Last month we finished a four-week program that I developed and facilitated (I share some photos at the end of this post). The title describes what most of us seek.…Less stress, more serenity, health, and God. A group of twenty met once a week at our church and another 30 signed up for the beta-test online version of the same program. I have been thinking a lot about these subjects so decided to present a quick review of the 10 key points.
1. You have much more control over your health than you think you do. Believe this.
2. Much of the stress you experience originates in your head, not in people or situations around you—hence you have the ability to modify the stress. Think about how you might reframe a stressor. Was that colleague purposefully rude or could she just be preoccupied with family problems?
3. Stress messes with your body as much as your mind. Learn to look for early signs, such as stomach distress or tight shoulder muscles. When you recognize these signs, take action to reduce your stress. A few purposeful, slow, deep breaths are guaranteed to reduce the stress in your body. Just think, a stress-reduction technique that is free, fast-acting, convenient, and portable.
4. Protect yourself from stress. Being able to adapt to stressors in our world is called resilience. Build resilience with: friends and family connections; community of any kind; meaning and purpose in life, especially helping others; active participation in your faith; exercise; enjoyment of nature, art, music, writing or any kind of creativity.
5. A deep trust in God is the ultimate stress-buster. If you believe in God and want to trust Him more, you can start by trusting Him with some of your precious time —for prayer, scripture study, church, or works of charity. Experience what happens when you sacrifice some of your sleep or screen time to God. See my guest blog on this subject.
6. “Be still and know that I am God.” Consider learning about meditative prayer, a good example being Centering Prayer. This is a prayer without words, feelings, or thoughts in which you simply rest with the Lord. I think some kind of quiet prayer is particularly needed in the crazy busy time in which we live.
7. Strengthen your faith with mindfulness. Try using an on-the-go-prayer during the day, something I call God-centered mindfulness. It has been transformative for me. Every time a negative thought intrudes in my mind (impatience in line or traffic, judgment of someone’s appearance, worry about the future….) I say “My Lord and My God.” Now the prayer just magically pops into my brain and interrupts the thought, bringing me back to the moment and to God. It also works with positive thoughts, like when I barely miss a car accident or smell the rose in my garden—it becomes a spontaneous prayer of gratitude. Try it!
8. Cultivate healthy eating habits one step at a time. You do not need a diet. You need better habits. Thomas a’Kempis in Life of Christ said: “Habit is overcome by habit.” Start habits like these: eat at least 5 servings of fruits and veggies daily; eat beans and nuts several times a week; cut back on meat by eating it fewer times a week; and, be aware of portion size by following the plate method. Be honest about your bad habits. Do you need to stop all snacking after 9PM or always eat at the table instead of on the couch in front of the TV? What about the soda, chips, or french fries?
9. Exercise offers stupendous health benefits, both immediate and long-term. It is recommended for stress, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, depression, arthritis, fibromyalgia, and more! Try any form of exercise. If your first try at exercise doesn’t work out, try something else, whether it be simple chair exercises, weekly zumba or tai chi, or daily running. Do it with a friend. Join a group. Make it fun.
10. It is only by starting with small steps that you will make progress. Make your own action plan describing what step (s) you will take…small, specific, explicit steps that define when, what, how often etc. Making a plan, taking the steps, re-evaluating the plan, and continuing is how you make progress. A lofty and vague goal to lose weight, eat more healthy, exercise more often, be mindful, or pray more will not work. Create your path to serenity, health, and God with steps.
“A path is made by walking the same way many times.”
Tonga proverb
Usually I offer suggestions after each blog. But 10 suggestions is enough!
Let me just tell you how honored I feel to be able to share these thoughts with you and with the participants in my program. But, I’m curious. Does this list leave you reeling or ready to go? I would love to hear from you.
God bless.
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Dr. Donna Chacko promotes health of body, mind, and spirit through her website (serenityandhealth.com), her blog, and programs at her church. She is the author of the award-winning book and Amazon best-seller Pilgrimage: A Doctor’s Healing Journey (Luminare Press, 2021). You can read her full bio here.
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