Stress is real...But it doesn't have to rule your life.
There are some tricks to overcoming stress and activating peace in your life. And it starts with a holiday name that we are celebrating this week in the United States... Did you guess it? Thanksgiving! That is right. The path to activiting peace begins with thanksgiving. Interesting huh!? The opposite of peace is worry, stress, axiety; things that are all too common in our world today. Can you relate? Well, those states are what happens to us when we let our focus become fixated on a problem and forget to look at the bigger picture. If we look at the bigger picture often the problem shrinks in perspective. When we look at the bigger picture we also see all the blessings we have to be thankful for. This is the mindset that will start activating peace. Philippians 4:6-7 says: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." We are to come to God in prayer with thankful hearts and minds, asking for Him to move in the problem. It is the thankful heart and mind that unlocks God's peace. Physically when we pray we activate our parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic state allows our bodies to rest, digest and heal. This is the most important state for our bodies to be in. When we are in the parasympathetic state our minds can think clearly, we have lowered blood pressure and all the systems of our body can function optimally. If you struggle with stress, anxiety and worry and can only dream of being in a state of peace, I have good news! Being thankful is like a muscle that gets stronger the more you use it. Start by making a list of just ten things that you are thankful for. They can be as simple as a good cup of coffe in the morning, or a well fitting pair of jeans, or something, anything that makes you happy. When you are praying, start with this list of ten things and thank God specifically for each one. This will position your heart and mind to ask God to move on your problem and to recieve His peace. It is a simple exercise that will eventually become second nature as your thanksgiving muscle gets stronger. And interestingly enough, the more we practice being thanful the more we see there is to be thankful for. It becomes this beautiful positive feedback loop. So... This unprecedented holiday season when everything we generally hold dear as tradition is being modified or cancelled altogether, if you find yourself needing some peace in our chaotic world... Remember... Thanksgiving activates peace. Give it a try! Happy Thanksgivings!
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorJessica Mutunga is passionate about good simple living that focuses on relationships, food and creating a supportive healthy environment. She is The Light Way Coach. Archives
May 2022
Categories |