EAST WEEK #15 ~ “TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED”

TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED

身為牧師，我經常接觸到飽受壓力而情緒不穩的人，有錢人、窮人、年輕的、年長的、讀書多的、讀書少的，每個人的壓力都來自不同的源頭，不懂面對便會日積月累而爆煲；當我們感到有壓力時，少不免會令脾氣暴躁，失去耐性，變得不平易近人，恐懼，對生活感到絕望，迷失，沮喪。雖然人生的旅途上充滿挑戰，有時遇到的難題的確不易解決，但我們的生活並不一定要飽受壓力，只要我們懂得如何面對，有信心的話，生活可以過得很容易。

有時我會說：「感謝神給我壓力！」說到底都只是開玩笑，因為若我們依照神給我們的指引去生活，把生命交託給衪，生活應該是無所牽掛。以下亦是面對壓力的好方法：

一、食得健康：均衡飲食對我們很重要，沒有健康的飲食習慣，腦部化學傳遞物質便有可能不協調，要知道大部分都市情緒病都是由於腦部化學傳遞物質（特別是血清素）失衡所致，故吸收足夠營養對我們很重要。過度減肥或暴食對我們身體都有害無益，緊記一日五小餐或一日三餐，缺一不可。

二、充足睡眠：睡眠不足容易令人煩躁不安，忍耐力自然下降，每晚最好有七至八小時的睡眠。

三、足夠運動：盡可能抽時間去運動，以體力勞動去發洩情緒是不錯的方法，就算在家做掌上壓、仰臥起坐都是不錯的選擇。

四、走出封鎖：不開心或感到有壓力的時候，一定要向別人傾訴，整日自困愁城是不會令你過得快樂；與生活有規律、有着正面人生觀的朋友為伴，在感到有壓力時得到朋友的鼓勵與支持，比一個人躲在家好得多。

五、祈禱：有科學根據顯示，有禱告習慣的人一般都比較平和，充滿希望，試試每天花二十至三十分鐘出來禱告，把壓力與負面情緒釋放，將自己控制不到的交給主。

六、釋放：舊事不堪記，已發生既然改變不了，就讓它隨風飄去吧！那些你控制不到的東西，再擔心再惆悵也解決不了，故我們要學會釋放自己。

七、時間管理：學習好好管理我們的時間，工作時工作，遊戲時遊戲；做不到的時候要向人家說「不」，不要勉強自己，同時亦切忌操之過急，給自己一大堆大計，令自己喘不過氣。

八、正面樂觀：學習接受你自己，對自己要有信心，雙眼向前看，自己承擔不到的事交給主，沒有事衪是應付不來的。

記着，壓力都是祝福的一種。

East Week #15 ~ “Too Blessed to be Stressed”

Very often as a pastor I meet people who are “stressed out” with different issues in life. Whether I meet people who are poor or rich, young or old, uneducated or educated everyone will face the temptation of getting stressed out. Life is not supposed to be lived stressfully. When we experience stress it makes us more angry, impatient, unfriendly, controlling, fearful, unhealthy, given to addictions and lost. Although each of us sooner or later will deal with challenging situations at one point in our lives, I have recognized that some people deal with stress a lot better than others. How should we deal with stress?

In our lives, we will always face circumstances that are not going to be easy. Yet, whether we want to live a life full of stress or a life that is stress free has to do with how we manage our lives and where we put our trust.

I always tell people, “I am too blessed to be stressed!” I don’t believe stress comes from God, because when you live life the way He made it to be lived and put your trust in God’s hands life just seems to work itself out.

If we want to live stress free we need to learn to live wisely and to let go and let God.

Here are a 8 keys to live a stress free life…

1. Eat healthy. Without a balanced diet, the chemical structure of the brain can become unbalanced resulting in anxiety, depression, sleep deprivation, etc. It is vital to get required nutrients every day. Do not over-eat or under-eat, but eat five small meals a day, or stick to a routine of 3 meals a day. It is never wasted time to eat right!
2. Sleep. Make sure to get adequate rest. When you don’t get the necessary sleep needed you will become less attentive and grumpy during the day. I usually shoot for 7-8 hours of undisturbed sleep each night.
3. Exercise. Engage in some kind of physical activity each day. I have a gym pass and do my best to hit the gym at least 3-4 times a week. If travel does not allow me to, I make sure to play sports, do push ups, hike or just make it a habit to do something outside daily.
4. Socialize. Don’t isolate yourself in your room, your office, be in front of a computer too long or be a hermit! Be around positive people who can encourage you, give you better perspective on your challenges and support you. Don’t over socialize either, but make sure its something you can handle and enjoy.
5. Pray. It is scientifically proven that people who pray are calmer, peaceful, and more hopeful. Take out at least 20-30 minutes each day to be in silence, solitude and quite prayer. When we pray we are able to clear our mind, clean our mental slates and find our center away from the daily demands and pressures. When I pray I choose to “let go and let God” take care of all my stress and worries. Prayer is talking to God and letting God talk to you as you enjoy His loving presence.
6. Let Go. One of the most important lessons I have learned in managing stress is to let go of what I cannot control. There are things in life that are completely out of our hands. When we worry about it, it does us no good and doesn’t help the situation. Instead, let go and trust that God will take care of it in His time.
7. Time Management. Stress and how we manage our time is interconnected. When we fail to plan we plan to fail. Learn to be a good manager of your daily and weekly schedule. Don’t schedule too much, but leave room for flexibility. Also, don’t take on more than what you can handle and learn to say “no” to what you can’t do, while saying, “yes” to what you should do.
8. Be Positive. Every morning I wake up and look at myself in the mirror and say, “God thinks you are awesome!” Learn to accept yourself the way you are, be confident in God’s love for you and keep a positive outlook on life. There is no problem too big or too small that God can’t answer.

Remember ~ “You are too blessed to be stressed!”

God bless,

Jaeson Ma