Editor's Note: The following is a report on the practical applications of Bob Phillips's new book, Overcoming Anxiety and Depression: Practical Tools to Help You Deal with Negative Emotions, 2007).

There’s no shortage of troubling circumstances in life that can make you feel anxious and depressed. Whether you’re anxious about the future or depressed about the past, your negative emotions will prevent you from living the healthy life God wants you to enjoy right now.

Here’s how you can overcome anxiety and depression:

Give up the illusion of control. Understand that both anxiety and depression stem from attempts to control either the future (through worrying) or the past (by trying to change what has already happened). Realize that all such attempts are futile and a complete waste of your time and energy. Acknowledge that only God has the power to control the future and bring transformation out of what happened in the past.

Let your emotions lead you to ask questions. Realize that negative emotions are meant to alert you to danger. Rather than ignoring the anxiety and depression you feel, face your feelings and ask: “What’s going on?”, “How do I feel about it?” and “Do I want to change?”

Turn worries into prayers. Whenever an anxious thought enters your mind, decide that instead of worrying about it, you’ll pray about it. Pray as often as you think about whatever is troubling you. Know that, unlike worry, prayer actually accomplishes something positive.

Discipline your mind. Pay attention to what you’re choosing to think about. Rather than dwelling on your troubles, decide to think about what’s true, good, right, pure, beautiful, and praiseworthy. Read and meditate on Scripture often to saturate your mind with the right kinds of thoughts. Pray for the Holy Spirit to renew your mind every day.

Don’t blame illness when the problem is poor choices. Know that most of the anxiety or depression people experience isn’t due to mental illness in the medical sense, but is due instead to emotional pain caused by poor choices they’ve made. Be honest with yourself about what choices you may have made that have contributed to your anxiety or depression. Consider such potential causes as: broken and conflicted relationships; unspoken, unfulfilled, or  unrealistic expectations of life; guilt over not doing what you should do; disobedience; lack of exercise; poor diet or overeating; too much television; not accepting responsibility; prolonged sleep loss; faulty reasoning; emptiness and loneliness; lack of meaning and purpose; alienation and separation; buildup of various stressful events; the death of a loved one; the inability to adjust to and accept hurtful experiences; the unwillingness to let go of the past and forgive others; and a low self-image or high standards of perfection. Pray for the courage you need to face your problems instead of running from them. Know that once you take responsibility for your own attitudes and actions, you’ll start to grow in maturity, which will lead to healing.