Posted on April 14, 2020
“Do not fear, for I am with you; I will
strengthen you and help you” -Isaiah 41:10
There are many
reasons why we should worry today. Viruses, diseases, subtle (and not so
subtle) acts of terrorism, natural disasters, violence, crime, financial
crises’, personal and relational stressors, and on and on. Worry, stress
and anxiety is not only toxic…but contagious. It will run rampant through
every area of our lives if we don’t take measures to curb it on its onslaught.
In addition to the
necessary spiritual practices such as reading the Word of God and spending time
in prayer, there are additional measures we should be incorporating in order to
combat the mounting stress.
Here are 9 ways that
will help us to stress less (yes, please!)
1) Count Your
Blessings
Yes, count your
blessings! Counting our blessings isn’t some cliche statement—it works!
Do you take as much time reflecting on what’s good in your life as you do with
what’s wrong? Counting your blessings could be the difference between a
happy day (and happy life) and a stressed one.
When thoughts of
worry start to creep in, blinding you from your many blessings, capture those
thoughts immediately and begin thinking about what God has blessed you
with. In doing so, your mood will immediately begin to change for the
better. According to research from the University of California,
meditating on what you’re grateful for reduces the stress hormone cortisol by
about 25%. They also found that people who worked daily to cultivate an
attitude of gratitude didn’t only experience an improved mood but increased
energy levels and over-all physical well-being as well.
The minute you start
feeling worried or anxious, re-direct your thoughts to what you’re grateful
for. It will be an instantaneous mood-lift.
Philippians
4:6: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every
situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to
God.”
2) Avoid ‘What
If’s’
All of us are guilty
of it—“What if this happens?” “What if that happens?” What
if, what if, what if! ‘What if’ statements throw fuel on already hot
coals. The reality of an outcome in a particular situation could go a million
different ways, only God knows what will happen in the future (one minute, one
day, one year from now), so the more time we spend worrying about what may or
may not happen in the coming weeks and months, the more valuable time we steal
from our lives today and from making it more positive moving
forward.
When life throws a
curve ball, instead of asking the “What if” questions, accept
what ‘is’ right now. Do what you can, and then tell God you trust Him
with the outcome…and then, go on enjoying your precious life.
Jeremiah
29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,
“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a
future.”
3) Glass
Half-Full
When we look at a
potential outcome with a positive point of view—all that is good and all that
could go right—we douse stress flames instead of fanning them. We
are in control of our minds, our thoughts and how we choose to interpret life’s
events. We have (and have always had) a choice to be optimistic or
pessimistic. Because we have thousands of thoughts running through our
minds every day, we need to give our wandering brain a little help. We
can do this by intentionally selecting positive things to think about and
meditate on—especially when things aren’t going as planned.
When you catch
yourself wandering into the future, try to think about all that could go right.
Remind yourself of all the things in the past that once worried you, but
actually turned out for the better. By redirecting your thought patterns
onto paths leading to positive outcomes, we not only train our minds to go
there—but we lead our lives there as well.
Philippians
4:8: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true,
whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,
whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such
things.”
4) Disconnect
Don’t subscribe to
FOMO—the ‘fear of missing out.’ You’re not missing anything good
(especially today!), and even if you do, so what if it’s an hour or two
later? Making time to go completely offline is not only crucial for our
mental health but helps us to be ‘present’ for and to enjoy our real
lives. Not only that, your mind and soul will thank you for it in more
ways than one.
When we are bound to
our phones, the Internet, social media, work, emails, whatever—all the time—we
expose ourselves to a constant, never-ending barrage of potential
stressors. Forcing ourselves to shut-off from the constant bombardment of
mental-noise gives our brain the chance to relieve tension and
recuperate. This creates much needed time to relax and recharge.
Studies have shown
that even something as simple as an intermittent email break can lower stress
levels. We are not suggesting selling the house and moving to Hawaii, but
we are suggesting little mental breaks of disconnection here and there.
Start with one hour off-line. You will immediately feel more relaxed and
rejuvenated. As you get more comfortable blocking off time, gradually
expand to longer periods throughout the week.
John 14:27: “Peace
I leave with you; My Peace I give you. I do not give as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled…”.
5) Limit Caffeine
Gasp! Yes, it’s true
that drinking caffeine triggers a release of adrenaline. To put this in
perspective, adrenaline is the source of the “fight or flight” response—the
actual survival mechanism that forces us to stand up and fight or run for the hills.
This is great if we’re being chased by a crocodile, but it is not great when
we’re trying to incorporate more (mental) rest and less stress into our lives.
Start by eliminating
one cup of coffee during the day and, if possible, remove it from the menu
completely in the evening. If limiting an extra cup of Joe or two equates
to less stress and more relaxing—count us in! Right?
Proverbs 3:5: “Trust
in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding…”.
6) Sleep
When discussing the
management of stress-levels, this tip can not be over-stated. Our brains
literally re-charge when we sleep. Think about it this way, what happens
to a battery when it is not properly charged? It either won’t work right
or won’t work at all. The exact same thing can be said about our minds
and bodies. Sleep deprivation raises stress-hormone levels on its
own—without any additional stressors. There is already enough stress
built into our daily quarantined lives without having to add additional
stressors. No matter how busy you are trying to make-do during COVID-19,
always make the time to get a decent night’s rest.
John 11:12: “His
disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.”
How will he get
better? IF he sleeps!
7) No Negative
Self-Talk
We have the
incredible power (through Christ) to speak what ISN’T into existence (Romans 4:17).
When we speak negatively about ourselves, we inadvertently give those negative
statements power to manifest in our lives. Not only does negative
self-talk make us infinitely more stressed, it also brings more of what
we don’t want into our lives. Keep in mind that negative
thoughts are just thoughts—not facts—so we do not have to adopt them as
truth. It’s also wise to acknowledge that negative thoughts are often
whispered to us by the enemy. If we know God—what He says about us and
how He speaks about us—and if we recognize that speaking negativity hurts us,
then that should be enough to deter us from ever proclaiming a lie over our
lives.
General rule of
thumb: If it’s negative about yourself, don’t say it. If it’s positive,
proclaim it loudly and often. Always say what you WANT, never what you
don’t want.
Proverbs
18:21: “The tongue has the power of life and death, and
those who love it will eat its fruit.”
8) Cross-examine
Perspective
Stress and worry is
often fueled by our own skewed perception of a situation. We tend to
blame the stress we feel on an event that is completely out of our control such
as morning traffic (when real life is in session), unforeseen car trouble, a
colleague’s rude attitude, etc. We will never be able to control all
circumstances that happen in life, but we absolutely can control how we respond
to them.
If you find yourself
dwelling on something that is causing you stress, take a minute to examine your
perspective. Ask yourself, “Is this really that big of a deal?” Is
there anything you can do about it? If the situation and its potential
outcome is out of your control, it is 100% futile to spend any time worrying
about it. More often than not however, when we break something down to
its core we discover that we’re giving the situation far more weight (and
stress) than it deserves. Do what you can and leave the rest to God.
Matthew
6:25-27: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,
what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is it
not more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of
the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly
Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can
any of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”
9) Angels in the room
It is tempting (yet
ineffective) to try and tackle everything on our own. We need to
recognize our weaknesses and then ask for help when necessary. When you
are feeling overwhelmed in life, lean into your divinely constructed support
system…those people in your life God has divinely placed to be there for
you. Everyone has someone who is genuinely there for them, rooting for
them, ready to help and make room when needed. These people can be called
our “angels in the room.” Identify these people and seek their insights
and assistance. Sometimes it is just as simple as needing to talk about
what is worrying you. This provides you with an excellent outlet…and
quite possibly a new perspective on a situation as well. Other people
tend to point out a solution because they are not as emotionally invested
as we are.
Asking for help and
leaning on those you trust most will help you mitigate a lot of stress from
your daily routine. It may also strengthen your relationships with
them—they are there for you and you are there for them—win win!
Proverbs
17:17: “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born
for a time of adversity.”
In conclusion, always
remember that chronic worry, anxiety and fear is not from God. Fear is
the opposite of faith, and as Scripture tells us, ‘worry will not add
one hour to our lives.’ Whenever you begin feeling anxious, practice
implementing these tips—and then give it all to God. The faster we entrust Him
with all of life’s situations and outcomes, the faster we can get busy enjoying
our lives–even from quarantine! When we do our part, God will do His.
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