Stress Bottle

I remember when my wife and I were invited to watch a big football playoff game at a friend’s house. We were in charge of bringing the drinks. My wife began twisting the cap off of the two-litter bottle of soda when we all heard a loud POW! Before we knew it, there was soda all over the front room. Apparently the bottle had been heated or shaken up, causing pressure to build. And what a mess it made!

What about you? Are you ready to explode? Since we all have stressors in our lives like: deadlines, responsibilities, difficult people or situations, it’s important to drill some holes in the bottle of your life to provide relief from some of that pressure.

One healthy way to do this is by introducing stress releasing activities into your daily life. For some that might mean shooting some hoops on the basketball court, or hitting a few balls at the golf range. Hobbies such as model building or gardening are great stress relief activities. Daily prayer and meditation are also a positive way to manage stress.

Introducing stress relieving events into your life is crucial for positive relationships and healthy living.

So before you make a total mess, take some time in your life to drill a few holes in your stress bottle, by engaging in stress relieving activities. Those around you will be very thankful that you did.

1 Corinthians 9:25 says, “Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.”

• What happened the last time you exploded?

• What kinds of activities lower your stress level and provide relief?