Advice

ADVICE

Strategies to help you handle stress

NANCY GOUDIE talks about how getting spiritually and physically fit can help you handle stress

Stress is something each of us will have experienced at some point in our lives. If you are anything like me, with a six-year-old son who has enough energy for the whole nation, then you will have experienced stress quite regularly!

I am a wife, a mum (to a teenager as well as a six-year-old) and have a full-time job that carries a huge responsibility. Life is not normally quiet – it is usually full of 101 things to do – all of which should have been done yesterday! Stress is the greatest scourge of modern society that most of us have to learn to cope with.

Of course, not all stress is bad – positive stress can motivate you to accomplish goals and give you the added push to keep you going through a difficult or important project. However bad stress can lead to health-related problems including heart disease, high blood pressure, headaches, insomnia, panic attacks, irritable bowel, back problems as well as depression and anxiety. In fact, stress can affect us mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally.

So what are the best ways of dealing with stress? There is no doubt that being spiritually and physically fit is a huge benefit.

At our New Generation Ministries base in Thornbury we have been running exercise classes for the local community for the last year. Zoë Wickham, our NGM qualified fitness instructor has been creating an exciting exercise programme of aerobics; dancercise; ABBA aerobics; pilates; body conditioning classes each week.

In each class there is a meditation window where I take everyone on a spiritual journey designed to bring peace and calm to peoples’ lives. Christian meditation is a fantastic way of dealing with the bad stress that so easily harms our lives.

The type of meditation I use in these classes involves the spoken work, music and the imagination to bring people into a place where God can speak to them. Many people jokingly ask if they could take me home with them, as they tell me “it’s just what I need before I go to sleep”.

At night, our worried thoughts can often cause us sleepless nights. I started to wonder whether I could put my newly written meditations on a CD that people could buy so that in actual fact they could take me home with them! Within a few months, I had recorded a new CD, which many people have used to great effect.

The exercise classes have been so well received that the local chiropractor is recommending people come to them. The meditations have been such a help to people, that the local doctor is also recommending Peace like a river for people suffering from stress and fears. Neither the chiropractor nor the doctor is a Christian.

We have found these classes to be excellent at building relationships with people who normally would not go to church. We have had many interesting conversations and have even prayed with people after the classes.

The combination of physical and spiritual exercise has been dynamic. When people realise that we are catering for the mind and spirit as well as the body they often say “This is just what I need”.

So how do you meditate?

There are many ways to meditate: on the Bible, on nature (stones, trees, flowers, fruit, grass, leaves etc); objects (including everyday objects such as candles, paper, water etc); using chocolate (yes, you can even use chocolate to meditate) or as I mentioned earlier using music, the spoken word and your imagination. Meditation has a fantastic way of transporting you to a place where God can speak to you.

The amazing thing about meditation is that whether you have 20 minutes to spare or whether you only have 20 seconds, you can feel the benefits of relaxing in the presence of God.

Before I teach people about meditation, I also supply them with instructions on deep breathing. Breathing correctly is also such a help when dealing with stress.

Deep Breathing

When I was training to become an elocution teacher, I was astonished to discover that 50% of the nation breathes incorrectly. Half of us shallow breathe, instead of breathing from our diaphragm. If we breathe using only the top part of our lungs, it can add further stress to our bodies.

Deep breathing means we are using our diaphragm to breathe and therefore filling our lungs with air.

Let me give you an exercise to try which will show if you are breathing correctly. Place your hand on your abdomen just below your breastbone and take a deep breath. If your hand and tummy moves in then you are shallow breathing. If your hand is pushed up and out, then you are breathing using your diaphragm. In order to correct your breathing, practise this exercise:

1 Put your hand on your abdomen again. Breathe in slowly through your nose to the count of four, allowing your abdomen to rise, thus pushing your hand upwards and outwards.
2 Hold your breath for the count of four and then release the air slowly through your mouth. Put your mouth into an ooh shape, helping you to release the air slowly again to the count of four. Try and release as much air as possible within the count of four. If you find ‘four’ too easy, then you can increase your count to six or eight.
3 Do this a number of times until you are sure you are breathing in a correct manner. Make sure you concentrate on your breathing as you do this exercise. If you begin to feel faint, then do take a break before starting again.

Whenever you experience a stressful time, take a couple of deep breaths and together with prayer it will help your body and your mind cope with the pressure you encounter.

Meditation

Before you begin your meditative journey, make sure you will not be disturbed by anyone in your household. Let them know that you are taking some time out with God. Lock the door if possible. If there is no-one else in the house then disconnect the phone for a few minutes.

Perhaps light a candle in your room – a scented candle would be perfect – use frankincense (which was given to Jesus as his birth) or use some camomile, rose or lavender oils to calm the mind. Then make sure you are sitting or lying in a comfortable position. Perhaps lie on your bed, or the floor with a cushion for your head or sit upright on a comfortable chair. Take a couple of deep breaths.

You are now ready to come on your spiritual journey. Let me give you a sample of my meditations. If you have the CD ‘Peace like a River’ then put on Track 1, but if not, then use some quiet meditative music and either read the following and then follow the instructions or ask someone to speak the following meditation over you.

Peace like a river

“I want you to come with me on a pilgrimage that will lead you to an island of peace and calm. This journey will help you when life seems in a turmoil and you feel like a ship being tossed and turned by rough seas.

“Before we begin, sit or lie in a comfortable position. Concentrate on your breathing. Take a deep breath in through your nose, hold it for two seconds, then let it out slowly through your mouth. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Continue to do this a few times until your body begins to feel relaxed.

“Now, close your eyes and imagine yourself in a small boat on a beautiful, calm day. The water in the lake looks fresh and inviting. The sun is warm and relaxing. There isn’t a cloud in the sky. As you look around, your spirit is encouraged and at peace.

“Picture yourself lying down to sleep in the midst of all this peace and calm. Begin to feel the gentle rhythm of the sea and flow with it. Continue to breathe deeply, breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Each time you breathe in, imagine yourself breathing in peace and calm. When you expel the air from your mouth, imagine any inner turmoil you have, fading as it leaves your mind, spirit and body. Breathe in peace and calm and breathe out any tension, strain or turmoil.

“In the Bible, when Jesus and his disciples were sailing in a boat across a lake, they experienced a huge storm which threatened to drown them all but Jesus spoke to the wind and the waves and said ‘Peace, be still’ and the sea became perfectly clam. At once all the disciples, worries and troubles faded away. Similarly, imagine these words being spoken to your fears, speaking to your troubles, your tensions and strains ‘peace, Be still’. As these words are spoken, feel your inner turmoil beginning to fade and your spirit becoming calm. Speak to your heart and say ‘Be at peace’.”

“A heart of peace gives life to the body” (Proverbs 14:30).

Peace like a River (£9.99) is available from NGM on 01454-414880 or write to Nancy Goudie, NGM, Caedmon Complex, Bristol Road, Thornbury, Bristol, or visit Nancy’s web page on www.nancygoudie.com

© Christian Family Network
is run by CPO, supported by
Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting,
Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.


		ADVICE Strategies to help you handle stress NANCY GOUDIE talks about how getting spiritually and physically fit can help you handle stress Stress is something each of us will have experienced at some point in our lives. If you are anything like me, with a six-year-old son who has enough energy for the whole nation, then you will have experienced stress quite regularly! I am a wife, a mum (to a teenager as well as a six-year-old) and have a full-time job that carries a huge responsibility. Life is not normally quiet – it is usually full of 101 things to do – all of which should have been done yesterday! Stress is the greatest scourge of modern society that most of us have to learn to cope with. Of course, not all stress is bad – positive stress can motivate you to accomplish goals and give you the added push to keep you going through a difficult or important project. However bad stress can lead to health-related problems including heart disease, high blood pressure, headaches, insomnia, panic attacks, irritable bowel, back problems as well as depression and anxiety. In fact, stress can affect us mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally. So what are the best ways of dealing with stress? There is no doubt that being spiritually and physically fit is a huge benefit. At our New Generation Ministries base in Thornbury we have been running exercise classes for the local community for the last year. Zoë Wickham, our NGM qualified fitness instructor has been creating an exciting exercise programme of aerobics; dancercise; ABBA aerobics; pilates; body conditioning classes each week. In each class there is a meditation window where I take everyone on a spiritual journey designed to bring peace and calm to peoples’ lives. Christian meditation is a fantastic way of dealing with the bad stress that so easily harms our lives. The type of meditation I use in these classes involves the spoken work, music and the imagination to bring people into a place where God can speak to them. Many people jokingly ask if they could take me home with them, as they tell me “it’s just what I need before I go to sleep”. At night, our worried thoughts can often cause us sleepless nights. I started to wonder whether I could put my newly written meditations on a CD that people could buy so that in actual fact they could take me home with them! Within a few months, I had recorded a new CD, which many people have used to great effect. The exercise classes have been so well received that the local chiropractor is recommending people come to them. The meditations have been such a help to people, that the local doctor is also recommending Peace like a river for people suffering from stress and fears. Neither the chiropractor nor the doctor is a Christian. We have found these classes to be excellent at building relationships with people who normally would not go to church. We have had many interesting conversations and have even prayed with people after the classes. The combination of physical and spiritual exercise has been dynamic. When people realise that we are catering for the mind and spirit as well as the body they often say “This is just what I need”. So how do you meditate? There are many ways to meditate: on the Bible, on nature (stones, trees, flowers, fruit, grass, leaves etc); objects (including everyday objects such as candles, paper, water etc); using chocolate (yes, you can even use chocolate to meditate) or as I mentioned earlier using music, the spoken word and your imagination. Meditation has a fantastic way of transporting you to a place where God can speak to you. The amazing thing about meditation is that whether you have 20 minutes to spare or whether you only have 20 seconds, you can feel the benefits of relaxing in the presence of God. Before I teach people about meditation, I also supply them with instructions on deep breathing. Breathing correctly is also such a help when dealing with stress. Deep Breathing When I was training to become an elocution teacher, I was astonished to discover that 50% of the nation breathes incorrectly. Half of us shallow breathe, instead of breathing from our diaphragm. If we breathe using only the top part of our lungs, it can add further stress to our bodies. Deep breathing means we are using our diaphragm to breathe and therefore filling our lungs with air. Let me give you an exercise to try which will show if you are breathing correctly. Place your hand on your abdomen just below your breastbone and take a deep breath. If your hand and tummy moves in then you are shallow breathing. If your hand is pushed up and out, then you are breathing using your diaphragm. In order to correct your breathing, practise this exercise: 1 Put your hand on your abdomen again. Breathe in slowly through your nose to the count of four, allowing your abdomen to rise, thus pushing your hand upwards and outwards. 2 Hold your breath for the count of four and then release the air slowly through your mouth. Put your mouth into an ooh shape, helping you to release the air slowly again to the count of four. Try and release as much air as possible within the count of four. If you find ‘four’ too easy, then you can increase your count to six or eight. 3 Do this a number of times until you are sure you are breathing in a correct manner. Make sure you concentrate on your breathing as you do this exercise. If you begin to feel faint, then do take a break before starting again. Whenever you experience a stressful time, take a couple of deep breaths and together with prayer it will help your body and your mind cope with the pressure you encounter. Meditation Before you begin your meditative journey, make sure you will not be disturbed by anyone in your household. Let them know that you are taking some time out with God. Lock the door if possible. If there is no-one else in the house then disconnect the phone for a few minutes. Perhaps light a candle in your room – a scented candle would be perfect – use frankincense (which was given to Jesus as his birth) or use some camomile, rose or lavender oils to calm the mind. Then make sure you are sitting or lying in a comfortable position. Perhaps lie on your bed, or the floor with a cushion for your head or sit upright on a comfortable chair. Take a couple of deep breaths. You are now ready to come on your spiritual journey. Let me give you a sample of my meditations. If you have the CD ‘Peace like a River’ then put on Track 1, but if not, then use some quiet meditative music and either read the following and then follow the instructions or ask someone to speak the following meditation over you. Peace like a river “I want you to come with me on a pilgrimage that will lead you to an island of peace and calm. This journey will help you when life seems in a turmoil and you feel like a ship being tossed and turned by rough seas. “Before we begin, sit or lie in a comfortable position. Concentrate on your breathing. Take a deep breath in through your nose, hold it for two seconds, then let it out slowly through your mouth. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Continue to do this a few times until your body begins to feel relaxed. “Now, close your eyes and imagine yourself in a small boat on a beautiful, calm day. The water in the lake looks fresh and inviting. The sun is warm and relaxing. There isn’t a cloud in the sky. As you look around, your spirit is encouraged and at peace. “Picture yourself lying down to sleep in the midst of all this peace and calm. Begin to feel the gentle rhythm of the sea and flow with it. Continue to breathe deeply, breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Each time you breathe in, imagine yourself breathing in peace and calm. When you expel the air from your mouth, imagine any inner turmoil you have, fading as it leaves your mind, spirit and body. Breathe in peace and calm and breathe out any tension, strain or turmoil. “In the Bible, when Jesus and his disciples were sailing in a boat across a lake, they experienced a huge storm which threatened to drown them all but Jesus spoke to the wind and the waves and said ‘Peace, be still’ and the sea became perfectly clam. At once all the disciples, worries and troubles faded away. Similarly, imagine these words being spoken to your fears, speaking to your troubles, your tensions and strains ‘peace, Be still’. As these words are spoken, feel your inner turmoil beginning to fade and your spirit becoming calm. Speak to your heart and say ‘Be at peace’.” “A heart of peace gives life to the body” (Proverbs 14:30). Peace like a River (£9.99) is available from NGM on 01454-414880 or write to Nancy Goudie, NGM, Caedmon Complex, Bristol Road, Thornbury, Bristol, or visit Nancy’s web page on www.nancygoudie.com © Christian Family Network is run by CPO, supported by Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting, Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.