High-Five or Slap in the Face?

If you’re like me, you’re up at night… a lot!  Either you stay up way too late or you wake up in the middle of the night.  Either way, it’s caused by one thing… WORRY!

It’s engrained in us.  We worry.  We especially worry about our kids.  Are they doing the right things?  Are they going to make it in the real world?  Am I feeding them well?  Are they going to make curfew?  We worry about physical scrapes, mental cracks, and emotional scars.  We worry about it all.

And it’s hard.

So hard sometimes, that we wonder if it will ever go away.  Ever dissipate from our lives.

Well, here’s a thought… albeit kind of unconventional… we could… slap it out of you!

Hahaha, no just kidding.  Well, kind of.

You know when you get something right and someone gives you a high-five?  Has that ever happened to you?   That’s the type of slap I’m talking about.  If you put THIS high-five into practice, you’ll lessen your worry AND feel grateful at the same time.

And that will be cause to celebrate… by going back to sleep!

The High-Five Approach to Late Night Worry

1. Sit up in bed.  I know that sounds weird and probably not what you want to be doing in the middle of the night, but do it anyway! It makes our hearts beat stronger and kicks in our coping mechanisms.  Sitting up also decreases cortisol and increases testosterone which helps us to feel happier. Who knew?  Sit up!
2. Pray.  This should’ve been first, but God deserves more respect than laying on our backs.  There is nobody who knows us, or our kids, better than Him.  Ask for your mind to be clear so that you can recognize good ideas when they come to you.  Ask for Him to soften your kids’ hearts to accept your counsel and wisdom.  Ask for strength to make it through the worry and that it will all be worth it in the end.  God will hear you.
3. Write down your thoughts. Journaling is so therapeutic.  Try it.  Write down your worries and concerns.  Your thoughts, hopes and goals.  You’ll be surprised how much you learn about yourself, and others, when you write those things down.  It will help take your worrisome thoughts and make them something worthwhile.
4. Breathe in essential oils. I love these.  Lavender and Roman Chamomile are so calming and help my troubled and nervous mind and heart.  You should totally try them!  Just put a few drops in your hands, rub together, cup over your nose and mouth, and breathe in.  You’ll feel calmer and happier in just a few minutes.
5. Read.  Sometimes the solutions to our problems pop into our heads, but more regularly, they pop from the pages of a good book.  Now I’m not talking about the latest novel or anything untrue or exaggerated.  I’m talking about something inspiring.  Scriptures or meditation books.  Personal development books or biographies about people who have overcome incredible obstacles.  These are the books that transform.  They include secret gems of wisdom and ideas on how to resolve your own concerns.  Fill your mind with good things and good things will come to your life.

See… it’s not too painful.  This high-five will certainly make a positive difference in your life every time you do it.  I guess it could be considered a slap in the face.  But a nice one!

Ultimately, we are just passing through this life and the things that we learn will be for our good.  Let’s be grateful for the journey.  For the living.  For the relationships.  And yes, even for the worry.  Let’s high-five our efforts and celebrate our discoveries.  Because these things make us better and in turn, bless the lives of those we love.

And I’ll slap to that any day!