Destress from the Stress
EVERY DAY BRINGS A CHOICE: TO PRACTICE STRESS OR PRACTICE PEACE.
We have all kinds of relationships in our life. Relationships with colleagues, family, friends and strangers. We have a relationship with food, money, fear, anxiety and STRESS. Every day we have a choice on how those relationships hold space in our life. Instead of looking at stress as this GIANT we must conquer, what if you looked at stress like a relationship?
Is the stress you are feeling helping you or hindering you? Is it giving you the boldness to take a chance or retreat in fear? In those moments, look at stress as a relationship and it will become manageable.
Opportunities for stress are as common in our everyday life as breathing. You don’t have to look far to have a “stress opportunity” appear. It can be simple as heading to an important job interview and then getting a flat tire on the way. It can be an unexpected bill when you don’t have the money.
Remember, stress is not always your reality. So step back from the situation that may be causing the stress and evaluate. For example, “I’m in this situation requiring me to be in front of a crowd, so I am having the feelings of stress and my body is responding accordingly.” Once you step back, talk to yourself and your body, you will gain a healthy perspective you need to move forward.
Stress never asks if this is a good time to get stressed!
“Peace is the result of retraining your mind to process life as it is, rather than as you think it should be." Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
Philippians 4:7 “Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.” Message Bible
Good Stress vs Bad Stress
"Good stress" is a type of stress we feel when we are excited. Our pulse quickens, our energy may go up because there is no threat or fear. You may feel this surge of good stress when you try something new like a cooking class, when you go on a first date, house hunting or when you are interviewing for a new job.
“Bad stress or chronic stress” occurs when we repeatedly face stressors that take a heavy toll on us or when we feel inescapable. Some examples may be a stressful job where you don’t get a release from the stress or toxic people who are continually around you. This ongoing stress has negative health effects both emotionally and physically when experienced over time.
SUCCESSFUL STEPS TO DESTRESS
1. Adjust Your Mindset. How is the stress speaking to you and how are you speaking to the stress?
2. Ask yourself some questions. What is the stress/situation that is weighing on me? Why is it putting stress on me? “Soul, why are you downcast?”
3. Don’t worry about tomorrow. There is a difference “to plan ahead” verses worrying about things in the future you don’t even know how they will turn out (that is the fuel that feeds the stress.)
4. Get refueled (walk, dance, talk to a friend, workout)
5. Ask for help and delegate to others to take things off your plate.
6. What is ONE thing you can do to move through/past this stress?
7. Believe in yourself and remind yourself of your strengths.
8. Change the station. Change the thought pattern from “I am stressed” to “I am energized” or “I am excited by this opportunity.”
This I know my friend, stress needs to be monitored so it doesn’t go from good to bad or bad to worse. By changing our thoughts about stress, our reaction to stressful moments AND creating a healthy relationship (like your relationship with food, alcohol, money, success, etc.,) with the stress, you can start using it to your advantage to move you forward and start living your dreams.