meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
The Anxiety Coaches Podcast

1186: Classic ACP Serenity Prayer For Anxiety 5 Reminders

The Anxiety Coaches Podcast

Gina Ryan

Mental Health, Religion & Spirituality, Health & Fitness

4.61.9K Ratings

🗓️ 19 October 2025

⏱️ 17 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In today's episode, Gina shares with listeners the Serenity Prayer (popularized by Alcoholics Anonymous) and how it can help those of us suffering from anxiety. Though the prayer is thought to have been written by Protestant theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, the prayer is non-denominational and even applicable for those of us who are not religious at all. The messages contained in this prayer are both personal and universal.


Please visit our Sponsor Page to find all the links and codes for our awesome sponsors!

https://www.theanxietycoachespodcast.com/sponsors/



Thank you for supporting The Anxiety Coaches Podcast.


FREE MUST-HAVE RESOURCE FOR Calming Your Anxious Mind

10-Minute Body-Scan Meditation for Anxiety


Anxiety Coaches Podcast Group Coaching link

ACPGroupCoaching.com


To learn more, go to:

Website https://www.theanxietycoachespodcast.com

Join our Group Coaching Full or Mini Membership Program

Learn more about our One-on-One Coaching

What is anxiety?



Find even more peace and calm with our Supercast premium access membership:


For $5 a month, all episodes are ad-free! https://anxietycoaches.supercast.com/


Here's what's included for $5/month:

❤ New Ad-Free episodes every Sunday and Wednesday

❤ Access to the entire Ad-free back-catalog with over 600 episodes

❤ Premium meditations recorded with you in mind

❤ And more fun surprises along the way!

All this in your favorite podcast app!


You can't calm the storm, so stop trying. What you can do is calm yourself. The storm will pass. -Timber Hawkeye


Chapters

0:27 Introduction to the Serenity Prayer

4:08 Embracing Acceptance

5:49 Finding Courage Within

8:04 The Journey of Challenges

9:32 The Power of Surrender

12:00 Discovering Joy and Happiness


Summary

In this episode of the Anxiety Coaches Podcast, I delve into the profound significance of the Serenity Prayer, a cornerstone in many discussions surrounding anxiety and acceptance. While we have touched on the prayer previously, today’s episode aims to explore it in depth, offering five key reminders to help individuals summon its wisdom in challenging times.


We begin by revisiting the essence of the Serenity Prayer, originally penned by Reinhold Niebuhr. Most people recognize its familiar lines, “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.” Despite its Christian roots, the prayer has transcended religious boundaries, allowing anyone grappling with life's uncertainties to find solace within its message. The universality and simplicity of the language are what make it stick, serving as a mantra for countless individuals seeking peace amidst the chaos of their thoughts and feelings.


Through my discussion, I emphasize the importance of acceptance as a foundational element in achieving serenity. Acceptance, often misconstrued as complacency or passivity, is an active engagement with reality. It requires recognizing the limits of our control and redirecting our energy toward aspects of life that we can influence. I encourage listeners to reflect on the areas of their lives where acceptance is essential, underscoring that embracing this concept can lead to a more peaceful existence without equating it to surrendering to defeat.


#SerenityPrayer, #AnxietyCoachesPodcast, #MentalHealth, #Acceptance, #Courage, #Wisdom, #Surrender, #PersonalGrowth, #AnxietyRelief, #InnerPeace, #FaithAndTrust, #KnowTheDifference, #ChangeWhatYouCan, #LifeJourney, #PanicAttackRecovery, #CalmTheStorm, #SelfCare, #NervousSystem, #InspirationalQuotes, #WiseWords, #TimberHawkeye, #Niebuhr, #AAWisdom, #Humility, #UniversalTruth, #FindYourSerenity, #DailyPractice, #HabitChange, #SelfImprovement, #MakeAShift, #BeBrave, #StayStrong, #SelfReflection, #ConsciousLiving, #GinaRyan, #ACP

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Welcome to the anxiety coaches podcast, a relaxing and informative show where we explore anxiety, panic, and PTSD, sharing how you can overcome them for life.

0:23.2

Aloha.

0:24.3

Welcome back to the Anxiety Coaches podcast.

0:27.7

I'm your host and coach, Gina Ryan,

0:30.4

and I am so happy to be with you again today

0:34.2

as together we can consider the many ways to bring your mind and body back to its

0:40.6

natural peace and calm. In today's episode, I want to talk to you about the serenity prayer.

0:48.3

And I know that we have covered the serenity prayer here in passing, but today I want to talk about it specifically and leave you

0:57.3

with five reminders that can help you call up the serenity prayer in times that it will really

1:04.6

serve you. And now on to our serenity prayer. This is something that most people have heard of.

1:13.6

You're probably familiar with it from Alcoholics Anonymous or it's in many books and movies and

1:22.4

it's all over the place. So if you've heard it, just know that it is a prayer, and it was written originally

1:31.7

by Reinhold Niebuhr, and it is a longer prayer that he wrote, but we are only reminded of these

1:41.7

very first lines. And that's what we're going to talk about today. That's what has

1:48.1

been made so popular, and it's actually been made secular, although it started as a Christian

1:55.4

prayer. So let me just read it to you in case you're wondering what it is, and then we're going to dive right

2:02.5

into it. God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change

2:12.2

the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference. This is a very important way of being able to look at our lives.

2:25.0

And although this was written as, like I said, a Christian prayer and they do use the word God,

2:30.8

I've been in many rooms where people are talking just in a very secular manner about this

2:37.5

prayer. So don't be afraid to use it. It is one that will hold very close to your heart. And

2:44.6

hopefully after today's show, you'll have some reminders as to how you can go even deeper with it.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Gina Ryan, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Gina Ryan and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.