirit, “recognizing that God is God and that we're creatures who are called to praise, to love, and to serve him.” By placing our dependence on God for our happiness and fulfillment and practicing gratitude, we will be more free, he said.
Make more time for God
“If you're disconnected from the source of happiness and the ultimate remedy for anxiety, which is a relationship with Christ and a relationship with the Trinity, if you're not spending time in that, you're going to be disconnected and you're going to be more anxious,” said Iverson.
Slow down
Lastly, Iverson encouraged SEEK 2026 attendees to slow down, and to reject the “lie in society” that “the measure of our work is the measure of our worth.” This is false, he said. “We are God’s beloved sons, that is the measure of our worth.”
