Coach's Corner

Stress Kills

Stress is one of those things that everyone deals with. Some have defined stress as “our response as a whole person to any demand.” There is no doubt that all of us have demands placed upon us. Whether we are a stay-at-home mom with young children, a business person working in a high stakes environment, a student studying towards high achievement or a senior citizen trying to make like work in the later stages of life. Stress is one of those areas of life that is a normal part of life. In fact, up to a point stress can be helpful and healthy. An optimum amount of stress stimulates, invigorates and motivates us in our lives. However, when we become overwhelmed by it, it can become very destructive that can actually lead to our death.

As a full-time vocational minister I have dealt with managing my stress levels for many years now. I would be thrilled to say I manage stress incredibly well but the reality is many times it gets the best of me. I do try to implement certain practical steps that help me manage stress in my day to day life. Here are a few thoughts to consider when managing stress: Sleep – we can miss sleep on occasion and function on less sleep for periods of time. But prolonged periods of inadequate sleep will significantly reduce our ability to cope with the normal stresses of life, let alone extraordinary stress that may happen. Diet – “You are what you eat” may be truer than we think! A healthy diet leads to a healthy body which increases our capacity to handle stress. Physical Exercise – Regular physical exercise strengthens the heart and lungs which increases and maintains the body’s ability to deal with the physiological and physical effects of stress. Lifestyle – Some of the stress that we deal with is the result of the fact that our life is not in order. Try to identify areas of your life that are out of balance and which may be causing unnecessary stress. Relationships – Being loved, valued, and cared for in our relationships is a shelter from stress. For this reason we need at least one supportive relationship in our lives – a relationship in which we can talk about anything that may be stressing us.

I have realized that amidst the practical steps we can take to manage stress in our lives there are also a plethora of spiritual resources available to us. These resources are given to us by our Heavenly Father. Here is a powerful passage of Scripture that can help you manage stress as you internalize it for yourself: “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.”

Posted September 01, 2010