Fantastic Families: Step 6 Learn to Cope with Stress and Crises

Stress is an unfortunate part of our lives, and each of us experiences it on some level every day. Stress can do tremendous damage to our spirits and our physical bodies, so it's important to manage it well.

Throughout our lives, we will deal with many negative circumstances. We can't control that. What we can control is how we respond to those situations. Strong families have developed coping mechanisms that help them manage life's challenging times.

The following are some of the ways you can deal with stressful moments in your lives.  

Tactic 1: Keep Things in Perspective
When you are having a bad day - maybe the car won't start or your project at work is behind schedule - it sometimes feels like the world is just out to get you. During these times, it's helpful to put a little emotional distance between yourself and the situation and say, "This too shall pass." Bad days are part of life, but for your own well-being, it's important to keep them in perspective. 

Tactic 2: Let Go and Let God
For many of us, worrying is a false comfort. It makes us think that we have control over a situation when we really don't. We think that by worrying about a situation, we're doing something. But in reality, all we're doing is making ourselves sick. Strong families find that there's tremendous comfort in turning to God and trusting that He has a plan for us. By letting go of the worry and focusing only on what you can control, you will be able to better manage life's difficult times.   

Tactic 3: Focus on Something Bigger Than Self
Having a goal or a mission that's bigger than yourself is a good way to manage the little things that go wrong in life. Let's say you're upset with your son because he has been ignoring his chores and spending too much time tracking his favorite baseball team's batting averages. Of course, this is an irritation, but in the grand scheme of things, you're raising a fine son who will go on to be a good father someday. And then the two of you can laugh when he comes complaining about the chores his children are ignoring.  

Tactic 4: Humor Yourself
Sometimes the best antidote to life's daily stressors is laughter. Think about a time when you were worried or upset about a situation and then someone made a funny comment that sent you into uncontrollable laughter. It was a wonderful release, wasn't it? Laughter has that effect. The next time you feel overwhelmed, consider renting a silly movie and just enjoying a good, deep belly laugh.  

Tactic 5: Take One Step at a Time
It's very easy to feel stressed when you have a long list of things you feel you must do. You become so focused on next week's deadline that you lose sight of what needs to be addressed right here and right now. One way to get control of the situation is to break your list into manageable daily tasks. Instead of wasting energy worrying about something that's going to happen in three weeks, focus on the four or five items you'd like to accomplish today. You can also reduce stress by prioritizing your commitments. Maybe you have too much on your plate and need to eliminate one or two items for your own health and well-being.  

Tactic 6: Refresh and Restore
The Lord created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. If He felt that it was important to rest, why do we sometimes feel like we don't have that luxury? Taking time for rest and relaxation is an important way to manage stress in our lives. Strong families don't let their lives become consumed with work and responsibilities 24 hours a day/seven days a week. Instead, they make sure that they plan events that allow them to just kick back and have fun.  

This is the last email in the Fantastic Families series. I hope you and your family have found the discussion items helpful. If you have any questions about the Fantastic Families workshop, contact your Cornerstone/FaithBridge consultant.