Feeling Stressed? Consider These Tools to Help

by Donna Chacko, M.D.
First published as a guest blog post for Brian Plachta

Are you overlooking the key ingredient to reduce stress? I did—for too long. 

In my early professional career I was a cancer doctor, laser-focused on curing my patients’ diseases. I didn’t pay much attention to the interior life of my patients, much less their levels of stress. I was filled with stressed too. I was worried about my family and career and tried to ignore my anxiety.
 
After I re-trained and become a family doctor, I learned that seventy-percent of my patients’ problems were linked to stress. Headaches, backaches, insomnia, high blood pressure, each had stress as a common denominator. 

These experiences in the family clinic and my deepening faith helped me understand how the integration of mind, body, and spirit powerfully influences health.  

I realized health and well-being are often byproducts of one’s spiritual practices.

On-the-Go-Prayer

Last week, I experienced the failure of an important business arrangement. The break was final---but I couldn’t let it go. I repeatedly replayed every detail. My mind was in high gear, whirling in circles. I dwelled on what I had said, what he said, what I should have said, what he should have done, why I had no choice, and so on. I found myself wallowing in anxious thoughts all day into a sleepless night. 
 
I was experiencing “rumination” often referred to by experts as a silent mental health problem because its impact is often underestimated. It feels like a gremlin in your head scampering around, replaying the disturbing tapes repeatedly. Left unresolved, rumination can lead to a mental health crises. 
 
As I struggled with my out-of-control thoughts, I repeated the words, “My Lord and my God.” I call it my “On-the-Go Prayer.” 
 
The words turn off the negative tapes in my mind and bring me back to the present moment as I refocus on God. The prayer has become such an established habit, it automatically pops into my head whenever stress growls at me.

Prayer, community, and service are three practices that form a strong foundation for living with what I call: Serenity and Health.

Tools and Tips

Prayer

We all have our special prayer practices and all are valuable. Besides my On-the-Go Prayer, I also value Centering Prayer, a form of Christian meditation. This prayer helped me find peace by resting with God. Over time, I noticed an unexpected bonus: my brain was less active. It felt like I was plugging into the peace of Christ and felt less buffeted by stress. 

Community

We are called to worship as a community. God knows we need each other—after all, we’re all members of the Body of Christ. A prayer partner or spiritual group with whom we can be honest and vulnerable as we share our problems is a great source of comfort, healing, and stress-reduction.

Service

Using our gifts and talents in the service of others gives meaning to our lives. Having meaning and purpose contributes to our sense of well-being. A recent Pop-Up Conversation I had with Brian Plachta offers readers important tools about how to identify our spiritual gifts. 

God—the Ultimate Stress-Buster

The more we trust God with our burdens, the less stress we experience. It’s not easy—loss, failure, and the need to carry our crosses are all part of life. But, walking hand-in-hand with Christ makes the journey easier.

If you are feeling stressed, pray about it, and make a change in your lifestyle or schedule.

Start small. Two minutes of prayer each morning. A ten-minute walk. Reading the bible five minutes a day. Just start, and keep God close. You’ll be amazed to see the changes that come from small steps repeated consistently.

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God bless, 
Donna
 

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