Use Sleep To Attack Stress

For many of us, the Fall feel like the beginning of a new year, making it the perfect time to talk about our stress, and start making forming new habits to combat it. We know that it’s going to come. Stress and anxiety are at an all time high in our culture, yet we often find ourselves being reactive to it rather than proactive.

When Dr. Marion Goertz joined us on this episode of the show taped at Tyndale UCS, we dove into the topic of stress and anxiety for the start of the year- particularly for students. She gave us a series of tips to help us reduce and manage our stress. One of the top ways she recommended to us was about getting proper sleep. Sleep can attach stress, and I know I have found this to be true in my life. It feels counterintuitive to be stressed about a project, deadline, or relationship situation, and rather than burning the midnight hours trying to fix it, actually going to bed at a reasonable time to be the better choice.

But the reality is, we operate better physically, emotionally, and spiritually when we are well rested. We think clearer to solve problems faster. We have more energy to tackle the worries of the day. We remember our humanity when we rest, and that we are not ultimately in control, but rather God is in control. Sleep takes out stress at the knees.

Since I’ve been prioritizing rest and getting proactive about sleep, I’ve seen the difference in my own levels of stress and anxiety. The last hour we are awake in the day is often spent either binging on a show or mindlessly scrolling social media anyways, just trying to decompress. Instead, try going to bed an hour earlier and allowing your mind and body to quiet down. It will take practice, but you’ll see results even within the first week!

Sweet dreams my friends!