Stress affects everyone. In fact, one out of one of us will experience some form of stress and anxiety in our lifetime. I think stress can be summarised like this:
S spikes (that)
T take
R reality
E ever
S so
S swiftly
Consider a seismometer measuring vibrations in the earth; a spike occurs when there is a tremor or earthquake. The spikes we are talking about are sharp rises in our adrenaline and cortisol production that occur when we feel threatened or fearful of something. When these spikes occur, one part of our brain (our thinking brain) closes down and another part of our brain (our emotional brain) is left in charge. Our emotional brain thinks in extremes, in black and whites and so we lose perspective. So we become stressed because we are no longer responding to a situation thoughtfully, but emotionally! This is when we begin to feel like we are juggling too much, or simply dangling by a thread.
So what can we do when these spikes happen? I suggest we need to choose a different inner narrative. Instead of looking at everything at once and feeling overwhelmed or incapable, tell yourself to deal with things one at a time. You can even visualise it by placing each problem, issue or situation that is causing you to feel stressed into a box, and then deal with each thing in order, only opening one box at a time, giving you time and clarity to deal with the issues as you go.
There are some very simple, practical steps you can take which reduce the feeling of stress. Though none of these things remove the cause “spikes” or causes of stress, they will help you to cope better when they happen.
- Eat better – we know how important it is to eat well for our bodies, but it’s also important for our minds. Less sugary snacks and more fresh fruit and vegetables.
- Drink better – less caffeine, more water! Drink 1.6 – 2 litres of water a day.
- Sleep better – try to get an average of 7-9 hours per night.
- Breathe better – learn to breathe slowly and steadily. Take time to practise breathing exercises and get more oxygen into your body.
For Christians, are there any examples of people in the Bible who had to deal with stress? Let’s consider the situations of two men – Job and Elijah.
- Job: Having lost everything and feeling worse
through the poor counsel of friends, Job cries out to God, and for three chapters
(38-41), God then details what He is capable of! He is above all things and
nothing is beyond his power.
- “Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades or loose the cords of Orion?” (Job 38:41)
- Elijah: a man who’s life was in mortal danger, is
fleeing from an army sent to kill him and at this time, lies down and prays for
death. Instead God provides him with rest and orders him to eat, so that
he can face the challenges ahead.
- “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” (1 Kings 19:7)
To one, God instructs him to take his eyes off their immediate situation and consider who God is and what he is capable of. To the other, God responds practically with food. This is the God who cares for us; one who calls us to look at things from His eternal perspective but also is there to provide for us in the day to day. Have you ever considered some of the ways God is described in the Bible? The Psalms are full of them: a shield (Psalm 3), a shepherd (Psalm 23), a rock and fortress (Psalm 18). Any one of these metaphors reminds us of God’s might but also His protection and provision. We constantly need reminded that we are indeed His treasured possession (Malachi 3:17)! By getting a grip on these truths, we can get a better perspective on the things that make us stressed, and we can learn to rely less on ourselves, and more on the God who cares and provides.
Article by Phyllis Coulter.
