Don't Panic!: 10 Ways To Be Less Stressed

Worry. Anxiety. Pain. Disagreements. Misunderstandings. All these things and more, cause us to stray from our usually relaxed and happy-go-lucky demeanor, and stress out. I've put together a list of 10 ways to lessen your stress, and/or to terminate it.       When we have stress, when we have all these burdens weighing down on us, it compels us to act irrationally, to forget important things, to feel ill, and to be affected by all sorts of crazy side-effects! But, through and within our stress, no matter how big or small, God is always there. >>>>He's there to comfort you (2 Corinthians 1:3-4, Isaiah 66:13), to strengthen you (Philippians 4:13, Isaiah 40:29) , and to carry your burdens (Psalm 55:22) .

    1. Pray. I cannot stress this one enough! No pun intended..  Its so important to just talk to Him, to spill our heart's desires, cries, wonders, and worries to Him, and to lift each other up to Him, because prayer is our connection, our way to really communicate with the Lord. Psalm 6:9 says, " The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord accepts my prayer."  Talking to God is just like talking to your best friend -- it's really that simple, guys. Even when you don't know the exact words to say to express how you feel, He hears the deepest cries of your heart. He is God.

     2. Talk to someone you trust about your stress. Take note of one word in particular here: trust. I don't really recommend going over to your arch nemesis and pouring out the details of your dilemma. Find someone you trust and let them know your struggling. Whether this be an adult, or a person your own age, `sometimes it's just a relief to get that load off your back, and tell somebody! Hopefully, that trustworthy person won't go whisper everything you just said to someone else, but that they will pray for you. Maybe they can give you some advice. Sometimes its good to get a second opinion or outside view. And, if your situation is somewhat of a bigger issue, that person can help you find professional help, from a counselor or church leader.

     3. Slow down your schedule. This is another biggie for me. I have a sizable family, so our schedule tends to be rather back-to-back-to-back, if you know what I mean, especially during the school year. Sometimes just this, the go-go-go of it all, on top of teacher expectations, family expectations, and still having to make time for God in all of this, is what causes the stress. That's when we have to stop for a moment and get our priorities straight. If you have to remove some minor things from your schedule to accomplish the more important things on your list of priorities, such as spending time with the Lord, than so be it. Less stress, and the better work and focus you will have in the things you do.

    4. Read in Scripture about God's promises. If you're feeling hopeless or doubtful, never underestimate the power of reading the Bible and taking in the promises of love, joy, and comfort from the Lord. Always remember that the rainbow comes after the storm. And God gave us the rainbow, as a promise. Check out Psalm 119:50, Jeremiah 29:11, Matthew 11:28, Philippians 4:19!

    5. Relax. Take a bubble bath, with the works. Candles, music, low lighting. Ah.. Relaxation may help you to clear your mind, and loosen your tension. Whether you choose to go all-out with the bubble bath or to go easy with a long hot shower, be mindful that you don't take too long in the bathroom!

    6. Depending on what type of stress, go out and have stress-less fun with some friends! If what you're stressing over isn't a huge deal that will eventually blow over without a whole lot of fuss, and/or its just something that you are worried about, this tip might help! It has most definitely helped me before. Say you're extremely hung up over a huge test that you just took and you think you failed, what do you do to take your mind off of it? Go out with some friends or family and stop thinking about it! Its kind of like if you have an excruciating paper cut (c'mon, we've all had one) and you go and do something SO fun, you eventually forget about how incredibly much that little slit in your finger hurts. I suggest doing an activity that is always going, nothing slow or boring so that you start thinking about your stress again. What's the point if what you're doing is only allowing you to think about it?

    7. Take a nap. Stop thinking about everything for a while, and rest. But, be ready to face the problem when you wake up. We can't always shove things under the rug. A nap will let your mind and body rest from the exhaustion put on by stress. It can help you to wake up refreshed and ready to confront the situation with a clear view. If your stress is causing you headaches, a nap is one of the best things you can do!

    8. If you're constantly holding back tears, its okay to let them go! Trust me, you'll feel a little better after you heave that load off your shoulders. Er, out of your eyes? I can be a very emotional gal, so I can tell you from experience, if you just cry instead of holding tears back, the relief is so great! You might think its weak or babyish to cry, but truly some of the strongest people in the world cry. So, don't be afraid to cry and release that pressure from your eyes, and your heart. It will be okay.. God's gotcha!

    9. Stay healthy. At times, some can be emotional eaters. Fore example, if you are severely bored and you've got nothing better to do than walk around aimlessly in your house (though you could be helping your mom out with chores), you eat, because you think you've got nothing else to do. Or like in the movies when the girls pig out on ice cream after a big break-up. That's what you call emotional eating. When you're stressed, you might want to eat more. So, be wary and try to stick to eating healthy, nutritious food. Also, if you're bored, go out and be active!

   10. Think about ways you can lessen your stress, or solve the problem(s) that are troubling you.  In school, we're always learning about problem solving. If you're facing an issue that is small enough that can be solved or at least lessened, than you should try your hardest to find a way to compromise with the other party, or clearly and rationally make your point of view toward the subject fully known to the other party. If the stress is over something like a test, talk to your teacher about your uncertainty.

    Stress is stressful. Once you get over how obnoxious that sounds, do you see how true it is? A little bit of stress can cause more stress, which can cause even more. I am so thankful for the Almighty God that will hold me when I go through tough, challenging times. Another thing to think about is that maybe God is using the things that are stressing you out to teach you something, or to impact someone else's life by the way you handle the situation. Remember, He works in ways beyond our understanding (Job 37:5) to do great and wonderful things! The Bible also tells us in Matthew 6:34, that we shouldn't worry about tomorrow, that tomorrow will worry itself. It says that each day is sufficient in its own troubles. God is telling us to live in today, not tomorrow! Jesus could come back at anytime, so only God knows if we will even have a tomorrow. Place your trust in the hands of God, and do not worry. God's got it all figured out..

Sometimes God calms the storm. Sometimes He lets the storm rage, and He comforts His child.