Stress Relief

Written by Judith Willetts, Ph.D. and published on 21-May-2009.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30

In this passage from the Bible, Jesus is speaking to His followers who were weighed down by trying to pursue the meticulous obedience demanded by their religious leaders, the Pharisees. Jesus urges them to take on a different "yoke," that is loyalty to His gentle and humble Person, rather than loyalty to a strict set of laws. For all of us who are, and have been, burdened and stressed through the ages, this message of hope and solace rings clear. Jesus removes our burdens as He teaches us His way with patience and tolerance of our many mistakes. I am often reminded of this when I work with those who are anxious and stressed and when I experience stress myself. So often we are stressed because we are trying to work things out in our own strength. We forget to surrender to the One who created us and sustains us.

Anxious people often express a desire to surrender to Jesus, but don’t know how. I think we miss it because it is deceptively simple. First of all, we need to pour out our burdens and pains to God. We often go to God with censored prayers as if He doesn’t already know our soul’s despair. We need to take Him our deepest pain, anger, and hurts with the firm belief that He will hear and understand. After we have exhausted ourselves by pouring out our hearts to Him, we need to be quiet and listen. His Holy Spirit will minister to us as we wait empty and spent. If the waiting is too difficult, we can meditate on scripture or listen to soothing spiritual music in an effort to keep the soul open to the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Finally, when that still, small voice that encompasses all the solace we need comes to us, we rejoice. We have found God in our weakness. We have taken His yoke upon us and He has met us as He promised. We have found rest for our souls.

10 Simple Ways to Relieve Stress

Yes, you’ve heard them before. But even though these are well-known strategies, people consistently fail to use them. The next time you’re really stressed, remember to try a few of these tried and true suggestions. See what works for you!

• Pray.
• Read the scriptures, especially Psalms 23 and 91.
• Take some deep breaths.
• Take a walk.
• Listen to relaxing music.
• Talk to a supportive friend.
• Do any kind of exercise.
• Count your blessings.
• Look at the situation from another angle.
• Write out all your concerns.