Using purpose to manage stress

Managing stress long term is a combination of developing tools for managing it and also reducing our exposure where we can. When considering how you limit stress a sense of purpose can be helpful. It can serve as the litmus test for what we allow into our lives.

• Does your life feel balanced and aligned with your purpose?

•  Do you have a strong sense of purpose?

• Does your life feel deficient in some areas and excessive in others?

If the answer is yes it might be a good idea to consider using your purpose as a guide for refining your life and determining what you need more or less of. If it aligns with your purpose it stays, if it doesn't it goes!

Purpose is typically a blend of gifts, passion, values and experiences.

Oswald Chambers shared a helpful perspective:

All of God’s people are ordinary people who have been made extraordinary by the purpose he has given them. Unless we have the right purpose intellectually in our minds, and lovingly in our hearts, we will very quickly be diverted from being useful to God.”  

Even with a clear sense of purpose, we can easily be pulled off track.

The enemy uses tactics like deception, discouragement, distraction, discontentment to keep us from fulfilling our purpose. As believers he can’t take our souls but he can derail us, rendering us ineffective for the kingdom of God.

For this reason, we have to be aware of his tactics. Unfortunately, our modern world is a perfect tool. There is a constant pull to do more, own more, and be more. We were not created to live in this constant state of “go mode” that is so prevalent and praised today.  

So, I’m encouraging you to step back and use prayer, purpose, and spiritual discernment to determine what should stay and what should go. What do you have to lose but stress?

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths strait - Prov 3:5-6

Things to consider letting go of:

Spiritually:

• Anything that contradicts scripture, values, beliefs and purpose

• Worries and concerns by journaling, praying and seeking wise counsel

• Critical self-talk, negative beliefs, lies of the enemy

Emotionally:

• Trauma – help your body release trauma by seeing a trauma informed counselor, trying somatic experiencing or EMDR  

• Unhealthy relationships

• Social Media and news – set boundaries with what and how often you consume it

Physically

• Environmental exposures  - Support your body by reducing its toxic burden. Deal with mold at home or work as soon as possible, switch to non-toxic personal care and cleaning products and stop using pesticides and herbicides.  

• Avoid non organic, processed,  Inflammatory foods, foods sensitivities, sugar, and caffeine

• Excess clutter in your home (everything you own you have to manage)

• Technology - reducing cell phone, computer and television use

 And do not be conformed to this [world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and [c]acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2

Things to consider adding in:

Spiritually

• Life giving relationships such as friends, family and faith

• Memorizing scripture that grounds you in truth, your identity, purpose and worth

• Putting your armor on daily

Emotionally

• Joy filled activities such as hobbies and time in nature

• Boundaries that align with your purpose

• Time alone or with others to recharge

• Start a gratitude journal and/or discuss what your grateful for daily

Physically

• Whole food nutrition

• 8 hours of high quality sleep

• Massage, Epsom salt baths ( magnesium calms the nervous system )

• Exercise and sweating  to support detoxification

• Legs up a wall pose combined with breath work to shift your nervous system into rest and digest

• 4-7-8 breathing, box breathing, belly breathing and heart math are helpful breathwork exercises

• Exercise, singing, laughing and gargling all make the nervous system more resilient

• Meditation, visualization and grounding

Stress has always been a part of the human experience but there are ways to limit it by determining what is really important to us.  Letting go of the unimportant brings simplicity, peace and focus.

I’d love to hear what you do to manage stress! What has the Lord revealed to you that’s been helpful? Hop on over to my face book page called Inspired Well Coaching and send me a message or leave a comment.

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us …. Romans 8:37