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Happy Wellness Wednesday, Garden Fam 🌸
We are in the final week of our Stress Awareness Month Series. So far, we’ve chatted about ways to avoid and alleviate stress, healthy practices for work-life balance—which, if you heard that episode, you know we are now calling work-life flow—and lastly, how to manage stress in busy seasons (we know that it can look different than more quiet seasons).
Today, we’re wrapping up the series with creating an anti-stress lifestyle. I’ve shared tips and key pointers in the other three April episodes that I believe can also contribute to today’s topic, so be sure to go back and check those out, whether you need the information now or may need it in the future.
In this last episode, I thought it might be nice to just speak candidly and share a few of my experiences and what I learned from them as it pertains to living a stress less life. Overall, though there were seasons where I was more tired than others (naturally), I am thankful to say that very rarely did I find myself feeling “stressed.” I definitely owe the credit to God for empowering me in every season and allowing me to lean on Him. There were also tangible things that I did (or didn’t do) that supported my anti-stress lifestyle.
First, let’s chat mindset.
Before I even get into my experiences, I will say that as cliche as it sounds, mindset truly does matter SO much! When it comes to stress, I intentionally fostered a mindset of “I get to” rather than “I have to,” and I could definitely feel the difference when I was not intentionally approaching life this way. For example, I loved teaching, but in the hard moments, I would remind myself that it was a blessing to teach, engage, and have a hand in cultivating the minds of little ones.
There are times (really most times) when you have to train your mind what and how to think and literally cancel out negative or unproductive thoughts. I also embraced the scripture that says to “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” That’s Colossians 3:23 and it definitely kept me going in times when I wanted to quit, or complain, or checkout. There were definitely times when I fell short of this as far as excellence goes, but fostering this mindset was definitely helpful, because even when people may have been difficult, it reminded me who I was truly working for, and who was working within me. It surely made all the difference.
Whether you adopt these mindsets or some of your own, your mindset is definitely the first place to begin building an anti-stress lifestyle.
I’ve said this many times before, but you should also filter what you are taking in on a regular basis. We don’t need to know everything that is going on in every city across the world, or what is going on in the lives of every single person we know on a regular basis. We certainly don’t need to be taking in doom and gloom messaging and conversations. It’s important to filter these things out. If it doesn’t align with God’s word as it is written or the things He has spoken to you specifically, filter it out. There’s more I could say on that, but I’ll leave it at that for now. I wrote a blog on this last year, so I will link it in the comments for those that need help in this area, and I’ll likely find myself talking about it again in more detail in the future.
Overall, a healthy mindset is something that is actively cultivated, not passively, so get intentional, “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” That’s Philippians 4:8, by the way. With this, and doing things God’s way, brings the PEACE of God, and stress can’t overpower the peace that God gives!
I can tell you that with confidence because I’ve experienced it for myself!
There have been times that I’ve looked back on and couldn’t fathom how I was not only surviving, but gliding through with grace. That’s not to say it NEVER got difficult, but overall, I’m impressed with all that God allowed me to do. During my time teaching, I was literally teaching full time and all the things that come with that: meetings and lesson planning and grading, and teacher outings, and even at certain points, planning events for staff, and volunteering… Then, on my own time tutoring and doing freelance work, and serving at my church, and somehow still making time for fun and traveling. My mind is lowkey blown just reflecting on it, but it’s a reminder to me and to you that it is possible to not only get a lot done, but to do so with grace and ease and peace. I won’t lie, that grace, ease, and peace may not come and definitely won’t be sustainable without God, but truly, all things are possible with God! Now for the takeaways: When I look back at this season, and the one I will share next, there are a few things that I know aided me in showing up with excellence:
TIME-MANAGEMENT! As someone who helps others manage their calendars, I know firsthand that this does not come naturally to everyone, but man oh man is it important and a major key to creating an anti-stress lifestyle. Whether you use a digital or written calendar, a physical checklist or project management software, you MUST have something that you are accountable to that helps you to plan your days and delegate your time. Disorganization, both physically and with our time, can definitely breed stress! When managing your time, be realistic about how much time you really need for tasks and don’t ever rely on “remembering” scheduled appointments, meetings, etc. Write it down or it’s not real! Lol.
Someone I know puts EVERY minute of their day on their calendar, from eating to showering, to working and working out, you name it! Shout out to you if you’re listening: You know who you are! Lol. I don’t always do it to that extent and I’m not suggesting that you have to either, but if I’m honest, it helps to visually see your time and how it is spent, and also, in busy seasons especially, you can almost create more time in the day by properly allocating time for things. Obviously, we only have 24 hours in a given day, really less when we count sleep, but when you employ the combination of visualizing your time and setting a schedule to adhere to, you’ll be surprised how much you can get done in a day and how much it will eliminate the stress that comes from confusion, disorganization, or not knowing what to do next. In this way, you also find that you have time for rest throughout your day, whether it be short breaks throughout or one long break in the middle.
Long story long on that, manage your time well, and don’t forget to factor in the logistics like travel time, actually cooking, ordering, or picking up the meal you plan to eat, rest, and hygiene. Shameless plug, if you need someone to help you setup or maintain your calendar, I’d be happy to help you through my assistance and organization business, Reorganize with Rhaven! I offer a plethora of services as a virtual executive and personal assistant, and as a digital organizer to help you organize your life, your space, your schedule, and your business. Check out my website reorganizewithrhaven.com and let me help you begin creating your anti-stress lifestyle today! The link will also be in the description.
The next experience I want to share is one that I know many can relate to, whether now, in the past, or in the future, and that is working full-time while going to school full time. If you are there or have been there, you know that combination packs a PUNCH. I completed my masters program while working full-time in my role as an executive assistant, serving in an ancillary role as the leader of our company culture, and continuing to serve my tutoring students. Now, let me say, busy is not always productive and you don’t necessarily have to be busy to be successful, but I want to offer a balanced perspective that you CAN be successful in living an anti-stress life, even when you are wearing 5000 hats. I know there has been a movement towards doing less, and I support that if that is the season you are in and if that is what you feel is best for you right now, but there are DEFINITELY seasons where God and life will require more of you. Don’t back down! You can charge forth, be super productive and impactful, and still be at peace. It doesn’t have to be either-or. I also want to debunk the idea that you just need to struggle through a busy season to get to a quiet, calm life. Realistically speaking, if you have goals and if you have a calling on your life from God (which we all do, but not everyone answers); if you care about being impactful and moving from glory to glory, you need to posture yourself to thrive and live a good life in every season, and not postpone joy, peace, rest, etc. for some season that isn’t coming or that won’t last. What am I saying? Live well NOW, no matter the circumstances. I think that is one thing that I have learned—to stop holding my breath and struggling through intense seasons, and to embrace each season for what it is, even when I know better is coming. How does this apply to working while in school? Well, I’m glad you asked! Often, when in school, we have this idea that we will just push through this 4 years in undergrad, 2-3 years in grad school, or however many years in a doctorate program, or however many months in a certification program so that we can coast later… but after school ends, then comes looking for a new job or promotion or building a business and the cycle starts all over again. So, what’s a better solution? Create a lifestyle of anti-stress now. Care for your mind, body, and spirit now. Manage your time well and create helpful habits now. Make time for your family and friends, and yourself now. Are there certain things that come after delayed gratification? ABSOLUTELY, but exhaling, resting, caring for ourselves, and truly LIVING should not be a part of those things. Build an anti-stress lifestyle while working and going to school full time by doing some of the things we’ve already mentioned, eating well, making time for rest, setting healthy habits, making time for fun and self-care, managing your time and tasks well, just to name a few. How this looks and how much time is allotted for each thing may need to shift in different seasons, but as we discussed in last week’s episode, you still need to make time for your non-negotiables in every season. And just to clarify, I’m not saying you will be comfortable in every season, because not every season is meant to last a long time, but you DON’T have to just accept that stressful living is your portion. It’s not… or at least it doesn’t have to be.
I will wrap up in saying this: many have accepted that stress is a part of life and I am here to tell you that while that is true, that life does come with certain pressures, it does not mean that you have to be stressed or life a stressful life. You can thrive under and really, over the pressures, and significantly alleviate or even avoid the effects of stress, especially chronic stress, by building a life that is not conducive to it. Go back and listen to the rest of the episodes in this series for more ideas on how you can do just that. You can also grab the transcripts on the blog at thegardenofepiphani.com, if you’re someone who needs to see it visually. As we wrap up April, Stress Awareness Month, I want to challenge you to begin setting up for an anti-stress lifestyle. What things do you need to start, stop, or continue doing? What habits do you need to strengthen or eliminate? How can you foster a better mindset going forward? If you haven’t already, I challenge you to leave stressful living behind in April and enter May committed to God’s grace, ease, and peace, and living a Stress Less life!
That’s the end of today’s episode and the end of this series. I hope you’ve enjoyed it and that you feel empowered to go forth. Leave me a comment and let me know one thing you will start implementing this week to build or strengthen your anti-stress lifestyle!
I love you bunches and will talk to you on Faith Friday, God willing!
Until then, have a healthy and wholesome week! 💕
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