“I’m Stressed! What Now?,” For the Strength of Youth, Mar. 2024.
Strength in Times of Stress
I’m Stressed! What Now?
Here are some ideas to help you tap into the Savior’s stress-relieving power.
Illustrations by Uran Duo
Stress. Anxiety. Strain. Pressure. Trouble. Worry.
Whatever you call it, it’s been part of mortality ever since Adam and Eve left the Garden. There is no formula for a “stress-free life.” In fact, a life like that would defeat the purpose! (See 2 Nephi 2:11–12.)
Since we can’t eliminate stress entirely, we should focus on how we handle it. Most sources of stress can be divided into two categories:
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Things you can control.
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Things you can’t.
1. Things You Can Control
For years, many people of other faiths have found comfort in reciting what is known as the “Serenity Prayer”: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”1
The Prophet Joseph Smith gave the early Saints similar advice in handling their many challenges: “Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed” (Doctrine and Covenants 123:17; emphasis added).
In other words: Do everything you can, and let God take it from there. Focus on what you can control, such as:
Your own choices
Because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we “have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for [ourselves] and not to be acted upon” (2 Nephi 2:26). We should be “anxiously [that is, eagerly] engaged” in doing good things (Doctrine and Covenants 58:27).
Your attitude
American poet Maya Angelou wrote, “What you’re supposed to do when you don’t like a thing is change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.”2 Look for the positive in people and situations. Turn chores into games. Wallowing in self-pity over how much you hate a situation will not make it better.
Your response to the things you can’t control
You can’t prevent hurricanes, but you can give time, money, or labor to help those affected by them. You can’t stop a friend from leaving the Church, but you can continue to love them and set a good example. You can’t help it if someone says something mean to you, but you can choose how to react to it.
And throughout all of this, remember the one thing you can always do: pray. Ask God to do the things you can’t do—to change the things you can’t change. Whatever the outcome is, the Savior can help you feel peace.
2. Things You Can’t Control
This is the easiest category to address because the strategy is simple:
If you can’t control it, don’t worry about it.
Instead, exercise faith in Jesus Christ and focus on what you can control. Try not to let worry consume you.
Easier said than done, of course. (Don’t you wish you had a “worry” switch that you could just turn on and off?)
But accepting that a problem is beyond your control is the first step to not letting it stress you out. You then place your faith in Jesus Christ.
The things we can’t control generally fall under one of two categories:
Natural phenomena
Famines, droughts, natural disasters. Pandemics. Some physical limitations and health conditions. Human behavior can affect these things, and there are usually steps we can take to be prepared for them or reduce their impact. But we can’t control them day-to-day.
Other people’s choices
How people behave online. Whether or not your friends stay in the Church. What people say behind your back. Decisions made by courts and governments. What airs on TV. How much things cost. You can give your opinion, but ultimately, all choices made by persons other than yourself are beyond your control.