Nearly half of all U.S. adults say that stress has negatively affected their behavior according to singlecare.com. It goes on to mention that “Stress isn’t technically a disease, although it can have lasting effects on an individual’s mental health. Rather, it’s a response. Specifically, it’s one of the body’s natural physical, mental, and emotional reactions to an external stressor. Frequently the source of stress is rooted in change—a big move, a new project, a wedding, etc. But it can also stem from a person’s surroundings, like an aggressive boss or a tense conversation.”
Pretty much every person deals with at least some level of stress in their lives. Stress will always be part of our lives. The question is, how will we deal with it? Within the past few years, we have had more things to stress about than ever before. We must not be quick to rush past what we recently walked through as a nation, and not take time to make sure we are addressing the stress levels in our lives and taking proper action.
As believers, we know that our hope is in Jesus. In Philippians 4:6-7 it reads “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. T-hen you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
The best way to live stress-free is to not take the place of God. As a pastor, leader, and parent, it’s easy to forget who is really in control. The more we try to control situations and people, the more stress we will add to our lives. God’s peace is not only available when life is going smooth, it’s available even in a storm. Our first response to stress should always b to lay it at God’s feet. We cannot afford to try to run the show on our own. Trust me, it never goes well.
On the practical side, we can eliminate stress by learning how to properly manage it. In my book get up and grow, I use this simple process to help manage stress by implementing a daily review using 4 key questions.
What did I get done?
What did I not get done today?
Why did it not get done?
What am I going to get done today?
By taking a daily inventory of how you are doing, and what needs to get done, you will begin to find yourself getting more done, with way less stress.
If you want to read more about how to practically address stress in your life, you can read a previous article I wrote here on the 9 ways to address stress.
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