Nine Ways to Kiss Stress Good-bye
The
last few months have been exceptionally hectic for our family. Between
homeschooling, ministry, building a house, short-term mission groups,
writing, and life in general, I sometimes find myself feeling that all I
do is run from early morning to late at night.
It doesn’t really matter what your job is or what you are going through at the moment, we
all understand and experience stress on a daily basis, both good and
bad. A couple weeks ago I wrote this post for my International Christian
Fiction blog, and thought I'd shared it with you this week.
As
I grow older, I've noticed that it is essential to find both quiet and
balance in all the chaos. Especially when my 'jobs' are never ending.
For example, as a writer, between writing, brainstorming, editing, and
marketing, and social networking my job is never finished. And that is
just one segment of my life!
Seth Godin has a great blog post on Dancing on the Edge of Finished that
really got me thinking about how while it might be true that there is
always one more things to do, my life should be "a dance, not an endless
grind." It started me thinking about the importance of finding that
balance in my life.
So here are nine things I'm trying to implement to help kiss stress good-bye!
Learn To Say No: Michael Hyatt recently had a blog post dealing
with the importance of saying no. We can only do so many things in a
day, and as hard as it might be, sometimes we have to say no.
Delegate: Are
your kids old enough to take on extra responsibilities around the
house? Can you call on a friend to help you out on a project? It’s easy
to want to keep that control and do it all ourselves, but there is also a
blessing in having others pitch in and help.
Exercise: I
always see a difference in the way I feel when I stick to my exercise
routine. I feel better, I’m healthier, and more relaxed. Exercise can
improve so many aspects of our lives both mentally and physically by
improving our mood, combatting disease, and boosting our energy.
Positive Self-talk: I’ve
been amazed at how many time the Bible talks about the importance of
our thoughts. Paul says in Philippians 4:8 that we should be thinking
about things that are true, pure, and lovely. He also says in 2
Corinthians 19:5 to take captive every captive and make it obedient to
Christ.
Keep in Tune with the Spirit: In
connection with positive self-talk, it is important to look at what are
we filling our minds with? If we are filling our minds with constant
negativity from the media and television, it’s hard to be in tune with
the Holy Spirit and his active roll in our lives.
Remember You’re not Superwoman or Superman: (And
you don't have to be.) It’s so easy to compare ourselves with others,
and believe that we have to do it all ourselves. We look at others
around us and feel as if we fall short when we can't keep up. Putting
reasonable expectations on ourselves is essential to cutting out
stress.
Prioritize: Have
you ever heard the old expression, "How do you eat an elephant? One
bite at a time." It means that when you are facing an overwhelming
situation that feels too big to handle, you need to take a deep breath
and don't panic. My own kids, for example, start to panic when they find
out they have to write a research paper, until I tell them not to focus
on the overall goal, but instead the mini-steps they will take to get
there. Break things down into small pieces. One thing at a time. One day
at a time. It really does make a difference.
Laugh more: I have some good friends who send me links to funny You Tube videos because they know how important laughter is. The saying is true that laughter is the best medicine!
1 What about you? I’d love to hear your ideas of what helps you handle stress.
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by lisa Harris
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