Are You a Stressaholic?

Planning Your Day

"Stress and relaxation cannot exist at the same time--just as darkness cannot exist where there is light!" (Sue Ingebretson, author, speaker, and certified holistic health care practitioner) CLICK HERE for Sue's Blog       

Most of us overdose on way too much stress and not enough relaxation making us a stressaholic. We get busy from the moment our feet hit the ground in the morning and then we fall into bed (sometimes literally!) at night without ever calming down. We have jobs and careers, people to take care of, chores to get done, and never enough time to enjoy the benefits of relaxation.  

Leisure activities such as reading, working on a hobby, journaling, crafts, sewing, sports, exercising and so on are a necessary part of resting our minds and bodies. Notice we left out "screen" time--TV, computers, social media, texting--which sucks out brain cells and leaves us feeling worse (okay, we cannot prove it here, but ask any life/health coach and you'll hear the expert result).

We all probably have some kind of a calendar to organize and plan our lives. So we suggest putting that to good use by actually scheduling your leisure time! Yes! Once you get into the habit of taking breaks like this, you'll most likely see an improvement in stress reduction and better health. 

Are You A Stressaholic?
There is a reason why a regular workday has always been set to cover eight hours of activity. Because more than eight hours nonstop shows up in our lack of productivity and is the perfect recipe for stress. Wow! In 2019 that sounds so antiquated, doesn't it? 

Especially in America where we have stretched and stretched the acceptable workday into 12-16 hours to the point that if we do not work those crazy hours we may be considered lazy or unproductive! That is sad. Someone once said, "No one on their deathbed ever said they wished they had spent more time at work." 

Work hours around the world vary. For example, Eastern Europe actually has a higher number of daily work hours than the U.S., but Western European countries typically work 35 hours on the average, especially France. And in Spain, there is a Siesta (break) from 2:00-5:00pm with long lunches and healthy afternoon naps followed by a late nightlife!  

Wherever you work, and the more you work in a day at a job, career, or at home, the more stress will show up in your life. The only way to combat this health danger is to treat relaxation as a necessary component to your schedule. 

Somehow we need to think seriously about ways to reduce our stress level or accept the fact we will visit the doctor's office more and more. This is the beginning of a new year and the perfect time to readjust our lifestyles for the sake of our health. If we are in our 20s, 30s, or even 40s and are in good shape, this might seem silly to "program" relaxation into our day. But with each decade that passes, it will definitely become more and more obvious we have to do something! Better to begin now.

Using Our Brains to Calm Our Body
It's been said it takes 21 days to create a new habit. So we suggest starting with one fun activity and add it to your calendar. Go easy: for example, 11-21 minutes per day of reading a great short story before bed will have an amazing effect on your sleep and sleep is when our bodies repair any damage from the day. After three weeks, add one more fun thing like walking for 16 minutes before work, or journaling. You get the idea. Whatever makes you smile! 

It's Possible!
Life can be so difficult at times, we need a Helper. God knew how stressed we would get and so He already planned on leaving us Someone named the Holy Spirit that would live in our hearts. He's the best stress-busting gift of all! When you are ready, just ask for Him to come into your heart and He gladly will!  

"I am leaving you with a gift--peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid" (John 14:27 NLT).