Welcome back to 31 Days to Less Stress! Today we will be talking about how our choices affect stress.
We make choices all day, every day. In doing so, we have a lot of control over how our day goes, probably more than we realize. We can easily see how choices like eating healthier, exercising, and planning can lower our stress levels, but how do we handle the things that we can’t control? We don’t control everything, but we do make the choice of how to react to the things that aren’t what we planned or wanted.
I want you to think about some times when things weren’t going your way. Maybe the kids weren’t listening. Or you had a disagreement with someone. Were you aware of your choices in that situation? Or did you become reactive?
As much as I wish otherwise, I tend to have a reactive personality. Rather than carefully considering my choices, I respond with emotion. In doing so, I make choices that I regret. When stress levels are high, this is even more the case.
If you have the same personality, you know what I mean. The real question is: How do we change?
You must be aware of your own tendencies. I have to recognize that I have a reactive personality before I can really take steps to change and make better decisions. Once you are aware of it, think about how it affects your life and those around you. Take a look at your list of priorities. How are your choices and responses prohibiting you from focusing on your priorities?
Pray. A lot! Making better choices in the intensity of a moment requires awareness and intentionality. Pray for these things daily as you seek to make better choices. Ask God to influence your choices so they are a reflection of Him, and not of yourself. Follow 1 Thessalonians 5:17’s missive to “Pray without ceasing.” Recognize your power to choose. Don’t buy into Satan’s lie that it’s just the way you are and you can’t change that. God says He won’t tempt us beyond what we can handle. He has already told us we have the strength to deal with this because we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength (Phil 4:13).
When we start making better choices, we can begin to conquer our own stress. We cannot control everything, which is really a blessing in disguise, but when the unexpected happens or things aren’t going how we wanted/planned, we get to choose how react. Decide now to make better choices.
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