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National Stress Awareness Month

Spring Break is over and we are well into the 4th quarter.  Achievement testing begins next week, spring sports have begun, and the last 6 weeks of school are going to be jam packed with activities, both academic and social!   It is a fun time of year, but the busyness can also lead to stress.  So, it is fitting that April is National Stress Awareness Month.  Stress is a natural human response that prompts us to address challenges and threats in our lives. Everyone experiences stress to some degree, it’s how we handle stress that makes a difference. Here are some helpful tips for your logic student to manage stress, both now and in the future.

  1. 1. Recognize stress.  When we feel stress, it is often hard to relax.  We may experience headaches, body pains, stomach aches, sleep issues, or trouble concentrating.  Stress can also make other mental health conditions, like anxiety and depression, worse.  
  1. 2. Promote self care.  This looks different for each individual.  For some, spending time with family and friends reduces stress and brings joy.  For others, curling up with a good book and having some quiet time is reenergizing.  The important part is to know what lowers your stress and brings you joy and then making time for that.
  1. 3. Keep a daily routine.  Knowing what to expect helps maintain a sense of control and allows us to plan time for what needs to be done along with activities we enjoy.  
  1. 4. Set goals.  Part of the daily routine can be making a to-do list.  Often, we feel stress because we have many upcoming obligations that are weighing on us.  However, if we write them down and then create steps to accomplish them, we often realize it is very doable and our stress is lowered.  
  1. 5. Let things outside of our control go.  It’s important to recognize what we can control (our own activities, thoughts, behaviors, boundaries) vs those we can’t control (other people’s activities, thoughts, behaviors, or reactions, the news, the past, etc.) and letting go of those things we can’t control.  Carrying stress over what we can’t control is futile.  
  1. 6. Make healthy choices.  Getting plenty of rest (8-10 hours for logic aged students), healthy diet, and exercise all help our body have less stress hormones circulating, thus lowering overall stress. We also honor God when we make healthy choices as our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19) 
  1. 7. Limit time watching the news or utilizing social media.  Research has shown a correlation with these activities and increased stress.
  1. 8. Share how you are feeling.  Sharing your feelings of stress with family, a counselor, pastor, or someone else who cares is helpful.  It is important to know we are not alone. 
  1. 9. Focus on gratitude.  Often when we choose to focus on what we have to be thankful for, our stress automatically lowers.  Getting in the routine of showing gratitude every day is a great stress reliever.   
  1. 10. Most importantly, spend time reading the Bible, meditating on scripture, and praying.  God promises in the Bible in Philippians that when we pray and give our worries to Him, He replaces them with His peace.  Abide is a great app that can be used to help lower stress and promote sleep from a Biblical perspective.  Taking time to be still in His presence brings peace only He can offer.  “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27