How to Relieve Stress and Anxiety

Stop everything you’re doing right now. Just stop, relax and think for a moment. Are you busy steamrolling ahead? Are you in a rush, racing against time to get things done? Do you feel anxious?

Well….stop! It’s time to find out how to relieve stress and anxiety….once and for all.

If you are steamrolling ahead….well, where exactly are you going? If you are racing against time to get everything done, what should be done first? Which is the most important? What would happen if you stop operating at this pace? What would happen if you stop for a while to prioritize what needs to be done, and then focus on one thing at a time until all is done?

Stop, take a deep breath and relax. The chaos around us is often self-created.

Our chaos is often self-created Click To Tweet

If you stop listening to all the voices around you, stop comparing yourself to everybody else, and just focus on what needs to get done — one thing at a time — you’ll soon discover that things are not so hectic after all.

Reduce Your Stress and Start Improving Your Health

There is no doubt about it; in our modern lifestyle stress is part of everyday life and nobody can deny that. What makes the difference is how we respond to it. We can either respond in a negative way or we can respond in a positive way. It is a decision. Our stress levels do not depend only on what happens to us, but largely upon how we respond to what happens to us.

In ‘6 Stress-Reducing Rituals Successful People Live By’, Marc and Angel Chernoff discuss 6 very practical ‘rituals’ that you can apply to beat stress. Some of these rituals may seem familiar and obvious to you. The question is: If these stress-reducing rituals are so obvious, why don’t we do them?

So, pay close attention.

The 6 stress-reducing rituals they discuss are:

1. Successful people monitor and suppress their negative self-talk.
2. Successful people refocus on the positive.
3. Successful people avoid “should have” and “what if” statements.
4. Successful people reach out to their supporters when they need them.
5. Successful people practice mindful relaxation techniques.
6. Successful people sincerely appreciate what they have.

(Just a little note of my own: In my own opinion, when referring to successful people, it doesn’t necessarily mean someone with a healthy bank account. Money is by far not the only indicator of success. There are many people who have more than enough money, yet their stress levels are going through the roof and they suffer all kinds of consequences — both in health and family life. I wouldn’t really call that success.)

There is nothing wrong with being financially strong, but you should be in control of any accumulated wealth and not the other way around. When money becomes your only measuring stick for success, it will only add to your stress. Money by itself will not bring you any pleasure if you are not in control.

Watch What You Say

In ‘Feeling like The Underdog? Don’t Stay Under…Go Over!’ Gloria Copeland speaks about how many opportunities she and Kenneth Copeland have had to fail at in their almost 50 years of ministry.

I would consider facing a $6 million television bill that needs to be paid as a good reason to get stressed. By not submitting to the stress, but rather taking control in faith, she points out how these mountains are removed and how they can live in victory over stress.

The Solution is Right Under Your Nose

People often live under tremendous stress until — as Gloria Copeland says — “they check what is going on right under their noses — literally!”

Watch what you say. Your words have more power than what you think. Click To Tweet

What we say has a tremendous effect on our lives. We cannot expect positive results while we keep speaking negative words.

I’m not speaking about empty, faithless and meaningless positive affirmations, trying to convince yourself that something positive is going to happen, yet you don’t have faith in your own words. No, I’m talking about words of faith, coming from your heart.

What you say spontaneously, is what you really believe in your heart. If you have the habit of speaking negatively, maybe it’s time to think about what you really believe.

The best way to change that is to meditate on the Word of God (Romans 10:17). Make God’s Word the final authority in your life, and then speak His Word into your life. That is how your faith will grow and you will start speaking words that you truly believe.

Early in 2016, I wrote a guest post at Empower Moments Blog about ‘How to Get Focused and Improve Your Health’ (you can read it here). As already mentioned earlier in this post, we often are guilty of creating the chaos around us. By just simplifying our lifestyle and focusing on one thing at a time, we can add so much joy and quality to life.

Over To You

I challenge you today to take control by not submitting to stress and anxiety. Take at least one of the stress-reducing rituals mentioned in this post and apply it to your daily routine.

Let me know which of these rituals you are going to implement and what are the results that you expect to get from it.

Originally published at jacoalberts.com on October 25, 2017.