Your whole body is tense waiting at the stoplight. If you are late one more time, you are going to be in big trouble. Your term paper is due tomorrow and you have not even started it yet. Just when you want to lie down and rest, the baby starts crying again.
All of these scenarios can be sources of stress. Helping with church work and being able to stay home and raise my two little children is a blessing for me; but, sometimes it can cause an incredible amount of stress if I am not careful. I have learned (and am still learning) how to deal with the ordinary stresses of everyday life. The following tips have been helpful to me and I would like to share them with you:
- Learn to Relax – Include exercise such as walking, swimming or gardening into your schedule.
- Develop a Positive Attitude Towards Pressures – Instead of complaining about the many things to do, think about the positive results you will achieve after your work. Constant complaining only reinforces stress and increases its destructiveness.
- Keep a Regular Schedule – Life changes are a primary source of stress. Whenever possible, endeavor to keep a regular schedule for daily activities.
- Take Charge of Your Life – Taking control over your own life is important. If we feel that we are constantly being pushed by people or by outside pressures instead of being the initiating force, intense frustration will result. We need to mark out periods each day in which we choose the activities or duties.
- Identify the Sources of Stress – Many times we can diminish the negative effects of stress when we realize the sources. Sometimes more stress is added to our lives because we accept more projects than we can handle.
- Look Beyond the Immediate and Temporary Towards Long-Term Perspectives – By having goals and a purpose for which to aim our life, the ordinary stresses of each day become more endurable. Keep life full of anticipation and hope and work towards making that vision a reality.
Most of all, trust in God. Remember that He is always near to listen to our worries, to comfort us, and to help us in our troubles. The Bible says, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you” (I Peter 5:7). “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee” (Isaiah 26:3). May you always have the perfect peace from above!
