Excitement vs Being Stressed Out

Psalm 107:29, 30 - He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven.

Every year when Christmas comes around there are many things that need to be done: shopping for gifts for family and friends, baking and entertaining or attending parties, and going caroling and finding excitement while visiting those who are homebound.
 
Every year birthdays and anniversaries come along. There are many of the same opportunities for excitement just like there are for Christmas. And, it’s a fun kind of stress when your birthday comes along and you’re the one being blessed.
 
Every year there are other kinds of good stress such as getting a new job. In this situation, there’s the chance to meet new people and set new goals.
 
All of these are good kinds of stress.
 
For each of the categories above, there’s the chance to smile and feel excited about life. Yet, there is also the chance to cause you to become stressed out. Will you buy the right gift for Christmas or birthdays? Will you have the right words to say to your new employer?
 
You see, the tables can get turned as each person reacts differently to life situations. What is your tendency? Do you see events in only a negative way or are you unsure that you’ll measure up and so you place extra chairs at the table of stressed out?
 
First, let’s take a look at the different meanings of the words excitement and stress:
 

• Excitement is a feeling or situation full of activity, joy, exhilaration, or upheaval like in a protest.

 

• Stressed means suffering severe physical stress or distress when you are troubled because there is affliction or danger.

 
As you can see, excitement is more of a positive situation and emotion, whereas stressed is not only negative, but can result in being so troubled that you feel you are in danger.
 
How do we remain excited about life without letting ourselves become stressed out? Stress is an inevitable part of life, but the trick is to realize that a little stress can be a good thing as long as we don’t let it get out of control.
 
Irishtimes.com, in their article, “Anxious or Excited? How to Find Your Stress Sweet Spot,” talks about learning to redirect stress into motivation and excitement rather than anxiety and fear such as exchanging, “I’m stressed,” with “I’m excited.”
 
Ultimately, if we do let excitement turn into being stressed out we can find ourselves feeling like we’re in real danger. Let’s not let our excitement turn into negative stress, but focus on the joyful part of a situation instead of worrying about a negative outcome.
 
Also, take a look at the Bible verse above. Just like sailors going through a storm are glad when they are guided safely through a storm, so can we be glad when God guides us through the waters of being stressed out to the safe haven of peace.

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