Strategies for Peace

Intentional living should feel positive, hopeful, and energizing! We want to step out of our comfort zones in ways that are stretching rather than stressful. When we ask ourselves every new day what is possible in terms of letting more light into our mindsets, homes, relationships, and schedules, all kinds of beautiful opportunities will present themselves. 

The first step is to consider your current circumstances. To avoid frustration and comparisons, you want your intentional living efforts to be appropriate for the season and situation you are in. 

Do you work full-time? Maybe some meal planning and several short bursts of movement would increase your energy and reduce overwhelm. 

Are you home with little ones? Perhaps focusing on gratitude and remaining in the present moment would bring more joy and fulfillment to your day. 

Are you in college? It’s amazing how a 30-minute rapid tidying of your room can help you feel less frazzled! 

Are you retired? Establishing daily routines and proactively making connections is an edifying way to harness the increased “free time” in your life. 

This week, we are challenging you to set aside a little time for some reflection and brainstorming! Of course, we encourage you to make this self-care session both lovely and enjoyable! Choose a pretty notebook, light a candle, grab your favorite mug, or go to your favorite coffee shop. Get inwardly quiet and invite Christ into that quiet. Once you are prayerfully present, ask yourself the following questions:

• What are some of the biggest stressors in my life right now? 

• What is at the root of these stressors? (Overthinking? Overexposure to negative content? Disorganization? Lack of structure? Perfectionism? Resistance to God’s will?) 

• What are some possible Strategies for Peace you could implement to help navigate your common triggers for angst and overwhelm?

Here are some possible examples:

STRESSOR: 

Every morning, before school, it's tense and chaotic. I hate when everyone leaves the house feeling flustered and agitated. 

Strategies for Peace:

1. Pack lunches the night before
2. Create an evening checklist that includes homework put in backpacks, permission slips being signed, and coats/boots/hats/mittens being gathered and ready for the morning. 
3. Wake up fifteen minutes earlier to breathe, pray, and set your intention to practice patience 

STRESSOR:

I feel so behind

Strategies for Peace:

1. Look at your planner before bed to create a road map for the next day
2. Do a brain dump by writing down everything on your mind that is stressing you out, crossing off what you cannot control, and scheduling the rest of your to-dos into your planner 
3. Simplify your schedule. What commitments can you let go of to create more whitespace in your life? 
4. Intentionally reduce distractions that lead to avoidance/procrastination

STRESSOR:

I feel anxious about the future

Strategies for Peace:

1. Get quiet. Return to the present moment. Just “be” in God’s presence. 
2. Create boundaries around what you read, listen to, and talk about
3. Fill your mind with scripture and spiritually uplifting content
4. Lean in hard to gratitude. Live in it. There is nothing more powerful for disrupting a vicious cycle of negative thoughts. 

STRESSOR:

I feel stuck and aimless

Strategies for Peace:

1. Declutter your living and/or work environment! 
2. Get clarity on your core values, God-given strengths, and limiting beliefs
3. Plug into an intentional living community or accountability group.  Hire a life coach! 
4. Get out of your comfort zone and try a new hobby, volunteer opportunity, class, etc. 

We want to actively grow and pursue peace at all times. God did not create us to be chronically anxious, joyless, and overwhelmed. Rather than allowing inner turbulence to settle in and become our default, we must exchange scarcity thinking for “what’s possible?” thinking, intentionally developing strategies for overcoming obstacles to stability, light, and hope.  

This Strategies for Peace exercise can be done quarterly, monthly, weekly, daily, as often as necessary, to help you get unstuck from stagnancy and pessimism.  There are countless big and little ways to make a new start! Above all, is seeking first after Christ and trusting wholly in Him for strength, discernment, and working everything out for our good and His glory.