#8 Do Things to Get Well, Don't Wait to Get Well to Do Things

This picture was taken in January when Will and I were sick at the same time. Peter took the picture and told us to make funny faces. Of course, we always listen to him.
That's not why the camara broke - I broke the camara.


Now I am off topic...This spotting phrase takes a couple of seconds or several repeats to understand it's meaning.
It may be hard for you to really "get" if you do not struggle with getting yourself motivated. The concept of "well" here is not just about physical illness (although it can include it) but more about when you are not doing well mentally.When depression or anxiety start to take over it is easy to fall into bad habits of isolating yourself from others and/or not doing any of your usual acitivites.
If you recognize this or if someone close to you notices this early then it's time to do things to get well instead of waiting until you get well to do things. If you waited, you could be waiting a long time. It may never happen if you don't force yourself to get out into the world again. The feeling of motivation may never return until you force it. "Do things to get well!!"
You may not want to, you may really struggle, you may hate it, you may be sick the entire time, you may have symptoms, and it may not be fun. But to do anything is better than to lie in bed and NOT. The more you do any one thing, the easier it will get. It could be something like walking to the park, driving your car, being in a crowd, public speaking, or going to work. It will get better because you are overcoming the fear of doing something you hate.
Once you overcome that fear, your strength returns because an accomplishment has happened.
"Do things to get well"
It's sounds too simple, and it sounds so trite but it works and has worked to help many people. With God's help and through His grace we can become better.
Not perfect, but better.
"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak"
Isaiah 40:29

#7 Humor is our friend, Temper is our enemy

This is another phrase that I have to say I love, and I have used frequently.

Do you have a sense of humor? If you do you are blessed, because it is something that you can tap into to calm anxiety and tame a temper.

Even if you do not have a good sense of humor so to speak it is something that you can train yourself to use. Sounds impossible but the human condition is such that once you set your mind on something - you can do it. The LORD has blessed man with these capabilities. We can use our minds to control our bodies and its reactions to things. It doesn't mean that WE are in control of the universe - that's God's realm but we are in control of our bodies.

An example of using humor to help your temper would be in a hospital situation.

I used this when I was being induced to give birth to Nadia. They had me holed up in a corner (no windows) on a bed with a small curtain all around. I knew that I was closer to having our baby but I also knew (from experience) that it would be very painful. It was clautrophobic and my anxiety levels were going up.

Will, my husband was there and occasionally the nurse would stop in to see how Nadia was doing in the baby hotel. Everything was going great from a broad view (another spotting phrase I will cover later on) but from my narrow view I was getting warm and sweaty. Once you recognize what's going on - you have a choice - do I want to have an anxiety attack (No!!) or do I want to take control of the situation? Will helped me to take back the control - we started laughing about things and joking it up. Within minutes, the small space opened up, my heart rate lowered as we really focussed on keeping things lighthearted.

Humor is our friend because it calms your nerves, relaxes your muscles (which is especially good for giving birth!!) and it releases all sorts of good hormones for healing.

Temper is our enemy for all the opposite reasons - it wrecks your nerves, tightens your mucsles and releases the flight and fight hormones in your body that over time will cause illness.

Which will you choose?

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"A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. " Prov. 17:22

" A man's spirit sustains him in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?" Prov. 18;14

#6 Feelings and Sensations come and go, rise and fall if we let them

Okay, it's agreed that some sensations have to be dealt with!!

Feelings of anxiety can cause all sorts of interesting symptoms that reek havoc with your body.

Increase in heart rate, chest pain, trembling, choking sensation, gagging sensation, nausea, and trouble breathing are only a few that could be mentioned. Every person has their "signature" symptoms. For some, the sensations are so bad that they have trouble functioning and for others they rarely experience anxiety but when they do it's always in a certain way ie: stomach ache, or headache.

This spotting phrase works on the premise that if a sensation has been created then it can also be destroyed. We only need to slow down and allow it to go away. Don't fight it, don't argue with it - accept it and things will settle down.

Feelings are NOT facts.

"Oh no!! I can't breathe - I feel like I'm going to die!!"

Remind yourself that feelings are not facts and that feelings and sensations come and go, rise and fall if you let them. You are in control of your body, your body is not in control of you.

"Why is this happening to me?" is a common question Christians will ask when faced with extreme anxiety or depression. The fact is that you may never find out. That being said when things get bad - it's often a clue that something in your life needs to addressed. Whether it's physical (hormones), emotional (a past that needs resolving), relational (a relationship that needs work or reconciliation), social (imbalance in the way of isolation or busyness) or spiritual (living in a sin that needs repentence) - it's time to make a change for the better.

"The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD."

Lamentations 3:25-26

#5 - Do things in Part Acts

It's like building lego - life I mean.

We have to put all the pieces together to make it into something.

The end product can seem really daunting and huge.

It's going to take what seems like a million pieces and time we don't have.

That's where this phrase will help. Especially with the thing we call ADLs - Activites of Daily Living. The ADLs are the basics that you need to do to get on with living in the day - things like eating breakfast, having a shower, brushing your teeth and doing your hair. Taking care of your body is necessary but when you are down and out even these tasks can become overwheming OR one loses concern for them. If you think about the thirty little things you have to do in the morning before you can start the say as a Mom or go out the door - that's too much. So, break it down into parts and do one thing at a time. Celebrate each success. It's not silly - it's a victory over doing nothing at all. So the train of thought goes something like this "Okay, self. Move muscles out of bed, good job! Now I will get dressed. Well, I got dressed good. What is the next thing?" Just keep doing the one thing and then move on to the next thing.

Do things in part acts.

"Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. "

Lamentations 3:22-23

#4 Comfort is a want, not a need

"Give us this day our daily bread" is the fourth petition of the LORD's prayer.

Our savoiur taught us to pray this and it is expanded upon in the catechism to "provide us with all our bodily needs so that we may acknowledge that YOU are the only fountain of all good, and that our care and labour and also YOUR gifts cannot do us any good without your blessing."

Lord's Day 50, Q&A 125.

How is this connected to "comfort is a want, not a need"?

We all want to be comfortable - in our bodies, with our bodies, and even with the stuff that is going on around our bodies. We would like to be pain-free, anxiety-free, happy and feel socially accepted in every situation. This is not the reality of our lives. We can feel in-ept, wrought with worry and alone in a crowd.

In today's age of consumerism, entitlement and esteem building some might have a problem reading the fourth spotting phrase or even understanding it. "What do you mean that comfort is not a need!!" We all believe that comfort is our right and it is definitely a goal most of our day.

What if you lived in discomfort? You do not "need" to have anxiety or pain - but it's there, the question arises "Can you live with it?" The desire is to be comfortable but the reality is you are not. How can you reconcile this? The desire is to be comfortable but the reality is you have to go out and "be uncomfortable" to get things done. You have to be with people you don't like and in a crowd that alarms you.

There are things you can do to help yourself to be more comfortable but when you have done all you can it's good to remember that comfort is a want, not a need.

Not what we would like in this broken world but the end of the matter is that it is the truth.

PRAYER: LORD every day we thank you for providing us for our bodily needs as we have asked of thee.