HEALTH MOMENTS
Dr. Sonia Elliott
Overcoming the stress of everyday activities
We live in a society where changes are occurring constantly. This is the prevailing characteristic of the twentieth century. Stress affects everyone. even Christians. Many stress-related problems are occurring in the church which represent challenges not recognized and dealt with. We know there are scriptural guidelines for overcoming this problem.
STRESS is a factor that creates mental. emotional or physical strain. It causes the body to respond to threatening demands arising from new or changing situations. Under stress. the body makes rapid physiological changes which is called adaptive response in order to deal with threatening situations. This alarm causes the body to react initially in a manner called the fight or flight response where the body either resists the stress causing factor or adapts to it. In this stage there is a speed up in the system where pulse rate increases. which leads to the body requiring more oxygen to fuel the muscles. blood sugar increases to "Supply added energy. digestion slows and perspiration increases. If one stays in this constant state of stress and ignores physical and emotional needs, this period of distress leads to burnout.
BURNOUT is a syndrome of emotional exhaustion. depersonalization and reduced personal accomplishment. In other words you have used all of your resources. Some may totally immerse themselves in a job. relationship. situation. etc. using up all their energy. being mentally and physically exhausted to a point where they have lost their sense of direction and purpose. This person is functioning on overload.
EMOTIONAl EXHAUSTION is the heart of burnout syndrome. This usually leaves one feeling drained and used up. there is nothing lefllt is important to take time out to recover and heal from burnout. Otherwise emotional and physical damage may result. One way is to recognize stress and prevent burnout.
Stress produces many destructive symptoms which affects us emotionally. physically. and' spiritually. Stress is also one of the leading causes of heart attack. It is important to recognize signs of stress. Signs can be: mental and emotional fatigue: loss of appetite; high blood pressure: physical weariness; frequent headaches; migraines; ulcers; and insomnia.
Your natural human desire for acceptance. status. and possession can create tension within. If you perceive that your needs or desires are not going to be met. you may experience anxiety and stress. How can one be anxious for nothing in the face of such situations? Spiritu
ally. the Bible says................... through
prayer and petition with thanksgiving. present your request to God. And the peace which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus' (Philippians 4:6.7).
MANAGING STRESS for a Christian starts with understanding oneself and knowing what the scriptures say about the nature of God. Knowing oneself means knowing the potential of your strength and weakness. Self deception can prevent discernment. Pride and independence can block self-awareness.
Only God can give self-awareness and show where changes are needed. when you acknowledge your dependence upon God and submit to His leadership (see Psalm 73:26).
*Know who you are in Christ - Matthew 5:13. John 1:12..
*View circumstances from a Godly perspective (Lean not on your own understand'mg) - Proverbs 3:5.
*Pace yourself. regulate your life (leave Work at work)- Hebrews 12:1.
*Be true to yourself about how you feel, its okay to say "No.'
*Get an adequate amount of rest and relaxation-Exodus 31:17.
*Change your attitude. watch your diet, 1ake care of your health. Do regular exercise. Studies show thet those who exercise react with less tension and anxiety to stress and no rise In blood pressure (Unive~ of California Study).
*Have quality time at home.
*Deal with any unresolved sins. Sin generates Inner tension and conflicts.
COPYRIGHT 2005
EMOTIONS
Emotions are innate, inborn, natural feelings. Instinctive feelings such as love or fear. Instinctive according to0 the Oxford Dictionhary - "immediate insight or understanding without conscious reasoning".
Emotion is a inner response caused by some contact by way of touch, taste, see hear or smell, the five senses. Some experience highs and lows in their emotions, some are able to describe and communicate it to others, and yet there are some who cannot .
Emotions are strange, we may have days when we feel we are powerful and can conquer the world. Then there are other days when we may be overwhelmed and overcome my emotions that we cannot even explain. Many times we might want to trace when and where it came from and are unable to, this might lead to frustration which in turn might cause one to react to others in an offensive manner.
How can we deal with these emotions. We hear a lot about dysfunctional homes and being brought up in a dysfunctional family makes us question if our feelings are considered normal. In other words (is it ok to feel the way I feel). The focus is not that feeling is wrong it is the expression and the attitude that might be the problem. The feeling is on the inside and is acknowledged and becomes evident when expressed. There are different types of emotions, one being anger. If the person expriencing the anger does not acknowledge there is anger supresses it, this can be internalized and manifest itself into a physical problem and or shows up as depression, which is internalize anger. Our emotions also has to be expressed in a socially acceptable manner or else there can be consequences for our unacceptable behaviour.
Behaviours reveal our underlying makeup. Some 0f us are able to control our behaviour and show up what is supposed to be acceptable, but under stress our true self is shown up. Under stress ones guard is let down and exposure comes. When one is in control and able to suppress emotion this emotion has to go somewhere. This might express itself in a form of illness. Suppressed emotions causes one to walk in denial and the underlying issue is not dealt with. The issues do not go away, they are covered up and get infested. This leads to physical illness or outburst of anger which can also lead to other symptoms in the body.
Our emotions often express how we feel on the inside but many times we waver in our thoughts not sure if it is ok to feel the way we do and the enemy comes in and whisper lies which causes us to think the emotions we are experiencing is wrong. The cycle starts when we deny our feelings and believe the lie. Confusion will come in which usually stems from fear.
Something may have happened, causes pain, denial causes one to suppress pain. May be suppressed by certain behavior, excessive eating, drinking, drugs, spending, excessive work, gambling, cheating, lying. This produces guilt, fear, anger. We get discouraged and start thinking of something in the past that will reinforce the guilt and causes our thoughts to be captivated with negativity of who we are.
When there is warfare in the mind there are various kinds of imagination going on such as people talking against you, nobody loves you, etc. This is the tactic of the enemy to create division and pull you away.
Remember this all started from an innate feeling which was suppressed and not dealt with. It leads to unhealthy response in the body.
One of the keys to maintaining healthy emotion is the way to healing is acknowledging your feeling. Learn to turn things over to God. You must be truthful to yourself as to how you really feel so you can turn it over to God. Truth is reality. The reality is when you hurt there is pain. To supress pain is not facing the truth.
We have guidelines for our behaviour which is written in the word of God
II Corinthians 10-13
"For no temptation (no trial regarded as enticing to sin, no matter how it comes or where it leads) has overtaken you and laid hold on y0u that is not common to man (that is, no temptation or trial has come to you that beyond human resistance and that is not adjusted and adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear). But God is faithful (to His Word and His compassionate nature), and He (can be trusted) not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation He will (always) also provide the way out (the means of escape to a landing place), that you may be capable strong and powerful bear up under it patiently" (Amplified Bible)
Put the situations in the Hands of the Lord and Trust Him. Do not fear. The opposite of fear is faith.
Dr. Sonia B. Elliott
Copyright 2006
WHAT IS THERE TO FEAR
SHE CRIES AND SHE HURTS AS TEARS DRIZZLE DOWN HER SOUL
HER PAIN IS A PAIN OF A HURT UNTOLD
SHE DWELLS IN HER SORROWS AS SHE PRAYS FOR TOMORROW
TO BRING LIGHT AND OVERRULE HER DARKNHESS AS IT IS CONCEALED
AND PUSHED ASIDE, BECAUSE THERE IS A GOD THAT SHE BELIEVES IN,
AND THROUGH HER BELIEF SHE FINDS RELIEF, STRENGTH AND DIVINE POWER
FROM WITHIN TO OVERCOME ALL AND ANY OBSTACLES PLACED BEFORE HER.
BECAUSE IF GOD IS WITH HER, THEN WHAT IS THERE TO FEAR!!!
RASHAD GOI BLANCHARD
Copyright 2005
