Tag: prayer

How To Worry Less And Enjoy More Peace In Your Life

 

How To Worry Less And Enjoy More Peace In Your Life

It’s normal to be concerned from time to time. Everyday life can throw us challenges and some of them can be serious.  However, constantly worrying can drain your energy,  negatively affect your health, and kill productivity.

I’ll be the first to admit that I can worry occasionally.  Especially when I am walking through unfamiliar territory.  However, over the years I’ve learned to worry less and less. Here are ten of my top tips to help keep worry away and live a more peaceful and healthy life.

1) Pray.  The more I survive the tough times in my life the more I learn to trust God to deliver me through anything else that comes my way.  I’ve learned that worry doesn’t change anything, and that prayer combined with belief, has the power to change EVERYTHING.  This is especially helpful when the issue is totally out of my control.

2) Don’t worry about things you can’t control.  It does no good to worry about things you cannot control.  Ask yourself if there is anything you can do to change the situation.  If the answer is no and you are spiritual, I highly recommend you pray and turn it over to God.  This especially applies to situations involving other people because the only person on the planet you can change is yourself.

3) Take action. Worry and stress can be a signal that something needs to be addressed and/or changed.  Once you’ve figured out what you can do to eliminate the worry and/or stress it’s time to take action.  Things may not change overnight, however there is great satisfaction in knowing that you are moving forward and that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

4) Write about it.  Journaling is a great way to put your thoughts on paper and objectively look at the situation from the outside.  After you read your thoughts back to yourself, the problem may become smaller and the solutions can begin to pour in.

5) Say no. Learning to say no has been life changing for me.  Saying yes to too many things can lead to over-committing, over-promising and sometimes even compromising our values and priorities. Being able to set boundaries and protect your time and energy can eliminate huge amounts of stress in your life.  Most people won’t mind if you say something like, “Thank you for asking.  I don’t have the time in my schedule right now to commit to something new.  However I appreciate you including me.”  If you’d like to leave the door open you can always ask them to ask you again in the future.

6) Set priorities. Worry can pop up when our “to do” list seems out of control.  When I start to feel overwhelmed,  I like to do a “mind dump” and write down every thing that I believe I need to do.  This allows me to clear my head, focus, and prioritize what needs to be done immediately and what needs to be scheduled for a future date.  It also reveals what you may need to hire someone else to help you with.  Do it yourself has become so popular these days that sometimes we bite off more than we can chew.

7) Tell worry to take a hike.  Your words have power.  When worrisome thoughts begin to race through your mind, tell them to  “stop.” If you can, say it out loud. If that’s not possible, do it mentally or just move your lips without making a sound.

8) Expect to succeed. Instead of imagining how badly things might turn out, imagine yourself succeeding. Picture yourself waltzing through meet and greets, family events, evaluations, or any other events that typically cause you anxiety. Hear yourself performing well at presentations or while guiding your children. Feel what it would be like to overcome obstacles, accomplish goals, and achieve peaceful outcomes. Expecting success can increase the possibility that it will happen. It can increase your confidence, decrease your worry and set up an expectation that things will turn out well.  It’s also helpful to remember that success doesn’t always show itself right away.  For example, that  break up you experienced was actually a door that led you to the spouse you were meant to be with.  🙂

9) Focus on others. It’s easy to get wrapped up with what’s going on in our own world.  One of the ways I relieve stress is by serving other people.  When I focus on helping others solve their problems or reach their goals, my own issues seem to get smaller and more manageable.

10) Most things we worry about never happen.  Current research shows us that most of the time the things we worry about never happen.  A recent study researched how many of our imagined problems never happen. It turns out that 85 percent of what the people in the study group worried about never happened, and with the 15 percent that did happen, 79 percent of the people discovered either they could handle the difficulty better than they thought, or the challenge taught them a lesson they were glad they learned. This means that 97 percent of what you worry over is not worth sacrificing your health and your joy.

There is no such thing as a problem free life.  However, when you make the decision to let go of worrying about the things you can’t control and focus on the things you can control you are bound to have more peace in your life. And, as an added bonus, It might just make you look a bit younger as well. 🙂

Here’s to a happy, healthy, and peaceful week!

Shared with love,

Jennifer

Photo by Ana Gabriel on Unsplash

Seven Ways To Limit Stress And Have More Peace In Your Life

Seven Ways To Limit Stress And Have More Peace In Your Life by Jennifer Ledford

Everyone feels stressed from time to time.  Whenever your body has to respond to mental and/or physical pressure, stress occurs. That means it’s pretty tough to get through a week or even a day without some type of stress coming your way.

The stress response is the body’s way of protecting you so it’s not necessarily a bad thing in moderation.  When working properly, it helps you stay focused, energetic, and alert. In emergency situations, stress can save your life.  

Everyone’s stress levels are going to be different.  Some people may cope with stress more effectively or recover from stressful events more quickly than others.  For example, some of us can waltz right into the DMV and take our driving test without feeling stressed while others will be sweating bullets.

There are different types of stress.  A stressor may be a one-time event or a short-term circumstance or it can be a situation that continues for a long period of time.

Fortunately, the human body is beautifully designed to experience stress and react to it. However, when a person faces continuous challenges without relief or relaxation, the person almost always becomes overworked and chronic stress-related tension can occur.

Chronic stress can cause a variety of symptoms and can affect your weight, your health, and your overall well-being.  I personally believe that chronic stress is as bad, if not worse, for us than smoking cigarettes so, it’s a good thing to limit the amount of stress in our lives and know how to manage it when it pops up.

Seven Ways To Manage And Avoid Stress

  • Step outdoors.  A recent review of studies published in Environmental Science & Technology that focused on “outdoor exercise” discovered that physical activity in natural areas decreases the risk of mental illness and improves one’s sense of well-being.

One way I like to relieve stress is to take our dogs for a walk.  It allows me to take a break from the environment or stressful situation and take a deep breath.  When I finish the walk, I have a fresh new perspective.

  • Forgive.  Unforgiveness can contribute to anxiety and anger which causes more stress in your life.  Forgiving others does not mean what they did was okay; it simply means you release the offense from your heart and mind so that you can move on in peace.  It’s much better to forgive the guy that cut you off on the freeway than to show up at the office ticked off with elevated blood pressure.
  • Take a vacation.  It’s important to take time off and get away from your day-to-day routine. When you go on vacation, you invest in your health and special memories that will make you smile for years to come.  If budget is an issue, I recommend day-trips like picnics at your local park or at the beach while you are saving up funds for a vacation.  My husband and I went through a period when we were really watching our spending and spent our days off at the beach.  One day at the beach did more for us to relieve stress than any expensive spa could ever do.  Find the things that work for you.  They don’t necessarily have to be pricey.
  • Take action.  Procrastination or avoiding problems  can make situations worse which can lead to additional stress.  When we take the time to discover and solve issues that are causing stress in our life, there is a sense of peace in knowing that the problem is going to be solved and that the stress is not permanent.  Sometimes we can figure out the solutions on our own.  Other times, it’s best to seek professional help for expert advice.  It’s okay and actually wise to ask for help!
  • It’s okay to say no.  Setting boundaries with your time is one of the best tools you have to limit unnecessary stress.  Write your top five to ten life priorities in order of importance. Then, look at your calendar and see how much time is being devoted to each. Is there a balance? Is there something that should be put on hold for awhile? Depending on what that list looks like currently, that may even include formal workouts and temporarily switching to lifestyle activity for your exercise.
  • Pray.  As a spiritual person this is my number one go-to when it comes to managing stress.  I go straight to God and pray.  This doesn’t mean I’m always on my knees praying.   Sometimes it’s a conversation in the car, out on a trail, or on our back deck. Listening to spiritual music and reading daily devotionals that lift me spirit up are helpful as well.

If prayer isn’t your thing, that’s okay.  Find some positive books, music, or affirmations that help you feel inspired and stimulated in a healthy way.

  • Remove toxic people from your life.  This one’s a biggie.  We all know that person that makes us feel bummed out or even worse “slimed” after we have been around them.  As difficult as it can be at times, it’s important for your health and well-being to limit your time with people that stress you out.  If it’s a family member or coworker, you may want to counsel with someone that can help coach you through the best way to handle your situation.

There is no such thing as a “stress-free” life.  None of us will ever completely avoid it. However, I believe that if you use one or all of the tips above, you will be able to minimize it and it will, over time, have less of an effect on you.

Here’s to less stress and more peace in your life!

Shared with love,
Jennifer