Skip to main content
What a marvelous Monday to post on the blog! There are many things going on, Marriage Monday, At the Well and Motivate Me Monday. I'll have to choose to be a part of Motivate Me Monday since I am a stickler for encouragement, a new week and a new plan! Motivate Me Monday is hosted at Like A Warm Cup of Coffee and is designed to encourage others and share tips to redeem our time.

I've been pondering sharing on stress and the effects if can have on you. "Is your stress showing?" Last week happened to be one of those hectic weeks we all have from time to time. It seemed nothing could get accomplished, the more I tried to get done, the more there was to do. My mind was working overtime dwelling on what I could not get done and as a result, I was short tempered and irritable to everyone around me. Yes, my stress was showing!

When our stress shows, it not only affects us, it affects those around us. We tend to treat our family and friends differently, with less patience or with short answers. Thoughtful gestures are out as we just don't' have time to think of others. Last week I didn't like myself, and I'm sure that those I was around were not blessed by my behavior either!! But I gleaned a few lessons to help prepare for when those stressful days come again.

1. Pace Yourself: Looking at a week's worth of duties, work and obligations can sometimes be overwhelming. When it is too much to think about, just think about the next thing. Prioritize and finish one task completely and then move on to the next. By steadily moving, much can get done.
2. Indulge your Senses: When that stressful feeling comes, do something to soothe your senses. Whether it is soothing music to listen to, a scented candle to light, an aromatic lotion to use or a beautiful picture to look at, these things can calm our out of control senses and bring calmness.
3. Carry Yourself Purposefully: I don't' like looking like I am always in a hurry. My desire is for a calm demeanor which takes time to greet people and interact with them, not breeze by with a quick hello and give the impression I don't have time for them. Practice purposeful steps, walk slowly, breath deeply, smile at those you encounter. Upon greeting someone, say hello, and listen to their answer of the question "how are you?"
4. Be Distracted: At home I tend to get so focused on the things I have to do, when that call comes, "Mom, can you look at this"? it is easy to say, "just a minute." It is ok to take my focus off a task and go to what really matters,those who need my undivided attention and give them the attitude of caring, love and interest. Where you place your focus speaks loudly about what is important to you.

Now there will always be days when it seems you have nothing left to give. There is a beautiful verse in Isaiah that is pure refreshment to our souls: The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought. And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a well watered garden and a spring of water whose waters do not fail." Isaiah 58:11


Comments

  1. Thanks for sharing these thoughts today,and these tips on handling stress. Last week was one of those weeks.I wish I'd had these tips in hand then.lol!!
    Blessings,
    Sue

    ReplyDelete
  2. I loved this!!! I will keep coming back to this post in the future.

    Much love from NJ,
    Sue
    xoxo

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thank you for sharing your commment. It is a joy and blessing to hear from you and your words are appreciated.

Popular posts from this blog

Sometimes We Score, Sometimes We Block

Our family is in the midst of little league soccer season. My youngest son is playing and his enthusiasm is contagious. He is pretty good at the sport, but what makes it so great is that he loves it! He counts the days until the next game or practice. He loves his coach and teammates. He has moved up an age level this year and the players are working more like team, passing to each other and watching out for each other during play. During the last game, my son scored two goals, they were the only goals of the game. In today's game the team scored eight goals. My son came up afterwards to me and said, "I didn't score today, but I blocked". What a powerful truth those words can hold. In life, sometimes we score, sometimes we block. Sometimes we do great things, we excel, we achieve, we meet our goal - we score! There are also times we see the needs of others, sometimes they are sad or hurting, we block their hits. We look out for them so they can score. We...

WFW – Write It On My Heart

This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel       after that time, declares the Lord.    I will put My laws in their minds       and write them on their hearts.    I will be their God,       and they will be My people.  Hebrews 8:10 On a recent field trip to a museum featuring the days gone by, we sat in an old schoolroom as the teacher introduced us to the quill pen and bottle of ink.  She cautioned us to use extreme caution using the ink and told us that if it got on our skin or clothes, it would not come off. This reminded me of this beautiful promise from Hebrews.  God told His people he would put His law in their minds and write it on their hearts.  This is a covenant which cannot be broken.  He loves us and wants us to know Him through His Word.  As we read more and more of His Word, it becomes w...

Construction, Challenges, Chaos

 Who knew something simple could erupt into something chaotic so quickly? A broken file cabinet forced us to purchase a new one. We found one online, ordered it and it arrived quickly with a do it yourself assembly book, complete with 24 part packages and 18 steps of instructions!  As we unpacked the items and compared with the instruction book, we realized a part was missing. Customer service was called, a replacement part was quickly received. Except, the screws did not fit into the holes on the replacement part. We tried again, received another part, same issue.  Meanwhile, the 24 packages of parts are spread out on my living room floor, customer service does not understand my issue, they asked for photos which were sent and now we are again, waiting for a part.  It seems every project faces the inevitable delay. My work place is undergoing a floor remodel. Upheaval, dust, packing, lots of inconvenience and depending on the work crew's schedule dictate the next fe...