“I cant get a grip.” Those words stumbled out of her mouth. To which I laughed a little.
Maybe that’s the point! I thought.
DON’T GET A GRIP, but LOOSEN YOUR GRIP.
When I get pressed on every side, I tighten up. My chest closes in, my blood pressure rises, my voice quickens in pace. The pressure presses down on me and what comes out is evidence of what is in my heart. What’s in there isn’t always very pretty—discontentment, resentment, discouragement.
Stress is kind of a catch all word. It turns out that stress is a manifestation of fear.
Then the question must be asked…What am I afraid of?
I am most likely afraid of my everything getting squeezed out. I don’t want people see how little I have my life together, how weak I am, how behind I am, or how tired I really am.
When it comes to stress, I just don’t want to deal with the heart of it, so I manage the symptoms of it.
I say things like my sweet friend did this morning when I chuckled a bit under my breath—I just can’t get a grip.
Three ways to stop feeling stressed:
Don’t try to STOP feeling it
The temptation will be to stop the painful feeling of stress. You may do this by trying to manage your life better. “If I just get control of everything, then the stress will go away.” To which I would say—LIE. It’s just not true. In fact, trying to manage stress can make you more stressed. (ironic, right?!)
Allow yourself for a moment, to feel it. Let what you feel stay.
Deal with the thing you are actually afraid of.
You have to see what’s in your heart. What is down there driving you? What don’t you want others or yourself to see?
Loosen your grip
When stress strikes, you’ll want to grab onto your reins even more. But, the goal isn’t to control your feeling. The hope is to be loved in the feeling and reality of your heart…try this:
God, here I go again, I’m trying to protect my reputation. I am running from my fear of my life falling apart. I’m trying to prove to others that I am strong. God help me. In my fear, I want to find you.
If you want the full prayer I’ve written for stress, You can find it in my book, “Feel—a collection of liturgies offering hope for every complicated emotion.”
Hey, may I ask a HUGE favor from you?! If you’ve already purchased Feel and have been blessed by it, would you write a quick Amazon review for me. It helps get the word out to other potential readers. THANKS A BUNCH! Here is the most recent review!
These reviews mean the world to me! THANK YOU!
As always, thank you for letting me take up space in your inbox. I’m so grateful!
Stay Awake to Love.
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.