Episode 110: Sink Your Stress

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Raise your hand if you are stress free. I can’t see you but my guess is that you didn’t raise your hand. You know how I know that? Because most women I talk to these days are stressed out about one thing or another. It seems there is always something in our lives we can look at and be stressed about. There really isn’t a shortage of things women can stress about. 

Stress really is just a reaction mentally or physically to a change or a challenge. Anytime there is a change in something in your life you can be stressed. This can mean anything from traffic suddenly getting backed up on the freeway to a major life change. As well, a challenge can just mean that you see it as something that isn’t easy. There is not a shortage of things daily that are difficult. Laundry piling up, dishes needing done, kids needing to be a million different places and not having enough arms to do it all. 

In the short term, stress can be helpful. It makes you more alert and gives you energy to get things done. However, long-term stress can lead to serious health problems. Women are especially more likely to have mental health conditions that are made worse by stress, such as depression or anxiety.

The effects of stress on women can be headaches and migraines, depression and anxiety, heart problems, upset stomach, obesity, problems getting pregnant, menstrual cycle problems and decreased sex drive. Not a great list if you ask me. These are also not great to feel on a daily basis when there isn’t a shortage of things to feel stressed about right?

I loved when President Camille N. Johnson talked about this in the April conference this year. She used the analogy of each person carrying around a metaphorical backpack of burdens or as you might call it, stress. She said “This metaphorical backpack is where we carry the burdens of living in a fallen world. Our burdens are like rocks in the backpack.”

I love that she pointed out that the stress or burdens in our life are from living in a fallen world. Not because you are not good enough, which is what a lot of women think when they start feeling stress. It’s actually just a natural phenomenon of living in a fallen world.

She went on to say, “Generally, there are three kinds: Rocks there of our own doing because of sin. Rocks in our backpack because of the poor decisions, misconduct, and unkindness of others. And rocks we carry because we are living in a fallen condition. These include the rocks of disease, pain, chronic illness, grief, disappointment, loneliness, and the effects of natural disasters.”

I love how she categorized that down to three types of stress or burdens. Stress caused by our own choices, other’s choices or opposition in our bodies or environment. That does pretty much sum on where stress can come from in your life.

She also went on to say, “I joyfully declare that our mortal burdens, these rocks in our figurative backpack, need not feel heavy. Jesus Christ can lighten our load. Jesus Christ can lift our burdens. Jesus Christ provides a way for us to be relieved of the weight of sin. Jesus Christ is our relief. Yoking yourself with the Savior means you have access to His strength and redeeming power.” She is talking about learning to sink your stress spiritually through Christ.

She then added some very important questions and insights. “So why do we insist on carrying our rocks alone?" It is intended as a personal question for each of you to consider. For me, it is the age-old vice of pride. “I’ve got this,” I say. “No worries; I’ll get it done.” It’s the great deceiver who wants me to hide from God, to turn away from Him, to go at it alone.”

I love that! So why do we insist on carrying our rocks alone? Instead, what if you could rid your mind and body of stress spiritually? Not in the way you might be thinking though? Consider the following.

Yes, reading your scriptures, saying your prayers and going to the temple all bring peace. But sometimes with the amount of stress you're under it can feel overwhelming to even use those tools. What you need in order to make those more effective are mental health skills taught through a spiritual lens. You can then sink that stress spiritually and use those spiritual tools to feel God’s peace in your life. Let me share with you three ways you can implement mental health tools to sink your stress spiritually.

1. Learn Tools to Calm Your Mind so You Can Make Decisions Simply.

When you are in the chaos and clutter of your thoughts, the ability to hear the still small voice is next to nothing. That clutter will take you down detours and confuse you in which direction you want to go. Remember last week’s episode when I talked about decision fatigue? That comes from the clutter that is in your mind. When you can use mental health tools taught through a spiritual lens you can learn to hear the still small voice guide you in your daily decisions. You will feel more confident in making decisions quickly and easily, having faith that the Spirit is guiding you in the direction God needs you to be going. 

2. Learn Tools to Rid Your Body of Stress.

Whenever I ask someone how they know they are stressed, they always categorize stress in two ways. Stress in their thoughts and in their body. Remember a little bit ago when I told you the effects of stress? Most of those were on your body. Learning to rid your body of stress is really important. One thing you might not know is that the stress you feel in your body is actually caused by the natural man inside of you. It’s one of those effects of living in a fallen world with a fallen body. Also, when you are being affected by the stress in your body caused by the natural man, you are zapping your body of all the energy you need for your day. When you rid your body of stress, you have more energy to take care of your daily duties. 

3. Learning to Distinguish Between a Thought and a Prompting to Save Time.

I went into this a lot more in last week's episode, but what I want you to understand. The natural man has thoughts and your true divine self has promptings. When you can learn to tell when you are in each of those states, you can save a lot of time because you will know that every thought you are having is a prompting and you can move forward quickly and save time.

What do you think? Are you ready to learn some of those unique mental health skills through a spiritual lens? If you are, I would love for you to join my Sinking Stress Spiritually class. Are you a faithful woman who is feeling stressed, distracted and overwhelmed? Are you feeling so stressed you can’t feel peace, so distracted you can’t focus and so overwhelmed you can’t think clearly? Would you like to rid your mind and body of stress in less than 20 minutes without interrupting your busy day? Then this class if for you.

When you join us for this 90 minute one time class you will walk away being able to implement mental health skills taught through a spiritual lens to:

 Feel Peace and Clarity in your thoughts to make decisions simply

 Have more Energy and Motivation to tackle your ToDo list 

 Understand how to easily tell if you are having a thought or a prompting to save a ton of time.

As soon as you register for the class you will be sent an email with the workbook and Zoom Link for the class. Keep in mind, this class is not therapy. It is, however, the same type of mental health skills I teach my therapy clients but with gospel terminology. It's also the same skills I teach in my individual coaching sessions for an 80% discount on the price.

Class will be held LIVE on Monday July 17, 2023 at 9:00 AM MST over Zoom. 

You will meet other women who are experiencing similar life challenges too. Connecting with other women with the same beliefs and feeling validated in your circumstances is also a transformational experience. But you can keep your camera off if you're shy.

You will also have lifetime access to the recording of class. So if you can't make it LIVE, you will have immediate access to watch after class if over. These are skills that will apply to any area of your life. Anytime you feel yourself becoming stressed, overwhelmed or unfocused, come watch the replay and refresh your ability to use the skills to sink your stress spiritually.