Psalm 1:2
“But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”
When I was in high school, I was stressed all the time. From the time I woke up to the time I went to bed, all I did was worry. I laid in bed at night either going through the list of things I had to do the next day or tried to remember important facts for the test I had the following morning. Needless to say, I was an overachiever and an overwhelmed worrier. I was intent on showing my teachers and advisors that I was working hard, and my grades reflected that. Not only did I excel in academics, but I was set on going to a great university. Not a good university, but a great one. I worked hard on projects in student government, became class president, danced in the studio 15 hours a week, and volunteered at my church in hopes that my lifestyle would impress Admissions Counselors.
My desire to achieve the best things in life eventually took a toll on me. While on a daily basis it only seemed to present itself as exhaustion, in the long run, my stress, lack of sleep, and intense physical activities took a toll on my immune system. After four years of go, go, go, I became sick, sick, sick. I was admitted to the hospital, deferred my first quarter of college, and was held up in bed for six months. It was intense and it was rough.
Since then, I’ve learned a lot about myself and how I can respond to stress in a more productive way. If I knew then what I know now, I could have saved myself a lot of time and energy worrying about unnecessary things. When it comes down to it, I wasn’t allowing myself time to spend with Christ. Sure—I was going to church, going to youth group, praying at school with my fellow students, but I wasn’t giving myself time alone with God. In the past two years, I have decided to start setting aside time in the morning to spend at least 20 minutes in prayer, journaling my thoughts, or reading a faith-based book, and it has genuinely helped my well being. I’ve learned so much about myself and so much about God during my morning quiet time, whether it be just 20 minutes or 200 minutes.
Since I’ve begun practicing a faith-based morning routine, I feel: more at peace, far less stressed, more productive, and have the energy to take on the challenges of the day. Aside from the practical changes in my mental health, I’ve also grown closer to Christ by giving myself more personal time with Him, where I can pour all my energy into my relationship with Him instead of making our relationship a secondary “project” so to say. As we begin the 2020-2021 school year, I challenge you to set aside time for you and God every morning. It will change your days for the better!