Stress relief, hope from hopelessness a practical guide

Speaker: Randy Nims
In a WORLD
filled with UNCERTAINTY
you can find HOPE

Stress Management - Causes
of Stress
A lot of things can cause stress. You may feel
stress when you go on a job interview, take a test,
or run a race. These kinds of short-term stress are
normal. Long-term (chronic) stress is caused by
stressful situations or events that last over a long
period of time, like problems at work or conflicts in
your family. Over time, chronic stress can lead to
severe health problems.

of Stress
Personal problems that can cause stress:
• Your health, especially if you have a chronic
illness such as heart disease, diabetes, or
arthritis.
• Emotional problems, such as anger you can't
express, depression, grief, guilt, or low self-
esteem.
• Your relationships, such as having problems
with your relationships or feeling a lack of

• Major life changes, such as dealing with the death
of a parent or spouse, losing your job, getting
married, or moving to a new city
• Stress in your family, such as having a child, teen,
or other family member who is under stress, or
being a caregiver to a family member who is elderly
or who has health problems
of Stress

• Conflicts with your beliefs and values. For example,
you may value family life, but you may not be able
to spend as much time with your family as you
want.
of Stress

Social and job issues that can cause stress
• Your surroundings. Living in an area where
overcrowding, crime, pollution, or noise is a
problem can create chronic stress.
• Your social situation. Not having enough money to
cover your expenses, feeling lonely, or facing
discrimination based on your race, gender, age, or
sexual orientation can add stress to your life.
of Stress

Social and job issues that can cause stress
• Your job. Being unhappy with your work or finding
your job too demanding can lead to chronic stress.
Learn how to manage job stress.
• Unemployment. Losing your job or not being able
to find work can also add to your stress level.
of Stress

How stress affects the body
Common symptoms of stress include:
• A fast heartbeat.
• A headache.
• A stiff neck and/or tight shoulders.
• Back pain.
• Fast breathing.
• Sweating, and sweaty palms.
• An upset stomach, nausea, or diarrhea.
Stress Management – Affects
of Stress

Over time, stress can affect your:
• Immune system. Constant stress can make you
more likely to get sick more often. And if you have a
chronic illness such as AIDS, stress can make your
symptoms worse.
• Heart. Stress is linked to high blood pressure,
abnormal heartbeat (arrhythmia), blood clots, and
hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis). It's also
linked to coronary artery disease, heart attack, and
of Stress

• Muscles. Constant tension from stress can lead to
neck, shoulder, and low back pain. Stress may
make rheumatoid arthritis worse.
• Stomach. If you have stomach problems, such as
gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), peptic
ulcer disease, or irritable bowel syndrome, stress
can make your symptoms worse.
of Stress

of Stress
• Reproductive organs. Stress is linked to low
fertility, erection problems, problems during
pregnancy, and painful menstrual periods.
• Lungs. Stress can make symptoms of asthma
and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
(COPD) worse.
• Skin. Skin problems such as acne and psoriasis
are made worse by stress.

of Stress
You might notice signs of stress in the way you think,
act, and feel. You may:
• Feel cranky and unable to deal with even small
problems.
• Feel frustrated, lose your temper more often, and
yell at others for no reason.
• Feel jumpy or tired all the time.
• Find it hard to focus on tasks.
• Worry too much about small things.
• Feel that you are missing out on things because you

1. Write. It may help to write about things that are
bothering you. Write for 10 to 15 minutes a day
about stressful events and how they made you
feel. Or think about tracking your stress. This
helps you find out what is causing your stress
and how much stress you feel. After you know,
you can find better ways to cope.

2. Let your feelings out. Talk, laugh, cry, and
express anger when you need to. Talking with
friends, family, a counselor, or a member of the
clergy about your feelings is a healthy way to
relieve stress.

3. Do something you enjoy. You may feel that
you're too busy to do these things. But making
time to do something you enjoy can help you
relax. It might also help you get more done in
other areas of your life. Try:
• A hobby, such as gardening.
• A creative activity, such as writing,
crafts, or art.
• Playing with and caring for pets.
• Volunteer work.

4. Exercise. Regular exercise is one of the best
ways to manage stress. Walking is a great way
to get started. Even everyday activities such as
housecleaning or yard work can reduce stress.
Stretching can also relieve muscle tension.

Stress Management - Ways
to Avoid Stress
Stress is a part of life, and you can't always avoid it.
But you can try to avoid situations that can cause it,
and you can control how you respond to it.
Manage your time
• Time management is a way to find the time for
more of the things you want and need to do. It
helps you decide which things are urgent and
which can wait. Managing your time can make
your life easier, less stressful, and more

Stress is a part of life, and you can't always avoid it.
But you can try to avoid situations that can cause it,
and you can control how you respond to it.
Look at your lifestyle
• The choices you make about the way you live
affect your stress level. Your lifestyle may not
cause stress on its own, but it can prevent your
body from recovering from it.
to Avoid Stress

Try to:
1. Find a balance between personal, work, and family
needs. This isn't easy. Start by looking at how you
spend your time. Maybe there are things that you
don't need to do at all. Finding a balance can be
especially hard during the holidays.
1. Have a sense of purpose in life. Many people find
meaning through connections with family or friends,
jobs, their spirituality, or volunteer work.
to Avoid Stress

Try to:
3. Get enough sleep. Your body recovers from the
stresses of the day while you are sleeping. If your
worries keep you from sleeping, keep a notepad or
your cell phone by your bed to record what you are
worried about-to help you let it go while you sleep.
For example, if you are worried you might forget to
run an errand the next day, make a note so that you
can stop worrying about forgetting.
to Avoid Stress

Try to:
4. Adopt healthy habits. Eat a healthy diet, limit how
much alcohol you drink, and don't smoke. Staying
healthy is your best defense against stress.
5. Exercise. Even moderate exercise, such as taking a
daily walk, can reduce stress.
to Avoid Stress

Try to:
6. Get support: Support in your life from family,
friends, church, and your community has a big
impact on how you experience stress. Having
support in your life can help you stay healthy.
7. Change your thinking: Stressful events can make
you feel bad about yourself. You might start
focusing on only the bad and not the good in a
situation.
to Avoid Stress

Green leafy vegetables
It's tempting to reach for a cheeseburger when stressed, but
go green at lunch instead. "Green leafy vegetables like
spinach contain folate, which produces dopamine, a
pleasure-inducing brain chemical, helping you keep calm,"
says Heather Mangieri, RDN, a spokesperson for the
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. A 2012 study in the
Journal of Affective Disorders of 2,800 middle-aged…

Green leafy vegetables
…and elderly people and found those who consumed the
most folate had a lower risk of depression symptoms than
those who took in the least. And, a 2013 study from the
University of Otago found that college students tended to
feel calmer, happier, and more energetic on days they ate
more fruits and veggies.

Blueberries
"When you're stressed, there's a battle being fought inside you,"
Mangieri says. "The antioxidants and phytonutrients found in
berries fight in your defense, helping improve your body's
response to stress and fight stress-related free radicals." Research
has also shown that blueberry eaters experience a boost in
natural killer cells, "a type of white blood cell that plays a vital
role in immunity, critical for countering stress," says Cynthia Sass,
MPH, RD, Health's contributing nutrition editor.

Seeds
Flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds are all great
sources of magnesium (as are leafy greens, yogurt, nuts, and
fish). Loading up on the mineral may help regulate emotions.
"Magnesium has been shown to help alleviate depression,
fatigue, and irritability," Sass says. "Bonus: When you're
feeling especially irritable during that time of the month, the
mineral also helps to fight PMS symptoms, including cramps
and water retention."

Avocado
In a 2014 study by Loma Linda University (which, full
disclosure, was sponsored by the Hass Avocado Board),
researchers had participants add half an avocado to their
lunches, which reduced their desire to eat more by 40% for
the three hours following the midday meal. That full feeling
will make you less inclined to reach for unhealthy snacks
when stress kicks in.

Cashews
When researchers gave zinc supplements to people who
were diagnosed with both anxiety symptoms (irritability, lack
of ability to concentrate) and deficient zinc levels over a
course of eight weeks, the patients saw a 31% decrease in
anxiety, according to Nutrition and Metabolic Insights. This is
likely because zinc affects the levels of a nerve chemical that
influences mood. But, cashews are also rich in omega-3s and
protein, so they're a smart snack no matter what.

1 Samuel 9:1-2
There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, a man
of wealth. He had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome
young man. There was not a man among the people of
Israel more handsome than he; he stood head and
shoulders above everyone else.

But when talking with Samuel he said…
Verse 21 “I am only a Benjaminite, from the least of the
tribes of Israel, and my family is the humblest of all the
families of the tribe of Benjamin.”
But Samuel makes known
to him the word of God…
1 Samuel 10:9 As he turned
away to leave Samuel, God
gave him another heart.

How did Saul become so distressed?
Why did Saul nosedive
into jealousy, anxiety,
paranoia, and depression?
Was it genetic?

Saul’s military talent was evident when he received God’s
support and, according to the narrative, re-assembled the
Israelite tribes to crush the Ammonites. Saul fought many
battles – against the Moabites, the Edomites, and the
Philistines.
Early on he seemed
quite successful and
emotionally stable…

1 Samuel 9:6 Samuel told Saul
that “the spirit of the Lord will
possess you.”
Did the spirit of God boost Saul’s
kingly self-confidence and enable
the real royal personality of Saul
to manifest, replacing all his
insecurities in such a way that he
led Israel to victory against the
Ammonites and the Philistines?

Whatever was happening was
affecting Saul’s ability to
rule. He was becoming very
pre-occupied with David’s
increasing fame which
severely depressed him.
1 Samuel 18:8, 29 “Saul was
very angry” toward David. At
the same time Saul was “afraid
of David.”

1 Samuel 9:6 Samuel told Saul
that “the spirit of the Lord will
possess you.”
1 Samuel 16:14 Now the
spirit of the Lord departed
from Saul.

If God was the reason for
Saul’s boost in self-confidence
and it was God who enabled
Saul to accomplish all he
did, then could the
realization that God was
withdrawn lead to the decline
of Saul’s health?

So his counselors advised him to
seek for the services of a skillful
musician, in the hope that the
soothing notes of a sweet
instrument might calm his
troubled spirit, and turn his
thoughts away from his grief.
One problem…

So his counselors advised him to
seek for the services of a skillful
musician, in the hope that the
soothing notes of a sweet
instrument might calm his
troubled spirit, and turn his
thoughts away from his grief.
It was only temporary relief

1 John 1:9
“If we confess our sins, He is
faithful and just to forgive us
our sins and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness”
What was Saul’s cure?

Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your
own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And
He shall direct your paths.”
Psalm 42:5, 43:2
“Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you
disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him
For the help of His countenance. …For You are the God of
my strength…”

2 Corinthians 4:8-9, 16-18
“We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are
perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken;
struck down, but not destroyed… Therefore we do not lose
heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly
we are being renewed day by day. For our light and
momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory
that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what
is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is
temporary, but what is unseen is eternal”

Galatians 2:20
“I have been crucified with Christ;
it is no longer I who live, but Christ
lives in me; and the life which I
now live in the flesh I live by faith
in the Son of God, who loved me
and gave Himself for me.”

Stress relief, hope from hopelessness a practical guide

Stress relief, hope from hopelessness a practical guide

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