Find positive ways to cope with life's stressors
Are you having trouble coping with a situation in your life? What does it mean to cope? By definition, to cope means "something a person does to deal with a difficult situation."
Have you ever thought about how you cope with a difficult situation? There are healthy and unhealthy ways.
Healthy ways can be referred to as coping strategies or skills. Negative ways are considered maladaptive skills. These are ways we cope that cause harmful habits or results.
The effectiveness to cope appropriately depends on many things. The person's level of spiritual maturity can play a part, as they understand God's ways of loving and living and the power of God to help them cope.
It also depends on their level of understanding habits and addictions, as they play a part in selecting habits to help us manage our situation positively or negatively.
Also, the level of self-awareness we function at affects our ability to perceive ways we have adapted that are good or bad. It's important we grow in self-awareness. This is not done to condemn ourselves or feel guilty, we should do this prayerfully with God's guidance, known as conviction.
When we are convicted to change something, it usually feels like a positive step, such as when someone decides to stop smoking, manage their anger or clean their room.
When we are convicted we can ask for God's strength and wisdom to help us overcome our difficulty.
Next time you feel stressed and unable to cope here are a few simple healthy things to try. Find a creative outlet like journaling, coloring (even for adults), painting or putting together a puzzle.
Talking things over with a trustworthy friend or mentor that has wise advice can bring relief. A life coach or counselor can help you discover some solutions, as well. Prayer and Bible reading helps us get grounded in the truthful solutions for life's problems.
Reading a book on the topic of your problem can give you new insights. Exercise helps us balance our hormones and releases tension to cope better. Taking a deep breath can center our emotions.
Finding solutions to help us cope with life's stressors is a step toward an abundant lifestyle that Jesus informed us we could achieve.
• Annettee Budzban is a Christian author, speaker, life coach and nurse. Annettee will be speaking on Solutions to Your Stress Friday, Oct. 21, at 6 p.m. at Panera Bread in Round Lake Beach. She can be contacted at Annetteebudzban@aol.com or (847) 543-8413. Invite her to speak at your church group or event.