Stress Awareness Month and how Christians use coping mechanisms for everyday stress

Written By Rachel Ann

April is Stress Awareness Month, which means we dedicate space and energy to learning about stress, how it impacts us, and how we can support ourselves and others who are stressed…which is everyone!😅

First things first - let’s talk about what stress is and isn’t. Stress is when you're responding to something externally that is difficult, such as a project deadline or disagreement with a friend. Once that thing is resolved and has passed, you're no longer feeling stressed.

We often use “stress” and “anxiety” interchangeably, but the two are quite different. Anxiety is more internal because it's a persistent state of dread and apprehension even when you're not dealing with that stressful thing anymore. Anxiety creates a roller coaster ride of “what if" and planning for hypothetical-and-unlikely scenarios.

Stress is quite common, especially in today's world where there's lots to be worried, angry, and hopeless about. And as much as I love my Christian folks, we tend to connect stress with how strong our faith is - if you trust God, why would you be worried? Are you praying enough? Do you believe enough? are some common (and unhealthy) phrases in our community. I wish the correlation were that easy so we could push a button and stop being stressed, but that's not how it works. Stress impacts our mind, soul, and body, so we gotta relieve it everywhere we experience it. 

Whether you’re stressed or anxious, it’s probably not fun and you probably want it to go away soon. I feel you! So here are some coping mechanisms to use when you’re feeling stressed:

Relieving stress in your body

Deep breathing - this is when you inhale for 4 seconds, hold it for 4 seconds, and exhale for 6 seconds. Make sure you’re exhaling longer than you’re inhaling! The idea is to spend more time releasing your stress and letting it out, which leaves you feeling lighter and refreshed.

Progressive muscle relaxation - you can do this in any posture, so bookmark this one for any occasion. Pick a muscle group and tense it for a few seconds, then release it. Do this a few times with different muscle groups, noticing how it feels relieved when you ease the tension.

Grounding exercises - this allows you to use your senses to notice and focus on your immediate environment, which reminds you that you’re safe and grounded and takes attention away from your stressor. I like the 54321 method where you use different senses to find a certain number of items to identify. For example: focus on 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste. Tailor the number and senses to your specific needs!

Easing your mind

Journal/do an emotional dump - journaling is a great way to get everything that’s swimming around your brain out in the open, on paper (or app) and out of your mind. It can look like more traditional journaling, such as unpacking what happened at work or writing the patterns in your thoughts and behaviors for the past few weeks. It can also look more free form less and structured where you “dump” and write down every single thought in your mind with no rhyme, reason, or structure to it.

Capture your thought exercise - one of my favorite ways to combat my negative thoughts is to use the capture your thought exercise. This is when you challenge a thought, see what evidence supports it, and decide if it’s true or not. If the thought is true, then you keep it and do something about it. If it’s not true, then you throw it away! You can work through this in my Capture the Thought Workbook!

Reframe negative thoughts - reframing is a great way to address the root of the issue with a growth mindset and solution. We tend to be hard on ourselves, which leaves us hurting and less likely to accomplish much. When we reframe, we’re able to understand the “why” behind our behavior and create a plan to change it. For example, instead of saying “I’m lazy”, you’d say “I’m not being productive because I’m tired, so I’m going to rest for 20 minutes and then get back to work.”

Soothing your soul

Listen to worship music, instrumentals, and lofi - my faves are Yoni Charis and Soaking in His Presence. Instrumentals and lofi music are a great way to let your mind process while being at ease - two things that don’t usually go together! By having calming music in the background, you’ll feel more relaxed as you unpack whatever is stressing is out. Worship music is a great way to be reminded of God’s goodness and presence with you in whatever you’re dealing with, too.

Recite a calming scripture - music’s not your thing? No worries! Another great coping mechanism for stress is reading and repeating Bible verses that make you feel calm. Typically these are verses about how God fights for us, is a safe refuge, is in control, and cares for you. When we’re reminded of those things and allow those words to wash over us, we find that we’re able to go through any storm because God is with us. My personal faves to go to when stressed are John 14:27, Psalm 118:5-6, and Psalm 94:19.

Pray - sometimes we just gotta vent it out to the Creator Himself! Prayer is speaking to God about what's on your heart, period. It doesn’t need to be fancy or long-winded, just true, raw, and honest about where you are and what you’re asking God to do. How do you want Him to show up in the situation? What are you worried about? What support do you need? Exploring those questions in prayer can help you understand the root of what’s going on and invite God into it. If you don't have the words, then say “God, help me.” or read the Lord’s Prayer. He’s listening, no matter how big or prescribed the words are.

Wherever you find yourself in Stress Awareness Month, my hope is that you feel the presence of God through it all. Share this with a friend, remind yourself of His love, and use these coping mechanisms to help you feel relieved of all the stress you’re carrying. You got this, sis.💜

Need more support? Lemme help you sis:

Rachel Ann
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Accepting your limitations isn’t giving up, it’s you trusting God