Power Points To Reduce Stress   by Jewel Diamond Taylor    How are you coping with your stress issues? Do your best to keep your head up, your mind clear, your faith strong and your sense of humor, especially when things don't seem to make sense.  Yes, gas prices are soaring, the economy is crazy and the atmosphere is heavy with political and weather changes --- yet you must hold on.  Only the strong survive.  Make up your mind to stay in the game.  Give notice to the enemy that in the midst of your battle, you are covered by God's love and power.  Make up your mind to stay prayerful, optimistic and connected to your circle of family and friends.  One of the many tools of the enemy is the lure of depression.  Feelings of defeat, shame and exhaustion can kill your faith, purpose, health, self-esteem and opportunities.    When you feel exhausted or confused, please be careful not to escape into a cave of isolation or excessive/compulsive eating or spending.   You are more than a conqueror.  Plug into your spiritual electricity to empower your faith and victory in prayer.  You were not born with the spirit of fear. (2 Timothy 1:7 "For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.")   1. Don't try to control the uncontrollable.  Many things in life are beyond our control- particularly the behavior of other people. Rather than stressing out over them, focus on the things you can control such as the way you choose to react to problems.     2. Change your perspective.   When facing major challenges, try to look at them as opportunities for personal growth.  Don't always feel you are being punished, maybe it is a "divine push" toward new experiences, new faith, new strength and new opportunities.  Remember, this, too, shall pass.   3. Ask for help.  Delegate tasks and dump what is unnecessary or a low priority.  Caregivers and those in high demand positions get burned out and very ill unless they learn how to ask for help and stop trying to do it ALL.   4. Look at the big picture. Take perspective of the stressful situation. Ask yourself how important it will be in the long run. Will it matter in a month? A year? Is it really worth getting upset over? If the answer is no, focus your time and energy elsewhere.   5. Life and people are not perfect.  Stop setting yourself up for failure by demanding perfection.  Life is up and down, bitter and sweet, precious and mysterious.  Nothing in life is guaranteed.  Nothing and no one is perfect.  Shift happens. Be flexible, adapt and allow for the "oops" and "mistakes" that will happen in life.    6. Accept and adapt to what you cannot change.  We will not always be delivered from our dilemmas and drama.  Talk to a trusted friend or make an appointment with a counselor.  Expressing what you're going through can be very cathartic, even if there's nothing you can do to alter the stressful situation.     7. Focus on the positive. When stress is getting you down, take a moment to reflect on all the things you appreciate in your life, including your own positive qualities and gifts. Tap into your feelings of gratitude and faith.   8. Exercise regularly.  If you don't manage your stress well, it doesn't go away.  Instead it stores up in your knees, back, neck, stomach, skin, etc.  Physical activity and deep breathing play a key role in reducing and preventing the effects of stress.  If you are not sexually active - move, exercise and stretch your body to release all the pent up stress and toxins that block your energy.   9. Eat healthy foods. Well-nourished bodies are better prepared to cope with stress, so be mindful of what you eat.  Start your day right with breakfast, and keep your energy up and your mind clear with balanced, nutritious meals throughout the day.  Your mind can't think clearly when it is dehydrated.  Hydrate your brain by drinking lots of water.   10. Reduce caffeine and sugar. The temporary "highs" caffeine and sugar provide often end in with a crash in mood and energy.  By reducing the amount of coffee, soft drinks, chocolate, and sugar snacks in your diet, you'll feel more relaxed and you'll sleep better.   This webset page was assembled by Teddie using one of the many auto-scripters available at  Chat_Central_Gateway  All rights reserved KENDOC 2005