Self Care Strategies for Stressed Out Days
Ever have a stressed out day, week, or month when you really needed some self care strategies? Yep, me too.Inaccessible Internet, a broken clothes dryer, and a lot of dirty clothes faced me when I got home from vacation. Surprisingly, I loved it!I was forced to go to Joebella's coffee shop to catch up on email. *contented sigh*I even enjoyed hanging up clothes on a makeshift clothesline in our backyard. So much so, that I'm considering putting up a permanent clothesline. (OK, I know you're shocked. My husband is too.)Facing these technology breakdowns before vacation would have landed me in a loony bin. Arriving home from vacation I faced them with a completely different mentality.Why? In examining myself as a recovering workaholic, I remembered several self care strategies I had let slide before vacation.So here are two tips to reduce stress and encourage self care health:
Self Care Strategy #1: Create wide margins in your daily life.
Healthy margins allow you to live a balanced life. People notice a life lived without boundaries or margins and it isn't Jesus they see reflected there. *ouch!*
Think through your commitments and what you add to your busy life. Know your physical, mental, and emotional limits and adjust your life accordingly. (Yes, you really can say "No.")This includes work and ministry. Believe me, I know—I often feel stressed out from work. Helping people is one of the places where emotional overload can slowly deplete your energy and peace.So set up your work and relational life with wide margins that can incorporate the unexpected intrusions that life invariably brings.In addition, create spaces in your day to just "be." Use your margins to pray, listen to music, read a book, go for a walk, enjoy your family, or work on a hobby.
Self Care Strategy #2: Mentally frame your day in a positive way
Stress and overload influence how you think about situations and people. When you're not emotionally healthy, your thoughts are not healthy, and negative thinking leads to more emotional stress.It's a vicious circle.And it causes you to feel distant from Jesus. Not a good thing.I find that I have to give myself internal lectures about my negative thinking. Reviewing Scripture, challenging assumptions, and choosing to have a positive attitude changes the frame through which I view my daily life.Negative thinking doesn't have to hold you captive.God sees so much more than you do. Tap into his perspective and you'll see a different picture. Your emotions will adjust accordingly.
As a man thinks in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 23:7).
Well, my printer just died it's final death, so I'm off to Staples to get a new one. And I think I'll hang up another load of laundry. I hope you have a great day, Susan
Your input is kindly requested below: How was this post helpful to you? What is your best self care strategy for stress out days?Related posts:Do You Suffer From Overload?How to Leave a Problem in God's Hands and Not Steal It BackI recently enjoyed Lucille Zimmerman's Remains of the Day post about balance and rest. I think you will too."Jesus likes it when we share." -Adelaide, age 3: Pass this along to everybody and their brother. OK, maybe not everybody's brother, but you know . . . all of your friends would be nice.