5 Ways to Eliminate Stress

Stress is a normal sensation that can motivate us to accomplish tasks, but too much of it can be a problem. It can affect our emotional health, sink deep into our spirits, and even express itself with physical symptoms.

I view stress as a spiritual condition, and God offers us these 5 practical techniques for managing and alleviating stress.

1. Verbalize Your Stress

Having someone to help you carry a burden is much better than struggling through it alone. But before you can share it with someone, you first need to identify it for yourself. Start by making a list of all your stressors, then talk to someone about them. Just getting it off your chest can be a huge relief, but your friends might even offer you some helpful advice. Maybe that’s why Galatians 6:2 tells us to “carry each other’s burdens.” And telling God how you feel can be a huge relief too. The Bible says,

“You don’t have to be anxious about anything. Just have a thankful heart, and tell God what you need. Then God’s peace will guard your hearts and minds in Jesus—and that peace is greater than you could ever imagine.”
—Philippians 4:7

2. Scale Back Your Commitments

Having too much on your plate can be stressful, so removing some commitments should help reduce your stress. It’s okay to say “no” to things, and it’s okay to ask for help. Sometimes when you’re overly stressed, it can start spilling over and hurting those around you. That actually happened to Moses, but his father-in-law confronted him, saying,

“This isn’t good! You’re going to wear yourself out—and you’ll wear out the people, too! This job is too heavy of a burden for you to handle all by yourself.”
—Exodus 18:17–18

Don’t let it get to that point! In Moses’s case, he ended up delegating some of his responsibilities to his colleagues, which relieved their whole community.

3. Make Time to Rest & Relax

Our bodies and spirits aren’t designed to go, go, go without ever getting rest. That will only lead to burnout. Make it a priority to sleep every day, relax every week, and disconnect every year. Getting the rest you need can actually refresh you, enabling you to better tackle your responsibilities afterwards. Maybe that’s why God told His people to take a day of rest every week and gave them three week-long holiday feasts to celebrate throughout the year.

4. View Difficulties as Opportunities

We can’t always control our circumstances, but we CAN control how we respond to them. Difficulties are unavoidable, but viewing them as opportunities can imbue you with the hope and fortitude you need to get through them. Stressful situations can be opportunities for us to grow, develop resilience, and see where we’re drawing our strength from. Maybe that’s why the Apostle Paul counterintuitively said “we rejoice in our sufferings.”

5. Trust God with the Outcome

Just do the best you can with what you have, and leave the rest up to God. It does no good to spend time worrying about it or second guessing things. Maybe that’s why Jesus asked, “Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?” Instead of letting stress dictate our lives, He taught us to trust Someone more powerful than our circumstances.

God cares about our stress, which is why He offers us tools to manage it. I hope you find these biblical principles helpful in managing and relieving some of the stress in your life.

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