April is Stress Awareness Month

It seems most appropriate. The month in which income taxes are due is stress awareness month. This year there are any number of reasons for stress: Increasing prices of gasoline which lead to increasing prices of just about anything else, hatred of our country by many around the world (and by some here at home), a society in which believers are looked down upon…I could go on and on, and I’m sure you could, too. The world we live in keeps changing; change, whether good or bad, causes stress.
Stress is not necessarily a bad thing. It can alert us to danger so we can take action or help us to cope with an urgent problem. But stress that continues over a long period of time, overwhelms us, or seems without solution can stop us in our tracks, even leading to physical illness.
Some ways to cope with stress include:
-Don’t try to cram too many activities into your day.
-Don’t be a perfectionist.
-Try to relax.
-Get enough sleep.
-Take care of yourself.
-Don’t go it alone.
The last applies especially to believers. Our awesome God is in control. In the midst of constant change, He is the same yesterday, today and forever. A focus on Him and not our circumstances is the effective way to deal with stress.A great article, actually written for teens but applying to even this old lady, is found at http://www.kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/emotions/stress.html