Juggling priorities with church, work, and family commitments can take a toll on life and may be overwhelming. With the pressures, and demands of our busy lives, taking a break from all stresses becomes a challenge. However, managing stress does not take long. Stress is normal, but when you feel burned out you can follow these suggestions to conquer your stress:
• Understand the cause and root of your stress. Is it your personality? If so, intentionally work on it, so life will not be as stressful. Take this quiz to find out if you have Type A personality: http://stress.about.com/library/Type_A_quiz/ bl_Type_A_quiz.htm.
• Slow down, take a deep breath, and relax. Try this series, occasionally, throughout the day:
1. Lie or sit down.
2. Inhale through your nose while counting slowly to four. Feel your stomach rise.
3. Hold your breath for a second.
4. Slowly count to four while you exhale through your mouth.
Your stomach will slowly fall.
• Guided imagery. Use music, visuals, or even your own imagination to provide a sense of peace and relaxation. Some sample images include beaches, sunny skies, landscapes, nature, and others.
• Use music as a helpful tool to give you an overall good feeling.
• Select slower and quieter songs such as hymns, some classical music, and sounds of nature.
• Singing along can reduce tension.
• Exercise. This is a highly recommended method to reduce your stress. Take a walk during your lunch break, play a favorite sport, go to the gym with your friends, and—if you are physically fit—let your aggressions out with high-impact exercises such as cardio kickboxing.
• Studies on prayer reveal its benefits and power in reducing stress. Some statistics from these studies include:
• Hospitalized people who never attend church have an average stay of three times longer than those who attend regularly.
• Heart patients were 14 times more likely to die following surgery if they did not participate in a religion.
• Elderly people who never, or rarely, attended church had a stroke rate double that of those who attended regularly.
Stress can be defined as a person’s response to life’s events and other daily activities. Stress comes in various forms. It can be positive, motivating, and bring out the best in us—called eustress. Some examples include:
• Getting a promotion
• Getting married or having a baby
• The holidays
• Purchasing a new car
• Running and competing in a marathon or race
• Public speaking
Distress is a commonly known form of stress with negative implications for both body and mind. Stress, related to both external and internal factors, affects the impact upon your health depending on how well you handle stress and how healthy you are. When stress gets out of control, it can be insidious, threatening, and cause many diseases including heart-related diseases. Other health problems that stress can exacerbate include:
• Pain of any kind
• Digestive problems
• Sleep problems
• Depression
• Obesity
• Autoimmune diseases
• Skin conditions, such as eczema and psoriasis
Ministry is as challenging and stressful as many other vocations. Identify and clearly set boundaries in your work as well as practice good time management (i.e., avoid workaholism and not completing tasks). Take some time off. Build close connections and support systems. Be sure to eat well, exercise, and get a proper amount of sleep. Have fun and relax.
Finally, remember the message of Psalm 23—the Lord is our Shepherd, and we have no needs that He will not provide, have no need to fear anything, and will dwell with Him forever.
Medical consultants: Allan Handysides and Peter Landless.
