Have you ever felt like you just keep hitting the wall? Some times, it seems like, every decision we make in life, we go up against a wall. We get tired of hitting the wall all the time but don’t seem to get what is going on. When we have try the same thing over and over again and we keep hitting a wall, it seems to me that we need to reevaluate what we are doing.
When I was a kid I had a parakeet, he was a beautiful blue. I really loved my bird. I don’t even remember how long I had him. He loved to ride on my shoulder around the house. But there was a bad habit that he had. He loved to fly off my shoulder at times as well. I didn’t mind him doing that except for one problem. He would fly into the wall. The first time he did it, I don’t think it even knocked him out. I don’t remember how many times he did it before it finally took his life. It seemed strange that he didn’t seem to get it.
We don’t seem to be any different. We can know that something is bad for our health. It may even be killing us. It may take a few years but nonetheless we are destroying our health. But we tend to not want to make any changes because we enjoy what we are doing. We would rather die than to make a change.
I remember my grandpa. He thought for sure that his choice to smoke didn’t affect anyone else other than himself and he enjoyed it so much that he didn’t want to give it up. Then one day he found out he had lung cancer. It was scary for a little while but they were able to remove the one lung and he was able to keep living. He quit smoking for a while but he finally went back to it. A few years later when he got cancer in his second lung there was no hope. He realized too late, not only was he going to die, but what he did was affecting others. It was not long later at the age of 62 that my grandpa died.
We may think, “How crazy can he be?” But the reality is we all do it in one way or another. One of the biggest ways we do it is allowing stress to have its way in our life. We can do everything right in our life, health wise, but if we don’t learn how to deal with stress it will kill us. We will keep hitting the wall of stress and it will destroy us.
Here is what I recommend for healthful living as well as reducing the stress. I have an acronym that I have created to help me remember, B A L A N C E D.
- Bed Time. It is so important to get plenty of rest. Not only does this affect our physical health but it also affects how well we are able to handle stress. Make sure, as an adult, you get at least 7-9 hours each night.
- Aqua. This is Spanish for water. We need plenty of water each day. It cleanses our body and keeps us hydrated. When we don’t drink enough water we put a real stress on our bodies.
- Light. Our bodies thrive on sunlight. We need to make sure we are getting out in to the sun each day. This helps us in many ways, even getting good rest. It also helps reduce stress. If we live in an area where we do not get enough sunlight there are special lights that can give similar properties as sunlight. Nothing is as good as the real thing, though.
- Air. When we get out and get some sunlight we also benefit from the fresh air. Fresh air helps to keep our lungs clean. It helps revive our whole being. Doing some deep breathing really will help to reduce the stressful feelings that we can feel. It also is relaxing.
- Nutrition. How we eat also affects how physically healthy we are. When we are eating good nutritionally sound food it makes us feel so much better. The body can actually run and function, way better. This also helps us be able to reduce our stress levels.
- Control. Learning to have self-control can be so hard but it is necessary to be able to have good physical and emotional good health. The simple way of saying this is completely eliminate those things that are bad and making sure we are balanced with the good. You know that we can do too much of a good thing and destroy ourselves as well. Water is good but if you drink too much it can kill you. Being balanced is the key.
- Exercise. We have a lot of muscles in our body, including our heart. If we don’t use these muscles they atrophy. If our heart atrophy’s, we are in big trouble. Exercise is a very important factor to keep us healthy. And it is a good stress reducer. So if you are feeling stressed go for a walk, it will do amazing things.
- Dependence on God. This is the most crucial. We cannot do anything but hit the wall if we don’t depend on God. He is the best stress reliever. He is the physical healer and sustainer, as we obey His laws. As we give every day to Him and take all our burdens and let Him have charge of them we will be able to handle whatever comes our way without destroying us.
Dear Father,
Thank You that You are always there for us through all things. Prompt us by Your Spirit in what areas of our lives that we need to give to You. Thank You for Your love and care.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
Surrender every area of Your life to Him today and let Him take the stresses of life and work it for good.
What do you do to help reduce the stress in your life? Share your ideas.