77 A Christian Guide to Body Stewardship, Diet and Exercise 5. Sense of humor. Laughter releases muscle tension, promotes deep breathing and triggers a relaxation response. Research suggests it may be physiologically impossible to be both stressed and laughing at the same time. 6. Support system. Individuals with a positive support system fare better when faced with stressful situations. Conversely, negative relationships can be more harmful than helpful. 7. Establishing margins. It is important to set boundaries in terms of your energy, time and resources so not to overextend. 8. Listening to music. Listening to music can lower heart rate, blood pressure, and muscle tension. Exposure to soothing, lyrical music can help to lessen the effects of depression and anxiety. 9. Time management. Learning to effectively manage your time can significantly reduce stress and anxiety. Overcommitting and procrastination are significant stressors for many individuals. Here are a few strategies for improving time management skills: set priorities; budget enough time; consider doing least favorite tasks first; consolidate tasks when possible; and delegate when appropriate and/or possible. 10. Avoid self-induced stressors. Sometimes we are our own source of stress as poor personal habits can often lead to stress. Here are a few strategies for avoiding self-induced stressors: don’t procrastinate; don’t over-commit your time; set time limits on social media; establish a daily routine; and deal appropriately with anger. Sleep As mentioned previously, the amount of sleep an individual gets on a regular basis plays an integral role in their ability to cope with and manage stress. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, only one third of U.S. adults are getting the recommended amount of sleep per night. Unfortunately, loss of sleep has been linked to many health problems and chronic diseases as well as motor vehicle crashes or errors leading to injury or death (CDC, 2020). Although the Bible does not prescribe a specific amount of sleep a person should be getting per night, it does stress the importance of sleep for good physical, mental and spiritual health. In fact, Genesis 2:2-3 says that God himself rested on the seventh day. Obviously, being omnipotent, the act of creation did not cause God to be tired nor did he need to rest. Instead, because man was made in God’s image, he used this opportunity to demonstrate the need for and importance of rest. Similar to chronic stress, research also shows that chronic sleep loss can have negative effects on academic and athletic performance (Gomes et al., 2011; Watson, 2017). In terms of academic performance, the lack of sleep is associated with decreased focus, decreased attention, decreased motivation, decreased mental processing, and hampered memory. In terms of athletic performance, the lack of sleep is linked with decreased speed, decreased endurance, decreased reaction time, decreased accuracy, increased risk of injury, and weight gain (Chaput & Tremblay, 2012).
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