Tips and Ideas

Christian Ways to Reduce Stress

Rediscovered an old blog post that I had put up based on a nice email I received. The advice is on “Christian Ways to Reduce Stress” and the tagline is a quote and a reminder about the stresses of daily life:

An angel says, “Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it does not happen, you have worried in vain. Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice.”

Here’s the top list of ideas, re-blogged for you to read:

  1. Pray
  2. Go to bed on time.
  3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.
  4. Say NO to projects that won’t fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.
  5. Delegate tasks to capable others.
  6. Simplify and unclutter your life.
  7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)
  8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.
  9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don’t lump the hard things all together.
  10. Take one day at a time.
  11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety. If you can’t do anything about a situation, forget it.
  12. Live within your budget; don’t user credit cards for ordinary purchases.
  13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.
  14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.
  15. Do something for the kid in you everyday.
  16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line.
  17. Get enough rest.
  18. Eat right.
  19. Get organized so everything has its place.
  20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.
  21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.
  22. Every day, find time to be alone.
  23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don’t wait until it’s time to go to bed to try and pray.
  24. Make friends with Godly people.
  25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.
  26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good “Thank you Jesus”.
  27. Laugh.
  28. Laugh some more!
  29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.
  30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can!)
  31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).
  32. Sit on your ego.
  33. Talk less; listen more.
  34. Slow down.
  35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.
  36. Every night before bed, think of one thing you’re grateful for that you’ve never been grateful for before. God has a way of turning things around for you.

The one I need to follow the most is #33: Talk less; listen more. My favorite is #35 because I have many people in my life who take on quite more responsibility than they need to (God bless their intentions) – it’s just that accepting more burden than a single person can possibly carry isn’t a Christian thing to do. It is up to us to put the stuff we can’t handle or manage in God’s able hands. All the others are great advice at any rate. I encourage you to take a moment and find something in this list that has personal meaning for you.

Taking the Time

Ten minutes in a hectic schedule can even be very difficult to muster. Still I must be a good steward with the time God has afforded me in this life.

In the early life of the Hebrews, it was a common practice that after every harvest or immediately after an animal was slaughtered, a portion of that “gift” from God was set aside and burned or sacrificed in offering of thanks to the Lord, our provider. The important thing to note from this anecdote is that the offering of thanks was made BEFORE anyone dug in and helped themselves to eat or partake of the food.

And so it is with our time.

We live meaningful, busy lives and yet we still wonder why at the end of every exhausting day we are left spent and unable to muster the time or the strength to pray, read scripture, write inspirational/religious blog entries or to meditate over everything that God has provided for us. When we slaughter our time-clock each day, we should set aside our piece of time for God FIRST.

This suggestion isn’t intended out of guilt. On the contrary, it is intended to be a source of inspiration and change in your life. The moment that you put God FIRST in your life is the moment you say YES to something more meaningful, fulfilling and also God centered. Even after four years of trying to do this, I can’t put to words how wonderful a feeling it is when I started doing that.

In an attempt to resurrect this blog, which has exemplified this quest for a God centered and focused life, I want it to be an inspiration to all readers to know that it begins with 10 minutes. Where it goes from there can only shine even brighter in this world for all to see. God has provided many ways for us to shine. Let’s make that happen in 2011.

Peace, Love and Prosperity.

Community Prayer

Today I found a creative approach towards prayer for those who would like the support and the cooperation of others in faith. The blogger details how to build a prayer covenant. You could find participants through your network of contacts or through people in your church or parish. In Ms. Harcombe’s example, she demonstrates a large prayer covenant group (forty of them!) who were organized online.

To begin a prayer covenant create a list of all the members and appoint a day dedicated to each person or family. The idea would be that everyone on the list would pray for the person nominated for that day. Each participant is asked to give three brief points, the first a point of praise and the other two requests. Intentions and prayers can be changed at any time as they are answered or substituted as needs changed.

Visit the following link for some useful guidelines in organizing an effective prayer covenant. Remember, in your efforts, no group is too small to make a difference. You could start with your family members (both distant and local) or perhaps a circle of contacts with whom you communicate with regularly by email or phone. In the blogger’s example, she didn’t even know some of the members personally, but as the circle progressed in their prayers, they grew from the sharing experience.

If you want to build group support for your efforts at prayer, perhaps this idea will help you get started! God Bless! 

More on Prayer and Meditation

Searching for the keyword “meditation”, I found a relatively new blogger on the block, “Aurora Astra” who also focuses on meditation, the spirit and God. For those of you interested in exploring further the benefits of meditation and want to know how to connect with your inner spirit, the blogger shares a personal way of starting meditation using prayer. In the article: “Prayer as Preparation“, there is a step-by-step description using The Lord’s Prayer to build focus and calmness in one’s mind.

As the writer states, there is no right or wrong way to pray… just your own way. I really liked the article’s focus on the physical state of being (breathing, thinking and awareness) towards the preparation provided through prayer. It certainly can be used at any time: as a morning wake-up, to take a break in a busy, hectic day or as a wrap-up in the evening. I can’t wait to give it a try myself. Thanks “Aurora Astra” for sharing your technique!

Finding Time: Early Mornings

Woke up early again this morning. This time it was way before my alarm clock. Something inside of me was driven to sit down and write… anything… to express myself and the thoughts bouncing in my mind. Many of you, as you settle down into the 10 minute challenge, will start thinking about exactly when you’ll find the time to spend to fulfill your commitment. 

By making yourself mindful of a commitment, you’ll start discovering pockets of time you never knew existed. It might be a spare moment while waiting in line at a grocery store, a quiet lull during a mid-morning coffee break or maybe a silent pause between putting the kids to bed and settling down for the evening. Prepare yourself for these moments so that you’re poised and ready for success in achieving your 10 minute goal.

If journalling is your objective, carry a blank journal book or notebook (and a pen!) wherever you go. Spend a part of your evening searching, collecting and printing out inspirational passages or scripture to carry with you the following day. Many people have a commute on mass-transit (train, subway, bus or carpool); bring with you a non-fiction, self-help book or book-on-CD on a topic that nurtures your spiritual growth.

The goal isn’t necessarily completing what you’ve brought along – it’s in tapping into that hidden or often ignored desire to invite God into your spiritual life. Before long, you’ll find yourself looking for those pauses in daily life that allow you to pursue God in a meaningful way. I like to call these daily breaks “coming up to the surface for air”…