6 Ways to De-stress 

I recently read a short article written by one of my favourite women authors, Cindi McMenamin (I can’t recommend her enough, if you’re looking for quality content and insight).

She mentioned 6 ways to de-stress, and as I seem to live in a perpetual season of stressfulness, I found it very helpful. I’m not saying I’ve figured it all out, but it was a good reminder to me, once again, on practical ways to de-stress.

So, here they are, the points are hers and I’ve added my own little descriptions, insights and scripture verses.  I pray that it will be an encouragement and help to you as it was to me.

1.    Start your day with a simple prayer

It sounds simple, right? That’s because it is. I’m not saying you need to rise at 4 am and spend 3 hours in prayer, although that would be awesome. No. I’m encouraging you to start your day with a short, simple prayer to the Lord, asking him to bless your day and order it as he sees fit. It can be as simple as, “Lord, please bless my day, I give it to you, please help me to honour you and please you in all that I do. Amen.”

If you make it a habit to pray before you even rise from your bed, you will soon find, that you begin to have so many prayer requests that you need more time to pray, and that’s great, you will just have to get up a little earlier. I truly believe that your day will go smoother when you start it with prayer. I’m not saying that everything will be perfect, because God’s ways are different than ours, but I do think that if we start with an attitude of praise and humbleness and willingness to do his will, no matter what our day throws at us, God will help us see it through without falling in a heap.

1 Chronicles 16:11 Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.

2.    Get Outdoors

Now, I really love this one! I am an outdoorsy sort of person and would rather sleep out under the stars than under a roof any day, unless of course if it’s raining, then a tarp overhead would be nice. Studies show that going for a walk and getting some beautiful sunshine and wind in your face will not only improve your physical health but also your mental health. And that in turn will help with your stress level.

We live in a world that likes to hibernate. With all our technology we can do most things from the comfort of our air conditioned, or heated, homes. Shopping, socializing and even church. But there is so much benefit in getting out into God’s creation and praising him as you look around you at all he’s made. I have what I like to call ‘rooftop worship’. This is where I climb onto my roof and gaze into the heavens, soaking in the sights and sounds and marvelling at the way God paints the sky with his colourful palette. Sometimes I do this in silence and other times while I listen to worship music. It fills me up.

Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

3.    Find Your Resting Place

There’s nothing quite as refreshing as finding a few moments of silence. Especially if you have little ones underfoot or you work in a stressful, noisy, environment. Just to be able to have silence and breathe in deeply, lifting up a prayer to the Lord and finding calm. So, look for a place to sit quietly for a few moments. I used to try and do that when the kids were little, by sitting in the bathroom, but the schoolbooks kept getting pushed under the door, wanting to be scored and the tap tap tapping on the door didn’t help the needed solitude. You may have to get creative, but it’s imperative that you do. Find your resting place. Giving yourself a few seconds of silence will help improve your stress level and you might even find yourself more productive after it.

The Lord Jesus spoke on rest many times in the Bible and he made sure his disciples knew the benefits of it too.

Mark 6:31 And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

4.    Find your song

Here is another one of my favourites. Praise and worship are found all throughout the Bible and you don’t have to look far to see the benefits of music and especially Godly music in the life of a believer. Practice praising God in song. Whether you sing out loud at the top of your lungs or under your breath quietly, find your song! Listen to good worship music that raises your spirits and lifts your head and heart and mind. The more you sing about God’s goodness, the less stressed you will be. If you come to my place, you might just find me laying outside with my music playing and my eyes closed, worshipping God with my heart and voice.

Psalm 96:2 Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.

Psalm 95:1 O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.

5.    Clear the clutter

Now here is an interesting one. Did you know that simply doing something like decluttering actually lowers your stress level? It’s true. We all, in our affluent society, have a lot of clutter. A lot of unnecessary stuff. You know exactly what I’m talking about. Uh huh. Right now, you have some thing or things in mind that could do with a good declutter!

Go through a chest of drawers and do a clothes sort. Look through your kitchen cupboards and donate all the unused items. It’s amazing how freeing it is to live with less stuff. Creating some open space in your home or office or garage, will really help dial down the stress level. More and more I am drawn to the idea of a tiny home. Less stuff. Less space. Less to worry about. Less to clean etc.

And the actual act of giving something away to someone who needs it more than you will help improve your mood.

Proverbs 31:27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

6.    Limit the List

Ouch. This one really hits home with me. I am queen of the extra-long, impossible to achieve, overwhelming and stressful to-do list! If we want to lower our stress levels, we really need to learn to limit our lists. We have to get serious about prioritizing and rescheduling things or removing them altogether. If you don’t plan some open space in your schedule each day, you will burn out. I know that from experience and yet I don’t seem to learn. Try to focus on the things that really matter in your life. Your relationship with God. Your relationship with your family.

Learn to discern what is urgent and what is important. We are not to neglect our responsibilities, but we have to be careful about how much we try to accomplish at the detriment of other things, or more often than not, people.

There are so many things we pile onto ourselves and fill our to-do lists with that really wouldn’t matter if we didn’t do them. Sometimes I ask myself, “In 10 years’ time, will this really matter?” Yes, there are a lot of things I regret doing when I could better have spent my time.

God gives us our days on this earth, and we are to use them wisely. We need his help to order our days.

Psalm 90:12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

 

If you’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed, don’t forget who walks beside you and who is there to strengthen and help you. Your heavenly Father cares about you and he wants to see you joyful and full of his peace. Listen to his still, small voice, calling you to him and calling you to rest.

 

Philippians 4:6-8

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.