"I am declaring war!"

Audience participation - say, "I hate stress and I want to limit it's influence in my life. What can I do about it?" Well, first, you can watch this little clip from one of the best British television shows - The IT Crowd. 

This scene sets the tone for the rest of this post and will give some context to what I'm going to share with you. The boss of Reynholm Industries has declared a war on stress, which is a disease and kills 80 million people a minute! Serious shtuff right there. So, while that may be an exaggeration, you get the point and you've heard it said before - stress isn't healthy.

The National Institutes of Health explains stress as the brain's response to any demand. Change can be a primary trigger of stress though not all stress is bad. Your stress response kicks in when you experience change, the degree of which may vary from moving to a new house, winning a race or commuting to and from work. Stress actually plays a very important role in how we live our lives - the chemicals and hormones released as part of our stress response prepare us to face a threat or flee to safety. Those short bursts of nerve chemicals can boost your immune system too! When you experience chronic stress, however, you can experience serious health risks. That's what I've declared war on.

Google "stress" and you get nearly 2 million results! There are countless self-help books, television specials, documentaries and radio hours explaining the dangers of stress, how to cope with it and how to avoid it altogether. There are thousands of 5, 9, 12 step programs. My quick search pulled up some of the following "ways to defeat stress":

·       Rely on routines

·       Think about the progress you've already made

·       Have a bath

·       Meditate or pray

·       Stop drinking alcohol

·       Drink more alcohol (kidding, sort of)

·       Stay positive and avoid asking "what if"

Those all seem like good options. You probably have your own system of relieving or avoiding stress. I like to remind myself of what I know. I have a few post its above my computer monitors that I look at through the day. One of them says, "Let it go. Breathe." (Yes, that is a reference to Frozen. Get over it.) Another has a Scripture, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope!" They simply serve as little reminders when I need to get out of my own head. They work.

Side note - not all stress is bad. It can be a really useful tool to boost your energy or your drive to complete something that may seem intimidating. I don’t have time to get into that now but keep in mind you can determine if your stress response will be positive or not. Next time you are going to have an intense conversation with someone and want to stand your ground, think of your stress as an extra shell in your magazine!

But back to avoiding and controlling stress - we all have a stress response. Some people shut down, hide under a rock and wait for the fog to clear. Some people talk out their problems and come to a conclusion and plan of action. Others hit the gym and sweat out their anxiety before facing a task or situation. More recently I have turned directly to prayer.

Over Lent I gave up screen time - Facebook, TV, movies, shows, Netflix - and I added more reading, reflection and prayer. I read Intercessory Prayer by Dutch Sheets and loved it! It encouraged my spirit so much and gave me some really solid, practical wisdom on how to target my prayers. Because of this I have been much better about turning my stress into intercession and allowing God to take care of the things I have no control over. Not being in control or having control is a stressor for me. Being able to take those concerns in prayer to God has been a huge weight off my shoulders. I encourage you to make that your gut reaction.

The last 21 days of Lent I made it a morning habit to read Psalm 119 aloud every day. It was incredible! That chapter is full of so many solid prayers. It covers every base you could possibly have. Give it a try. It takes like 6 minutes to read out loud. It's a good stress reliever and you'll feel so equipped for your day. Seriously, it's like a daily vitamin for your soul.