Last week my family took our highly anticipated trip to Lake Michigan. It was a much-needed getaway, and a good opportunity to disconnect ourselves from the rest of the world. You may have noticed my lack of posts, as I committed to being “unplugged” while on vacation.

I also made a conscious effort to remove worry, anxiety, negative thoughts, and daily stressors from my brain and try to truly relax (or as much as is possible while vacationing with 2 young children). There were occasions where my mind began to wander to unresolved issues that seemed to be eagerly awaiting my return to the real world. Overall, though, I was actually amazed at my own ability to block out distractions and the bits of stress that tried to poke their way into my mind during our trip. 

So, why is it that I was able to control my stress level while enjoying a retreat, but found Mr. Worry waiting for me when I returned to familiar territory? It occurred to me that maybe it is possible to harness those thoughts and guard my mind against the things that weigh me down, even when I’m living among them.

I have heard it taught that one method of managing stress on a daily basis is to actually pencil in 15 minutes of “worry time” into your daily schedule. During the day, whenever a worrisome thought enters your mind, jot it down, and save it for later. Refuse to dwell on the topic, and allow it to exit your mind. Then, when that allotted time for worrying arrives, get out your list, and deal with those thoughts then. 

I also know that Christ tells us not to worry. Jesus asks his disciples in Luke 12:25, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” Thus, it seems that the difference between worry and legitimate concern lies in our ability to progress toward a solution, as opposed to simply fretting over things beyond our control. We may not be able to control the things that are causing us grief, but we can control our response to those things, and prevent them from taking control of us.  

Don’t worry. Be happy.