Anxiety About Change: How a Sponsor, Home Group, and God Helped Me

Change happens to all of us. It touches almost every part of our lives. Sometimes, we choose it. Other times, it shows up when we least expect it. No matter how it comes, change can be hard. It can stir up fear, worry, and anxiety. I know it did for me.

For a long time, whenever something in my life started to shift, my first reaction was to tense up. My body would feel tight. My thoughts would race. My stomach would turn with nervous feelings. I didn’t even realize I was bracing myself against life until the anxiety, mood swings, and restless nights came. I wasn’t handling change well, and I didn’t know how to fix it.

Thankfully, that’s when my sponsor, my home group, and my relationship with God stepped in to guide me.

Learning to Accept Change

In my home group, I heard people share about facing change in their own lives. Some were going through job changes, health scares, or moving to new places. Others talked about changes in their families or friendships. What I noticed was that the people who stayed close to the 12 Steps, their sponsors, and God seemed to handle it better. They still felt the fear, but they didn’t run from it. They didn’t pretend it wasn’t happening. They faced it head-on with grace.

My sponsor told me something I’ll never forget:“Change isn’t the enemy — fear of change is.”

Those words stuck with me. I realized I had spent so much of my life fighting against the natural changes that life brings. I was holding on so tightly to what was familiar, even if it wasn’t good for me, because I was afraid of what might happen next.

Changing My Perspective

One simple tool my sponsor gave me was to change the way I talked about my feelings. Instead of calling it anxiety or fear, she encouraged me to think of it as anxious butterflies the same kind of fluttery feeling you get before something exciting happens.

When I did this, my mind started to shift. What if this wasn’t something bad? What if this change was bringing something good? What if God was clearing out the old to make space for something better? I started asking those questions instead of immediately thinking the worst.

Letting Go of the Past With Grace

My home group also reminded me that in order to welcome new things, I had to let go of the old not with anger, not with resentment, but with grace. That meant being thankful for what the past had taught me and then turning it over to God. I learned to say a simple prayer:

“God, thank you for what has been. I trust you with what’s next.”

Every time I said that prayer, I felt a little lighter. My grip on the past loosened, and my heart opened a little more to the future.

Focusing on the Good That’s on Its Way

Another thing I learned was to expect good things. When I was deep in anxiety, all I could imagine was everything going wrong. But my sponsor challenged me to list good things that could happen too. I realized that for every scary “what if,” there was a hopeful one to match it.

What if this change makes me stronger?

What if I meet new people who help me grow?

What if this is the start of something wonderful?

I didn’t have to believe those good things completely at first. I just had to be willing to consider them. Slowly, my energy shifted from fear to hope.

Trusting God With the Unknown

Most of all, I had to trust God. My faith teaches me that God is in control, even when I can’t see the whole picture. My sponsor told me,“You don’t have to understand everything to trust that God has a good plan for you.”

So now, when change comes, I still get those anxious butterflies. But I remind myself that they can be a sign of something good on the way. I turn to my home group, share about how I’m feeling, and listen to others who’ve been there. I reach out to my sponsor. And most importantly, I pray.

I ask God for the courage to let go of what no longer serves me and the faith to believe that whatever comes next will be okay.

Today, I Choose to Welcome Change

Today, I don’t fight change the way I used to. I still feel the fear, but I don’t let it stop me. I’ve learned to see change as a part of life and a chance to grow. I know that with my home group, my sponsor, and God by my side, I don’t have to face it alone.

If you’re going through change right now, know this:You can find peace too. You can let go of the past with grace. You can welcome the new with hope. And you never have to do it alone.