Stressed out? Try these tactics

By Mary Abrahamson

Sometimes life is stressful. OK, let me rephrase that. Most of the time life is stressful.

But sometimes the stress is the kind you can feel in your throat, your gut, behind your eyes. It can seem like every part of you is trying to erupt from the bound up ligature into which you’ve knotted yourself.

Or into which your children or husband have knotted you.

Perhaps your neighbor, coworker, finances, extended family, society or politics has brought on this tight compress.

Or maybe your particular knots come from trying to get done everything that needs to be done.

These are some of the regular every-day stressors. The things with which most all of us struggle at one time or another.

But we also all face those less run-of-the-mill things. Perhaps you are dealing with a chronically ill child or other special needs family member? Job or home loss? Vehicle troubles? An aging parent?

There is sometimes nothing one can do, but simply hang on. Hang on to the deeper knowledge that God is with you even in this. I call this the Being Still stage. Sometimes we must simply Be still and Trust God. In this broken world, troubles will come. And sometimes our human emotions do not accurately reflect our deep knowledge of God and Salvation. Sometimes we must simply be sad, lonely, angry, or whatever other negative feelings may periodically engulf us. And trust in God to bring us to the other side of that time.

Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10

Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him. Psalm 37:5

There are times, however, especially during the times of stress that come with the intense physical a or emotional exhibitions wherein I find it helpful to try to talk myself into a better place. What in the world does she mean by that? There’s two parts to it. The first part might seem a little too touchy-feely for some of you. If so, just stay with me to the second part. I admit this first might sound cheezy but it really does help.

First of all, take time to notice where you are “holding onto” your stress. I’ve found that it’s sometimes almost like my sinful flesh is coddling the stress, nurturing it, causing it to flourish in my very body. Try to notice which of your parts are thusly affected.

Shoulders? Jaw? Neck? I even find my throat itself afflicted sometimes. That’s usually when I notice that bilious feeling in my throat as if I might be going to vomit. Or sometimes it feels like my eyes are going to pop out of my head.

These kinds of feelings are a good indication you need to step back and consciously try to let go of some of the stress. Take a few minutes to “work on” those areas where you’re retaining that stress. And let it go.

Close your eyes. Breathe deeply. Don’t force it, just take some deep and cleansing breathes. If it helps, picture yourself sighing out the stress with your exhale.

Notice your jaw. Are you clenching your teeth? Then do some of those strange mouth stretches your choir teacher used to make you do. Open wide, close, stretch your lips out strangely, make strange faces with your mouth open.

How about your shoulders? Are they practically wrapped up around your ears? Gently force yourself to release them downward. Stretch your neck upward and tilt down your jaw. Can you feel it letting go?

But wait, … now your neck is good, but recheck your breathing. Is it still deep and cleansing? How about your jaws?

Shake out your hands and and elbows.

Relax your eye sockets. Blink open really largely and then squinch your eyes shut and do it again. Now rest them gently closed. Flare your nostrils a few times for good measure.

But now recheck your neck and shoulders. Have you tightened them again? Stretch that head back up and relax your throat. Let that bilious feeling return to your gut rather than sitting at the back of your mouth.

Recheck your jaws, lips, and soft mouth tissue. It’s amazing to me how much stress I can hold the soft tissue of my mouth!

If you can notice and control these things, that’s a first step. Notice them and walk/talk yourself through the constant relax and recheck and breathe sequence. Once I get that far, I sometimes feel better.

Other times I have to continue that same litany of relaxing techniques, but I add one more step.

Over the years I’ve accumulated a set of Bible passages that help to soothe me. It’s at times like this I try to call them to mind while continuing to relax all those areas where my very flesh is cradling the stress. Close your eyes and breathe and recite. Find physical solace in the familiar rhythms and sounds. Find eternal comfort in the Word of God itself.

Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

Take a deep breath. Blow that stress out.

“Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” Genesis 15:1.

How’s your jaw and soft tissue?

I cried to the Lord with my voice, And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah. I lay down and slept;
I awoke, for the Lord sustained me. Psalm 3:4-5.

Check your shoulders and neck.

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord.
For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river,
And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green,

And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit. Jeremiah 17:7-8.

Relax your eyes.

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. I Peter 5:6-7.

How are you doing?

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16.

One last deep breath and check all those tight spots.

And of course, my all time favorite for times of worry, Matthew 6:25-34

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; nd yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is ts own trouble.”

I hope you feel better soon. I know I do. I’ve been stretching and breathing as I write this. And calling to mind the promises of God. Drinking His sustaining Word into my sinful body. Into the tightness of my throat and eyes and neck. But most importantly, into my heart and soul.

Photo Credit to Dennis Jarvis. Some rights reserved.