Monday Morning Memo: Stressed?

Several weeks ago, I was thinking about the things in our lives that cause us stress.  I came to the conclusion that not all stress is created equally.

I think all of us endure stress at times from people or situations out of our control.  Others make choices that aren’t wise and as a result, we are affected and we find ourselves experiencing stress.  People often think that what they say or do has little to do with those around them, but unfortunately, that just isn’t true.  It would be good for all of us to remember that our decisions do often have a trickle down affect on our family, friends and co-workers.  Because of this, it is important that we care enough about them to want to live a Christ-following life filled with the right choices.

Of course there are also times when we endure stress because of the choices we ourselves have made.  An over packed schedule, an unhealthy drive to climb the corporate ladder, a perfectionist attitude and expectations towards us and others (ouch!), an unhealthy diet, a lack of exercise, etc. etc. etc.…can all cause us to be overwhelmed with stress.  Day in and day out these things just keep building up and it doesn’t take long until our stomach is in knots, we are irritable with everyone around us and we find ourselves just enduring every moment of the day.

Well now…hasn’t this been an uplifting thing to read to start your week?  Let’s face it…life is filled with stress and it can have a powerful impact on our daily life and on the lives of those around us.  So if we know that it is a fact of life, should we just throw our hands up in the air and give up trying to be a calmer, more peaceful example to those with whom we come in contact?

As I contemplated this recently, I came to the conclusion that for me, I needed to begin pinpointing those things in my life that cause me stress that I can control.  I think too often we just keep pointing our finger at everything and everyone else, blaming them for all the tension we are experiencing, instead of working on that for which we are responsible. 

I began looking for small things that could be rather easily accomplished that would begin to lower my stress threshold and as we walked into our house one day…I realized what the first thing should be.  We usually come in through our garage and the first thing we see as we walk through the door is our kitchen table.   Just past the table is the end of our kitchen counter and believe it or not…those two items, the table and the counter, have been causing stress in my life.

The reason is that these two areas have become our “catch-all” locations.  What I mean by that is that when we enter our home, we often put things on either or both of these surfaces.  Mail, various papers, purses, non-perishable groceries, jackets, hats, gloves, church bulletins, books, etc. are put down and we have every intention of taking care of those things in a timely manner.  But, unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen and it doesn’t take very long until both surfaces become rather cluttered.

Now I’m sure some of you are rolling your eyes about now and wondering what the big deal is about this and why in the world this would cause me stress.  To be honest…I’m not sure why…but I realized that just about every time I walk through our home and see one or both of these disorganized areas, my stomach tightens up.  Yep, you might call the men in white coats because of this confession of mine, but for me I finally recognized that this was something I could change that would be a step in the right direction in lowering my stress.

Have these areas remained completely cleared off since my “revelation”?  No, but they are about 95% better.  I now think before I put something down and ask myself if the item’s final resting place is on that surface or can I just go ahead and put it where it belongs to begin with and not have to handle it twice.  It may sound crazy…but this small step is making a difference in my quest to lower my level of stress.

Why in the world would I share something with my readers that is so trivial?  Because I believe that too often we feel trapped and overwhelmed in our life and feel helpless to do anything about it.  But that’s how Satan wants us to feel!  He wants us to feel like there is nothing at all that will make a difference…but he is wrong!  With God, all things are possible and He is able to help us change our circumstances…one small step at a time.

Are you feeling stressed and overwhelmed?  Have you convinced yourself that this is just the way your life is going to be and you have no way of turning the tide?  In a loving way I want to tell you that you are wrong!  Begin by asking God to show you small ways to lessen your anxiety and then begin acting on whatever He tells you to do.  In other words…start doing something, no matter how small, to improve your emotional health. You may need to begin listening to Christian music…or help someone else that is worse off than you…or begin exercising or eating healthier…or reevaluate your calendar to see where you are overextending yourself…or even clean off your counter and table. 

God so desperately wants to walk with you on this journey and promises to guide you every step of the way.  So start paying attention today to those things, big or small, that are hindering you from experiencing God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:7)

“The LORD gives strength to his people;

the LORD blesses his people with peace.”

Psalm 29:11

P.S.  Have you found a way to lower stress in your life?  If so, why not share it with us.  Your “revelations” might help someone else who is trying to find ways to begin to lower their anxiety and stress.