Change of any kind whether positive or negative is stressful.
While stress is “just part of life”, too much can be “distress”.
Dr. Thomas Holmes of the University of Washington and his colleague Dr. Rahe developed The Stress Inventory Scale in 1967 confirming that high stress usually makes you sick. Figure out your score today at www.stress.org/holmes-rahe. By adding up your change units you can predict whether or not you will become sick within the year or fail to recover if already sick.
Has high stress left you feeling “out of control” where the demand on one’s person is far greater than one’s resources or resourcefulness?
How can we better cope with stress?
- Modify the stress if possible by eliminating, delaying, delegating, or rearranging demands.
- Allow yourself more time: postpone where possible and carve out mini-vacations if practical, while getting plenty of rest including a good night’s sleep.
- Hold onto things which are changeless: God, Truth, real hope, and values that last forever.
- Don’t take yourself so seriously: laugh a lot more. Listen to humorous stories.
- Eat healthy foods and exercise regularly.
- Consider the Barrel of Total Load and reduce the level in your barrel. (See our website under “our approach“, “total load“.)
- Choose to be optimistic
- Learn to forgive and then practice forgiveness. Let it go!
- Allow your mind to consider today’s situation from eternity’s perspective. The prayer Jesus taught his followers included the words, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.”
- Experience the love of God and share it with others.
- Find a project worth pursuing (your life mission) and do it with excellence wholeheartedly.
- Let go and live – you never were in control anyhow so live today and let tomorrow take care of itself.
- Learn new skills.
- Beware of pride that that keeps you from asking for help.
- Remember, distress may be your best friend: Facing stress head on by Faith is sometimes the secret path to maturity.
If high stress has left you sick and on the sidelines, consider giving our office a call–we would love to be of service either directly or by pointing you toward others that may better help you on your way back to health.