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Cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. I Peter 5:7. . I read a statistic that we make more decisions in one day than people used to make in one year. No wonder we’re stressed out. And note, all this craziness and fast-track living isn’t going away. So what can we do to develop a stress free lifestyle?

1. Identify your stressors. Unless you identify and address your stress buttons, you’ll not be able to deal with them effectively. Make a list, “I get stressed out when.…” Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you what causes you to overload and why. He loves to help.

2. Make an action plan to tame your stressors. After you identify your stress buttons, make a plan to eliminate them. For example, if you’re always running late, set your clock 10 minutes early. This “extra” time will give you peace. If you tend to lose your keys, find a “hiding” place and develop the habit of always putting them there.

3. Plan ahead and tell people what you expect. As a parent, employer or pastor, we interact with other people. They need to know our expectations and how to achieve them. Coaching and training and creating boundaries will help those we are responsible for to know our expectations, keeping both them and you – stress free!

4. Get physical. Put exercise on your weekly schedule. When you break a sweat exercising, your body releases endorphins – a natural chemical that alleviate stress. Scientists have discovered that laughter also triggers this hormone and causes stress levels to go down. Are you laughing regularly?

5. Eat the real stuff. Until recently, I didn’t have a clue what’s healthy and what’s not. The Lord dropped it in my heart to do some research and I found a lot of my favorite food such as shrimp, pork and coke were not so healthy. God helped me make radical changes. You’ll be amazed how food and drink affect your body and mood.

6. Have a scheduled time to go to bed and wake up. We have less time to sleep today than 100 years ago, and it is taking its toll according to researchers. But regular sleeping patterns can help us. The secret is to train ourselves to go to sleep and wake up at a consistent time everyday. (And remember to turn off the cell phone!)

7. Be a better steward of your money. A number one cause of stress is money or the lack thereof. If you take care of the priorities first (tithes, saving, paying bills, utilities and credit cards) everything else will fall in place.

8. Get it off your chest. Talk to a friend or partner about your stress. Sometimes just getting it off your chest can help unload some of the burden.

9. Stay grateful. I know an asthma patient who literally struggles to get a breath of fresh air! How thankful he is to God for every breath he can get. Take time to count your blessings and tell Him you are grateful.

10. Slow Down and Lighten Up. I hear so many people say, “I don’t have time…” The fact of the matter is – you will have time for whatever you want to make time for. Write down what’s priority in your life right now (they change). Enjoy the time you have and remember to laugh, even in the face of stress. God is with you in all things.

See the original and more at: www.buildinternational.org