Lent (Part 2): How YOU Doin'?

We all enjoy our "Friends" who can help us laugh, support us and keep us stress free.

Who doesn't love Joey? He makes everyone laugh! Laughter is good for the soul. In fact, the Bible reads that "A glad heart makes a cheerful face," Proverbs 15:13. Have you laughed this past week during Lent? Speaking of Lent...how you doin'? How's your Lenten promise going? 

I hope this first part of Lent has found you free of stress, full of life,laughter and love for this season of renewal and growth, and above all, closer to God. But, we all know that springtime can also bring about some stress: busy schedules with Spring Break, Easter, new sports seasons, new interests and the end of school in clear view with summer in a blink of eye. Not to mention the daily texts, emails, phone calls, posts, and other mobile device distractions which can impede our Lent promise. 

Sorry, if I just stressed you out.

"So, no one told you that life was gonna be this way..."  

Stress. We all have it. Some more than others. How can we cope and avoid it?  Dr. Amanda Chaney,  a licensed, board-certified naturopathic physician who owns, Chaney Integrative Family Medicine and is the Wellness Director at Woodside Heath and Tennis Club, recently published an article about stress management. When I contacted her to ask for permission to publish her talented insight, she was thrilled to share her words of wisdom about this foe of ours.

Dr. Chaney explains, "Stress is an internal state, not an external one. There is no stress 'out there' in the world. Stress is in our thoughts about the world out there. If we ever hope to actually reduce our experience of stress in a lasting way, it can only be by changing how we think about our world."

Dr. Chaney's Tips to Manage Stress:

1. Talk about it, or write it out, what's worrying you: One way to become more aware of your thoughts is to observe your stream of consciousness as you think about a stressful situation. Do not suppress any thoughts: instead just let them run their course while you watch them and write them down when they occur.
2. Speak a stress-free language: People who handle stress well tend to employ what stress experts call an "optimistic explanatory style." They don't beat themselves up when things don't work out in their favor. Replace the word "expect" with "hope." Expectations can only be used for those things over which you have the greatest personal control. You can expect to quench your thirst with a drink of water. You cannot expect to get the job you just interviewed for. You can hope to get it.
3. Don't be so serious: There's nothing like anxiety to annihilate your sense of humor. Remember that it's impossible to feel stressed when you're hunched over with the giggles.
4. Once a day, get away: When you're having a hell of a day--good or bad--checking out for 10-15 minutes can be revitalizing. Find a place where you can be alone (definitely ditch the cell phone) and wipe the slate clean for a few minutes.
5. Identify at least one good thing that happened today: It's a scenario played out every evening all over the country: come home from work and start venting to your spouse or roommate about your day. Instead of creating a negative atmosphere the minute you walk in the door, try starting off the evening with your family or friends exchanging good news. Something good happens every day!

My friend Rana, shared this the other day, It ties well into Dr. Chaney's third tip.

This Lent season and beyond: Don't stress, find a reason to laugh. 

It's free medicine. 

• Three journal apps that can help with Dr. Chaney's first and last tips.
• iMoodJournal-  This cool app is an ultimate mood journal, personal diary and charting too; It will help you discover the cause of your ups and downs and help you see insightful info into yourself.
• Step Journal- Want to know yourself better? You can customize your dashboard and record events of your life. Choose activities you want to keep track on and Step Journal will keep it private. Or if you want to share excerpts from your journal you can easily do so through Facebook, Twitter, or Foursquare.
• Everyday Timeline- This app is a smart personal journal with photos, videos, maps calendar, checkins, tagging, search, etc. It can import your activities from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Foursquare. It backs up to Dropbox, Evernote or Email. It can work offline and sych automatically. It has a great feature “Blast from the Past” which allows you to remember what you were doing a year ago. Other details included in description and reviews.

• Who are the most stressed and why?  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/10/work-stress-jobs-americans_n_3053428.html

SPECIAL THANKS to Dr. Amanda Chaney for sharing her wisdom about stress management and keeping us healthy: mind, body and spirit!