You can run, but you can't hide:
Stress is everywhere!
The teacher invited a student to the front of the class and gave him a glass of water to hold in his hand, with an out-stretched arm. The longer the student held the glass of water, the more tired and uncomfortable he became -- not because the glass was any heavier, but it seemed heavier to him. And eventually, he dropped it.
The same thing happens to us with stress in our lives. The longer we hold onto it, the bigger it becomes, the heavier it seems and more it affects our life negatively.
We will never fully eliminate stress from our hectic lifestyles. We have deadlines, pressures from work and daily life, demands to be met, expectations to fill and before we know it, we're stressed out to the max!
Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is just RELAX! But when you are stressed, relaxing may be the hardest thing to do. It doesn't just happen, you must make time for it because it's essential for your well-being.
Take charge of your stress before it takes charge of you!
Pray and ask God for help and direction.
Focus on simple breathing exercises. (10 seconds in, 12 seconds out)
Take a walk away from the problem and stress long enough to gain perspective.
Ask yourself: "Is this problem really going to matter in ten years?"
Refocus on the blessings in your life. Name them one-by-one.
Stress isn't all bad! A certain amount of stress is necessary to deal with difficult situations in our everyday lives. There is good stress and bad stress.
But stress is a double-edged sword. One motivates, the other debilitates. It's important you learn to tell the difference.
Our bodies help take care of us when we're stressed: Our heart pounds faster, our muscles tighten, blood pressure rises, breath quickens and our senses become sharper increasing our strength, stamina and reaction time.
The greatest weapon against stress is making a decision to choose a positive thought
over a negative one.
So . . . . RELAX! And have a Happy 4th.
