The Surprising Solution to Stress and Pressure

How is your pressure meter today? With the added stress of this pandemic, anxiety is going through the roof for many. Financial pressures. Scares of being infected. Shifting responsibilities. All of these things can steal our peace unless we do something so today I have a surprisingly different solution for our hectic lifestyles. 

As a single-parent, I regularly felt the stress of having too many responsibilities and not enough support. Everything fell on my shoulders so I learned to push and pressure myself to "get it all done". I've always lived by the old adage "Don't put off till tomorrow what you can do today." no matter how tired or exhausted I was.

I have realized living on the rat wheel is not a healthy way to live. Contrary to what our culture tells us, the answer to all this hecticness is not to do more and do it faster. The answer is to do LESS and do it slower! Yes, SLOW DOWN AND DO LESS. Don't tell this to your boss, however. 

When we slow down, we are able to be more present. We will make fewer mistakes, think more carefully, and we will actually be more productive. We won't have to have so many do-overs. 

Slowing down also allows us to focus on how we are FEELING in any given moment. Our feelings are so often ignored and then we blow up or over-react at someone close to us. Slowing down also enables us to be more mindful of our actions, habits, and behaviors. Perhaps this is another gift of the pandemic. By making us slow down, we have a chance to reconnect with others and ourselves and that is always a good thing. 

It's funny because - as you may have noticed - God is never in a rush. His timetable is SLOW. Jesus never rushed. He was mindful of everything. Remember when the woman with the issue of blood touched his robe and amidst all those crowds, he noticed it? Slowing down allows us to notice. 

Now I am not advocating a lazy, do nothing approach to life. We are called to be responsible for ourselves so that we will not be a burden to others.  What I am saying is that it's time to take a more relaxed approach and stop pressuring ourselves needlessly. The house will get cleaned, the bills will get paid, and eventually we will go to the gym and exercise. Rather than stress, talk to yourself and remind yourself that everything will get done in its own time. As it says in the book of Ecclesiastes, "there is a time and a place for everything under the sun."

How are you feeling today?  Are the pressures of life caving in on you? 

Thought for the week

Today, I will take things slower. I will not pressure myself or others. I will do what is right in front of me and I will take regular breaks. I will not do too much in any one day and I will trust that all will be taken care of in due time. I will relax and enjoy my day. 

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Stay tuned for more positive and practical wisdom to help us all find healing, wholeness, health, and harmony. 

Until next time, keep looking up!

Ariel Paz 

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