Blessing or Stressing?

This is the time of year when people work on their dungeon tans (the pale skin of a person who eats a steady diet of Xbox and Facebook and doesn’t get any sunlight or exercise.)  Example: “Yo, Tim hasn’t come out in days,”….  “Ya he’s playing xbox working on his dungeon tan.”  Just remember the habits you form in the month of December will be your story until Spring.  “Cool story bro.”   It is also the time of year when people get super-stressed out, and the season that’s supposed to be special becomes stressful.  The Christmas buzz hits hard (you’re buying a wii on ebay for $500 with your credit card…. must be the Christmas buzz.)

During the Christmas season I slow down my life intentionally.  I do so because the Christmas season is the most stressful season of the year, and I don’t think that is God’s heart.  He didn’t come to bring stress, but peace.  If we are walking in unhealthy stress during the Christmas season perhaps we aren’t celebrating Jesus, perhaps we are celebrating something or someone altogether different.  Here are some practical things I do in the Christmas season to stay on chill. 

1. Pause throughout the day and listen to worship music or “opera to relax station” on Pandora.  When you listen to Christmas music try not to listen to annoying Christmas music.
2. Exercise
3. Walk slower unless you’re exercising. 
4. Give in random acts of kindness.
5. Remind myself the stuff cannot make me happy. (Remember the beautiful letdown that happens every year on the afternoon of December 25^th). 
6. Use less social media like Twitter, Facebook, etc.  and stop exposing yourself to constant advertisements.  Instead spend time reflecting on Jesus as God with us (Emmanuel).
7. Budget really well on needs versus wants, and communicate very clearly with your spouse the plan.
8. Plan your week out on Sunday nights so you are not saying yes to everything.
9. Remember the stores are set up in such a way to entice you to buy a bunch of nonsense.
10. Evaluate your traditions.  Are they honoring to Jesus?  Do they add to the quality of the season or just the quantity? 
11. Breathe deeper.  Studies show that stressed out people breathe much shallower in their lungs.
12.  If you’re married remember to spend quality time together (NAKED TIME).  Date nights!  Don’t neglect them!  A stressed marriage makes everything LAME.