“Worry and Stress, Go Away; Don’t Come back Any Day”

This has been a hard year! I don’t know about you, but for me, my family, some of my friends, and even a few co- workers, this year has brought some of the biggest challenges in our lives. From financial issues and job situations to marriage/relationship problems, many people have had so much going on in their lives that it feels like the walls are caving in on them. None of us are exempt from problems. Life has a way of coming at us at 100 mph, and sometimes we can’t keep up. I remember my Grandmother saying that sometimes life is like a “rat race”. I have never seen rats race before, but I assume that they must move very fast for my Grandmother to use this analogy. With all of LIFE’s Happenings, many of us may tend to worry or fret about things that often we have no control. Research has shown that one of the leading causes of major diseases comes from worry or stress. What is worry anyway? Worrying is feeling uneasy or being overly concerned about a situation or problem. With excessive worrying, our mind and body go into overdrive as we constantly focus on "what might happen." In the midst of excessive worrying, you may suffer with high anxiety -- even panic -- during waking hours. Ever wondered what may be causing that InSoMnIa that you may be experiencing at night? It could be excessive worry. Then what is stress? Stress comes from the demands and pressures we experience each day. Long lines at the grocery store, rush hour traffic, getting dinner ready, working overtime, a phone ringing nonstop, or a chronic illness are all examples of things that can cause stress on a daily basis. We all experience stress at some point in our lives. The key is how we deal with stress. Health professionals give us some key ways to help us deal with worry and stress. Things such as exercise, eating healthy, relaxing, limiting caffeine intake, and meditation are all great ways to deal with stress and worry. As I have dealt with my own episodes of worry and stress in my life this year, one of the things that I learned quickly was to take these two “things” [worry and stress] to God in prayer. HE has a 100% cure rate for getting rid of both, all their symptoms, and after effects. The scripture, Philippians 4: 4-7 has been the best anecdote for me in dealing with life’s issues. It states, Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Every time I read this scripture and pray, I feel a calming peace of comfort that gives me assurance that everything will be just fine. It affirms my faith in my Maker that HE has all power to work whatever situation I am facing out in HIS time. Does it make the problems go away? No, not always, but it give me the ability to trust, believe, and have peace during the storm. So as we enter this last trimester of 2012, make it a point to worry less. When those things we cannot control come at us like a “rat race”, as my dear old Grandmother would say, or at 100mph, then we can use some of the tools above to deal with them. I am learning that when I trust God more and myself less, my problems don’t seem so big. I wish that we could just click our heels three times and say “worry and stress, go away; don’t come back any day.” I think that would be just awesome! Peace and Blessings~Dr. Sunshine 9/26/12