Stress Management for the Hopelessly Stressed: (or How to Appreciate Strawberries When You're Surrounded by Tigers!)

by Rod Hetzel

Once there was a man being chased by a ferocious tiger. In his attempt to escape, the man accidentally fell off a cliff. Desperately trying to break his fall, he grabbed hold of a small shrub growing on the cliff face. There he hung, for what seemed an eternity, poised precariously between life and death. Looking up, the man saw the tiger prowling back and forth and snarling down at him. Looking down, he saw another tiger at the bottom of the cliff waiting for his tasty morsel to fall. The man realized, even if he survived the fall, there would be nothing left of him to be found by his rescuers. To make matters worse, as he hung there, he saw two small mice gnawing away at the stem of the shrub on which his life depended. At the same time, the man saw some wild strawberries growing just within reach, plucked them, and popped them into his mouth thinking to himself, "Thank you God for providing these sweet-tasting strawberries for me!"

Although it is unlikely you have ever been in this particular situation, nearly everyone has faced life circumstances that were challenging and demanding - and none of the possible solutions seemed particularly appealing. Stress is a fact of life - everyone experiences it. Simply defined, stress is any change that you must adapt to, ranging from the negative extreme of actual physical danger to the positive extreme of falling in love, or getting a promotion at work. Even minor changes, such as altering your eating or sleeping habits, or in your usual amount of recreation, creates stress. Indeed, day-to-day living confronts even the most well-adjusted person with a continuous stream of stressful experiences.

It should be noted that stress is not a phenomenon of the Twentieth Century. Similarly, it is not something that reflects a lack of faith. Scriptures are full of men and women of faith facing stressful situations. Recall the experiences of Paul found in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28, where he records his numerous imprisonments, horrid physical beatings, dangerous living conditions, threats from men, lack of sleep, clothing, nourishment in addition to his burden for the new established Christian church! Although most of our own stressful experiences pale in comparison, Paul's account helps us to recognize that our stress is not unique.

Although stress is common however, it also has serious consequences. Stress can develop into a chronic sense of running faster and faster just to stay in the same place, feeling undervalued and unappreciated, or an inability to function well at work or home. The signs of stress include psychological symptoms (worry, depression, hopelessness, poor self-esteem, tearfulness, hostility, irritability and resentment), physical symptoms (muscle tension, high blood pressure, insomnia, fatigue, bodily pains, physical weakness, and gastrointestinal distress). Moreover, chronic stress often strains friendships and family relationships.

Yet, some people seem to have the ability to manage stressful events with little apparent difficulty. Like the man in the above parable, these people are able to accept the rough with the smooth, appreciate the positives, and work to renew their energy so that life brings pleasure and reward. The question then becomes how can we effectively manage the stress in our lives? How can we learn to appreciate strawberries when surrounded by tigers?

First we must acknowledge that stress is a part of life, remembering that everyone including Adam, Jesus and Paul experienced it. Secondly, we must obtain a heavenly focus on our earthly problems. You've probably heard the saying, "Don't sweat the small stuff… and it's all small stuff." As Christians, when faced with difficult life circumstances we need to reaffirm our faith and commitment to God. This is done through prayer, fellowship with other Christians and by reading the Bible and other inspirational texts. Consider the following Scriptures:

  • Give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you. - Psalm 55:22

  • Don't be afraid for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. - Isaiah 41:10

  • Come to me all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. - Matthew 11:28-30

We worship a God who not only created us, but who loves cares for and seeks to ease our burdens. When we remember this essential truth, we reaffirm our spiritual focus and then cope effectively with stress. In the process, we might just learn to appreciate the strawberries when surrounded by tigers!

Roderick D. Hetzel, Ph.D. is a Licensed Psychologist at Agape Counseling Associates and Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology at RIT. He earned his doctoral degree in Counseling Psychology from Texas A&M University and completed postgraduate work at The University of Texas and the University of Rochester.