Many of us feel that we should “take on the world,” but that is not what we should be doing. You should be taking care of YOU! I just read an article by Dr. Laila Hishaw from Tucson, Arizona. Dr. Hishaw was my oldest child’s dentist prior to my family leaving Arizona 10 years ago. If you read my previous post on Stay Fit for Life, you will see that this past week, I have had three people share with me the importance of eliminating stress. They were talking about how stress had affected them or how they don’t allow stress to affect them. The article I read this morning really hit home for me, and you can read it here. Stress is a dream killer, a hope stealer, and nothing good comes from it. There is short-term stress, which might not wreak havoc on your body, but there is also chronic stress, which is the prolonged stress that causes inflammation and can lead to the growth and spread of cancer cells.

Stress is killing so many people, and people are dying younger and younger these days. You used to hear about older men and women dying from heart attacks and other stress-related diseases, but you are now hearing about 30 and 40-year-olds leaving this world in record numbers due to stress.

The link between cancer and stress is real. Just look at any reputable medical studies on the subject from MD Anderson to the National Cancer Institute. Did you know that stress hormones can awaken dormant cancer cells, and chronic stress can speed up the development of tumors? That’s enough to make me steer clear of any stress in my life. Remember that stressors will always exist in your life. You just have to eliminate the cause of the stress, and when you can’t eliminate the stress, learn to manage it.

These are the things that help me manage stress:

1. Reading my Bible and praying. Just sitting quietly sometimes helps release stress. You don’t have to sit in God’s presence and talk the entire time. You can just sit and read God’s Word or sometimes just sit in silence. You can hear clearly when you sit quietly. Sit and allow God to speak to you. Sit and take time to reflect on the life God has given you. My mind moves so quickly that I have to sometimes intentionally stop myself. I’m thinking about everything I need to do, every place my kids have to go, and so many other things. Sometimes, I just stop myself, breathe, and sit quietly. Try it! Your mind will thank you for it.

2. Learn the gift of saying, “No,” rather loudly. I have said, “Yes,” too many times when I knew I should be saying, “No.” I cannot count the situations I have gotten myself into where I was in over my head. The end result was great, and the event was successful, but I should have said, “No.” Unnecessary stress is just that — unnecessary. Stop overcommitting yourself and just say, “No.”

3. Know who you are and whose you are. Many people take on a lot because they want to be seen as superheroes in the community, in their families, or in their circles, but please know that every superhero has their kryptonite, and that kryptonite is stress. Stop trying to show people what you can do. Be you, and only take on what you can handle. I heard a sermon this week that talked about how people stress themselves out because they are always trying to prove who they are due to insecurities, and in many cases, childhood trauma. This was so profound to me. I never thought about that connection, but it makes so much sense. Stop trying to prove yourself. Just know you are a child of the most high God (and that is all you need to know).

4. Exercise regularly. I know this is so cliche’, but getting up and moving is real. I worked so much that I was glued to my chair day in and day out. I stepped out of my truck a couple of years ago while out in New Orleans, and my knee made a cracking sound. My doctor told me that I needed to move more. I started circuit training, and I cannot tell you the benefits of releasing all of that energy from just sitting all day. My new exercise routine has been a game changer.

5. You might be great at everything you put your hands to do, but you don’t have to do everything for everybody. There are things people are going to expect you to do because they know the caliber of your work ethic. News flash — you don’t have to do those things. There are going to be some spaces people expect you to be in. Hear me on this — you don’t have to be in those spaces.

We’re living in a society where being busy is seen as a badge of honor. It is a badge, but not one of honor. It’s a badge that can take you to an early grave, and when you leave this earth, your family will never see you again, and your job will have your replacement sitting at your desk before your funeral. Ironically, as I drove home from an event this evening, a sermon entitled, “Taking Care of Yourself,” by Joel Osteen came on as soon as I got in the car. God is trying to tell me something, and I’m listening. If you hear nothing else I have said over the past few weeks, months, even years, please take time for yourself. Take time for your family. Leave work at work, and if work has to come home with you every day or every other day, you might need to look for another job. People are leaving this world in record numbers. Choose to stress less!