There is no way of escaping all stress in our lives. But we can learn to deal with stress and not let it take over our lives and destroy our health. Symptoms of stress destroying our health are as follows...
chronic muscle tension
shallow breathing
eye strain
high blood pressure
fast heart rate
digestion problems
mental fog
overly emotional
confusion
forgetful
no longer able to cope
restless sleep
disturbed dreams
These are all warning signs that you need to make adjustments in your lifestyle or thinking. When you are in a difficult situation you have a choice: (1) think of it as a challenge and look for a solution or (2) view it as stress that you can not deal with. The choice is yours (1) positive thinking or (2) negative thinking. If you want to be negative and wallow in your problems you are going to destroy yourself.
From a nutritional point of view...a higher level of stress/performance requires a higher level of nutrition. Eating junk food when you are stressed only compounds the stress whereas eating fresh fruits and veggies gives your body the nutrition it needs to counteract the stress. Some use caffeine or alcohol to push their body beyond its limits. This only creates more stress on the body. Listen to your body...if it says "I can not go any further" then it needs rest and nutrition to repair. Forcing the body beyond its limits will only cause further damage.
If you want to be productive you must first take care of the body itself. With proper nutrition and moderate physical exercise along with a reduction of emotional stress you can become more productive than you ever thought possible. How do we reduce the emotional stress? You must let go of what you can not control and take care of one day at a time. Matthew 6:34..."Never be anxious about the next day, for the next day will have its own anxieties. Sufficient for each day is its own badness." Live in "the day". Let go of the past..it cannot be changed. Worrying about the future is a waste of time and energy. This is not to say we shouldn't have goals, of course we should. But we should not waste energy thinking of all the negative "what if's" that could happen in the future.
What about the stress of the bad economy? What at this moment are we lacking? Do we have food, shelter, and clothing? These are the only necessary things and Jehovah promises to provide these necessities if we are doing his will. Matthew 6:33 says "Keep on, then, seeking first the kingdom and his righteousness and all these other things will be added to you". People who keep their life simple and are not concerned with accumulation material possessions are much happier people with less stress. Advertising conditions us to think that we have to aquire 'things' to be happy. 'Things' are not what bring happiness, rather, happiness comes from living your life with a purpose and knowing you are making Jehovah's heart glad.
The next article I write will cover some practical tips to repair the damage that may already be done from an extended period of stress.
chronic muscle tension
shallow breathing
eye strain
high blood pressure
fast heart rate
digestion problems
mental fog
overly emotional
confusion
forgetful
no longer able to cope
restless sleep
disturbed dreams
These are all warning signs that you need to make adjustments in your lifestyle or thinking. When you are in a difficult situation you have a choice: (1) think of it as a challenge and look for a solution or (2) view it as stress that you can not deal with. The choice is yours (1) positive thinking or (2) negative thinking. If you want to be negative and wallow in your problems you are going to destroy yourself.
From a nutritional point of view...a higher level of stress/performance requires a higher level of nutrition. Eating junk food when you are stressed only compounds the stress whereas eating fresh fruits and veggies gives your body the nutrition it needs to counteract the stress. Some use caffeine or alcohol to push their body beyond its limits. This only creates more stress on the body. Listen to your body...if it says "I can not go any further" then it needs rest and nutrition to repair. Forcing the body beyond its limits will only cause further damage.
If you want to be productive you must first take care of the body itself. With proper nutrition and moderate physical exercise along with a reduction of emotional stress you can become more productive than you ever thought possible. How do we reduce the emotional stress? You must let go of what you can not control and take care of one day at a time. Matthew 6:34..."Never be anxious about the next day, for the next day will have its own anxieties. Sufficient for each day is its own badness." Live in "the day". Let go of the past..it cannot be changed. Worrying about the future is a waste of time and energy. This is not to say we shouldn't have goals, of course we should. But we should not waste energy thinking of all the negative "what if's" that could happen in the future.
What about the stress of the bad economy? What at this moment are we lacking? Do we have food, shelter, and clothing? These are the only necessary things and Jehovah promises to provide these necessities if we are doing his will. Matthew 6:33 says "Keep on, then, seeking first the kingdom and his righteousness and all these other things will be added to you". People who keep their life simple and are not concerned with accumulation material possessions are much happier people with less stress. Advertising conditions us to think that we have to aquire 'things' to be happy. 'Things' are not what bring happiness, rather, happiness comes from living your life with a purpose and knowing you are making Jehovah's heart glad.
The next article I write will cover some practical tips to repair the damage that may already be done from an extended period of stress.
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