Hands in the dirt
Spring has come! Along with longer and warmer days (and LOTS of pollen), the growing season has arrived. For me, hands in the dirt (planting, weeding, and growing things, becomes my Number 1 stress reliever).
We can’t avoid stress
“Oh, say it ain’t so!” There are times when I wish we could eliminate stress entirely. But that’s not realistic. As long as we have breath, there are situations which will cause us to have stress.
Stress isn’t all bad. It keeps us alert to what’s going on in our lives. Stress can push us to do the necessities of life–work, complete our responsibilities, get up in the mornings, take care of ourselves and our loved ones.
But sometimes stress can lead to unpleasant consequences for our health–high blood pressure, poor nutritional habits, drug abuse, mental and emotional health issues (i.e. anxiety, depression, aggression, poor relationships, etc.)
The key is to manage our stress
One step is to recognize the conditions which lead to stress and analyze what changes could be made to reduce stress. An example? If driving in heavy traffic causes stress, investigate alternate routes, leave earlier to avoid the heaviest traffic, or listen to soothing music as you drive.
Avoid procrastinating. If you have deadlines to meet or a project to complete, plan ahead so you won’t have to rush at the last minute.
If you have too many responsibilities causing increased stress, investigate options for intervention. Try to delegate some tasks to others. If the project list is too long, set priorities instead of trying to complete everything at once. Analyze your responsibilities to determine if some tasks can be delayed or eliminated.
Recognize that some things are out of your control. If these issues are still causing you stress, try to distract yourself with other activities.
One more very important strategy
Have a go-to activity that is your stress reliever. Gardening, walks in nature, and reading are mine. These activities, particularly the physical ones (that involve hands in the dirt), relax and soothe me. What are your stress relieving strategies?
Most important?
The strategies listed above are effective for stress relief but our most important action to maintain good health and balance in our lives is our time with God: Bible reading and study, quiet time with God through prayer and meditation, worship, and fellowship with others. Devotionals are a wonderful way to bring peace and joy to our spirit. I’m currently reading Refresh Your Hope, by Lori Hatcher. I highly recommend Lori’s book. This 60-day devotional is uplifting and inspiring, a wonderful way to help us “replace anxiety with joy, peace and trust.”
Thank you Katherine. I think one of the contributors to stress is we are never away from stimulation as in the example of our phones. I am interrupted by texts – especially responses in group texts. We’re always accessible and so, interrupted. Silencing my phone and only periodically checking it helps.
I agree, Marilyn. As with most conveniences, the development of cell phones is both helpful and harmful. In emergencies, the cell phone is a blessing. In many other ways, not so much. Constant interruptions, lack of face-to-race interactions, the internet being only a click away–all these have added stress to our lives. But we’ve become accustomed to having a phone handy at all times and I don’t think we could easily go back to the old ways. Thank you for sharing your insights.
Coping with stress is an ever present dilemma especially with care giving. Thrift flips and up-cycle projects are my stress relievers. I’m currently painting a shelf, a stool, and a magazine holder. These updated items are for mom and I. They serve the two fold purpose of reducing stress and new decor. Katherine, thanks for sharing.
Being a caregiver is a gift of love to our loved ones, but can cause physical, mental, and emotional stress to the caregiver. Your activities sound like a wonderful and rewarding intervention for you. Thinking of you and praying for you in this role. Peace and blessings.
Great post Ms. Katherine. Something to consider is that not all stress is bad. While it creates various chemical releases in our body, it also triggers our “fight or flight response.” Another type of stress, muscles for example when we exercise, need to be stressed to grow stronger. However, just like emotional stress, when we stress our bodies and minds, we need to give them stress-free time to recover. Lots to think about in your post today ma’am. My mind is going to be stressed more in doing so. 🙂 Enjoyed my friend.
You are right, my friend. Some stress (eustress) is the good type of stress. Perhaps a wedding, vacation, graduation, career advancement, etc., but as we know, good stress can become distress if we overdo it. You’re also right about our muscles, to become healthy and stronger physically (physical fitness), we have to work our body (heart and other muscles) harder than what they’ve been accustomed to, thus strengthening the active muscles using the principles of overload and progression. Following exercise or any type of stress, our bodies need a rest. Thank you for adding your wisdom, J.D. Your insight is always welcome. May God bless you and your Cross-Dubya family.
It’s ironically hard to discipline ourselves for rest and stress relief.
Bible study is a wonderful way to draw close to God and hear from Him. There we learn that He is in control. We can let Him bear our burdens.
Thanks for a great message, Katherine! God bless!
It is strange isn’t it, Nancy, that we seem to resist rest? We’ve been conditioned to work hard and do as much as we can. As a result we don’t relax and rest as much as we should. You are right–our time with God is the best possible stress reliever. Blessings!
Avoid procrastination. Yes! Great thoughts, Katherine. The irony is I’m procrastinating edits to a manuscript right now because I’d rather read inspirational posts. lol! I’ve often said the cleaner my house is, the less writing Mary has done. To postpone the inevitable only demonstrates our lack of faith in God’s ability or willingness to help us face the thing we don’t want to do. Now, back to edits.
I’m cheering for you, Mary! I can understand the resistance to edits–it’s hard! But you can do it and as you point out, God is with you. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Peace and blessing (and an extra dose of encouragement).
I have creative outlets for reducing stress. I agree we must intentionally build into our schedules those activities that feed our spirits. Most of all, we need time to stay close to God. He is our Peace. Thank you, Katherine, for your insights.
Thank you for sharing your wisdom, Annie. I agree, being intentional in scheduling activities helps us manage our stress. And the most important of those actions is staying close with God. Peace and blessings!
I’ve often said digging in dirt helps get the bugs out of my brain. Prayer time before I get out of bed helps start my day on the right track.
I absolutely agree, Diana. It gets the bugs out of my brain and the frustration and tension out of all of me. But you really share truth when you remind us of the need for prayer. Thank you for sharing.
Stress is sure there sometimes, and I appreciate your ideas for reducing stress, Katherine. My stress relievers are also physical and out in God’s creation–walking and horseback riding!! I know you can relate. blessings for your garden and walks and horse times, my friend.
Yes, Kathy, we have similar interests and our go-to activities for joy or stress relief have a lot in common. Hands in the dirt, walking in God’s creation, and horseback riding bring peace and pleasure. Wishing you a blessed week.
Reading, walking, and sitting outside on a lovely day are wonderful stress relievers for me. In fact, I am outside enjoying the chirping birds as they flutter about while I type this. Very calming indeed!
I worked outside in my yard this afternoon. Not too hot, a cool breeze–a wonderful afternoon. I could feel the peace seep into my heart and soul. Wishing you continued blessings, LuAnn and family.