What situations test your limits? When do your true colors show? Maybe it is when you are left alone with your thoughts. Or maybe it is when you are facing a large group of people. Ours fears and anxieties press upon us like a pillow, threatening to smother us and we are faced with the challenge of coping.
There are many ways to cope with life’s problems. Some are destructive and some are beneficial. And I know that for me, the struggle still rages, even as I get older. It is easy to succumb to temptation and fall into old habits when our emotional and mental structure is fractured by life.
But it is important to separate our feelings from life experiences. Taking what we know and remember about the consequences of past choices as testimony and truth for the present.
My prayer for myself and for others like me, dealing with the emotional rollercoaster of womanhood or just life’s natural bumps, is to take a breath and choose positive coping mechanisms: Yoga. Scripture. Prayer. Christian Friends. Healthy Eating Habits. Rest. Exercise. The choice may take a little more effort, but it will allow for no regrets.
What are some positive ways you deal with stress? What are some negative ways? How do you deal with the temptation to choose negative coping mechanisms?
I get stressed if I’m in a situation that is out of my comfort zone or something I can’t control.
Then it helps me to remember that God is in control and loves me very much. Exercise is a good stress reliever, and stretching, and relaxing music. Also it helps to think of all the things I am thankful for. And it helps to get my mind off myself, and pray for other people.
Jesus said, “My grace is sufficient for you.”
Those are great ideas! Counting our blessings causes a positive shift in our mindset.