We’re one month into the new year, and you may have already experienced some kind of stress. Each day presents its own issues, and the only real solution we can rely on is how we respond to those issues.
It’s easy for us to dwell on situations that bring us stress, which often only increases the stress we are under, but Jesus calls us to not be anxious about the difficulties we face (Matthew 6:25-34). How then should we do that?
Ecclesiastes 11:10 classifies dealing with stress as an action: “Banish anxiety from your mind, and put away pain from your body; for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.”
The word banish is translated from the Hebrew word Sur (סוּר) and it is an action that depicts moving an object away from one’s presence. Of course, the term here is used figuratively, since stress is not a physical object we can grab or hold. Nonetheless, there are actions we can take to remove stress away from us.
Here are some actions you can incorporate in your life to help deal with stress. Remember, actions require practice for them to be a part of our life, so if you want to get to a place where you naturally respond to stress in a better way, then you will need to make a concentrated effort to approach stress differently.
Meditation and prayer
Sometimes prayer can cause anxiety because we feel like we need to say the perfect things, but sometimes allowing your prayers to be a focused silence or meditation can help calm stress. Meditation allows you to clear your mind and realize the world still moves, even if you don’t do anything about it.
Remember, God is the one in control, and God is faithful and loving. Meditation and prayer can help us remember that even if things don’t go our way, God remains faithful and loving to us.
Reading with hot cup of tea
There’s something about a nice hot cup of tea that just relaxes you. A warm herbal tea can provide you with various benefits like help with your digestion, soothe cold symptoms and give you better sleep.
Reading is also an exercise that can reduce stress and help improve sleep, while also improving, your literacy, knowledge your ability to focus.
Go outside for a walk
Enjoy the day outside during a walk. Pay attention to nature, focusing on how the sun shines or the wind blows. Look at the birds, the plants and other people. Get to know the world around you, notice how beautiful it is and be thankful you have the opportunity to witness it.
Life goes by so quickly, and we cannot add or take any time away from it. So let us not waste our time here with stress. Instead, let us enjoy what God has provided us and seek first the kingdom of God.
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