Stressed Out? Find the Will to Chill

Written by Andrea Bailer

This article is courtesy of Christian Single.

"I'm so stressed out!" According to a survey conducted by Prevention magazine, 73 percent of adults say they feel great stress on a weekly basis. If you're one of the stressed, you've probably become accustomed to your muscles feeling clenched and tense, your time commitments exceeding hours in the day, and you may frequently feel pressed, exhausted, or overwhelmed.
 

Living With Less

Although we're often too busy to pay attention, our minds and bodies are begging for a break from life's constant demands. Unfortunately, relaxing is not always easy or convenient in today's fast-paced culture. Juggling careers, church, friends, and hobbies, we don't know how to slow down, or we even feel guilty for taking time out for ourselves.
 
Relaxation, the biblical foundation for rest and play, is an important health benefit. Read on to discover the dangers of stress, and challenge yourself to learn fresh ways to unwind at work or in the comfort of your own home.

What You Don't Want to Hear
Stress is more dangerous than we thought. You've probably heard that it can raise your blood pressure, increasing the likelihood of a stroke in the distant future, but recently a health insurance brochure claimed that 90 percent of visits to a primary care physician were stress-related disorders. Health Psychology reports that chronic stress can interfere with the normal function of the body's immune system. And studies have proven that stressed individuals have an increased vulnerability to catching an illness and are more susceptible to allergic, autoimmune, or cardiovascular diseases.
 
Dr. Bill Thompson, professor of exercise and stress management at Belmont University, says that during chronic stress, the functions of the body that are nonessential to survival, such as the digestive and immune systems, shut down. "This is why people get sick," he says. "There are also many occurrences of psychosomatic illness, an illness with an emotional or psychological side to it."
 
Furthermore, stress often prompts people to respond in unhealthy ways such as smoking, drinking alcohol, eating poorly, or becoming physically inactive. This damages the body in addition to the wear and tear of the stress itself.

Burnout Is Not Biblical
Even if you already knew about the negative effects of stress, you're probably saying to yourself, But I don't have time to relax or take a vacation. People depend on me!
 
God does not consider us unfaithful servants when we need to stop and rest. In fact, the Bible makes frequent mention of peace, quietness, and restoration. Psalm 23:2-3a says, "He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He renews my life," (Holman Christian Standard Bible). God designed our bodies to have a limited capacity for emotional, spiritual, mental, and physical stress, so we would have to take time away from work and responsibilities. He intended for us to balance our labor with recreation and rest.
 
When God finished the task of creating the world, He celebrated by resting and invites us to continue this pattern in our own lives. Jesus took time to refresh Himself by getting away on His own or with His disciples. Mark 6:31-32 says, "He said to them, 'Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest a while.' … So they went away in the boat by themselves to a remote place," (HCSB).

Every Day Matters
The truth is, we must learn to be as intentional about relaxing as we are about our work, remaining realistic yet firm. If every day you feel like you've got to get things done no matter the cost, think for a minute what would happen if you ended up sick because of overworking yourself. Who would perform all of your must-do work then?
 
Although an expensive getaway with no work distractions sounds like a dreamy solution, consider taking just 20 minutes a day to do a few things from the following list. These alternatives will help you destress when you can't get away — literally.

1. Get up and do some stretches. Rotate your shoulders, turn your head from side to side, and touch your toes.
2. Give your eyes a break. Look into the distance. Find a window and focus on something else for awhile.
3. Meditate on a Scripture verse. Try John 14:27. 
4. Do deep breathing. Close your eyes. Inhale through your nose to the count of 10. Your upper abdomen should rise. Exhale to the count of 10. Repeat five to 10 times.
5. Perform progressive muscle relaxation. Visualize each part of your body relaxing and the tension draining away.
6. Use imagery. Allow your imagination to take you to your favorite memory, vacation spot, or a place you'd like to be.
7. Try writing. Journal about stressful events and how you felt during those times. You can turn this into a prayer.
8. Laugh or cry when you feel the urge. Both are part of the natural emotional healing process.
9. Indulge in a leisurely activity that you enjoy. It may be shopping, gardening, art, or playing with pets.
10. Talk to a friend or family member about your feelings, making sure you convey your emotions in a reasonable, respectful manner.
11. Spend some time near a river or lake. Enjoy the sight and sound of the water.
12. Listen to relaxing instrumental music. Look for piano, cello, or harp arrangements on CDs.
13. Practice time management. Make a list and prioritize your tasks. Take a look at what you really have to do, and if necessary, eliminate or delegate. Get organized. Leave early for appointments to reduce traffic-related stress.
14. Ask a friend for a hand massage. The nerves are highly concentrated in this area.
15. Light a fire. Gaze at the flames and feel the warmth.

Relax! Your Life Needs It!
It's a sobering fact: The pressures of stress associated with constantly trying to do too much will shorten our productive lives. We don't have time not to exercise, rest, and give ourselves a desperately needed respite. Relaxing allows us more time in life to do what we really want to do. So go ahead and relax! Your life needs it.