Ever Feel Stressed? 

Ever felt like the mouse in this picture???

I had a conversation with a student recently about concerns she was having with her stress levels around exam times. She wanted some strategies to help manage these feelings as they were starting to get her down and impact other areas of her life.  She was a little taken back when I suggested she ‘make stress her friend!’ 

She was seeing stress as something that was weighing her down when I wanted to encourage her to see stress as something that helped her; helped her to thrive and connect!

As part of my own wellbeing journey, I try to watch a Ted Talk every other day…10-15 minutes of someone sharing their wisdom and understanding on a topic usually they are qualified to talk about!

Proverbs 4:6-7, "Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. Wisdom is supreme; therefore, get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding."

I shared with the student a Ted Talk by Kelly McGonigal ‘How to make stress your friend’ and was glad to hear her say afterward that she felt a wee bit wiser and more confident about how to manage stress in her life.

God makes it clear that He does not want us to be stressed about anything.

In Matthew 6:24, Jesus tells a crowd, "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." 

Sometimes we cannot change the situation, but we can change our mindset to handle problems well by trying to understand them, approaching them positively, and adjusting our attitude. 

Kelly explains ‘go after what it is that creates meaning in your life and then trust yourself to handle the stress that follows’.  Positive advice, however, I would add we need to trust Jesus to help us handle stress. We can rest knowing that we have a present help in times of trouble - Jesus Christ.

Philippians 4:6: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Though challenges may become overwhelming, when our hearts are filled with the grace of God, we can conquer stress by finding hope and assurance that Jesus can and will overcome any challenge for us. All we have to do is rest in Him.

Psalm 34:4 I sought the Lord, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears.

Bottom line – Our God is an amazing Creator and has provided us with the body, chemicals, and hormones to make us aware – not afraid of stress!