Beating stress: from the inside.

Feeling the stresses and strains of life, a young midwestern lawyer wrote: "I am now the most miserable man living. If what l feel were equally distributed to the whole human family, there would not be one cheerful face on earth. Whether I shall ever be better I cannot tell. To remain as lain is impossible must die or be better, it appears to me."

Those words were written in 1841 by Abraham Lincoln. Because of his emotional state, Lincoln's family and friends thought it wise to keep knives, razors, and other sharp objects out of his reach. In addition, they had someone stay with him through the nights, fearing that if left alone he would take his life. Of course, Lincoln survived that dark time in his life and went on to become one of the country's greatest presidents.

Life is stressful. The mere act of being alive means facing some tough tests. Sooner or later everyone confronts professional and personal crises, hardship, failure, pain, and tragedy. Nevertheless, it is possible to beat stress. Here are powerful and effective tools for inner healing.

* Get support. Strong, steady support from a trusted friend or counselor is invaluable during times of high stress. As the stresses mount, it is wise to seek counsel from a pastor, spiritual leader, or good friend. As psychotherapist Judy Tatelbaum says in her book You Don't Have to Suffer, "we benefit when we can talk intimately, clear up feelings and reactions, be understood or have a witness to our experience, and be encouraged to move forward."

* Get some rest. Anxiety and stress can wear you out quickly when you're fatigued and exhausted. The antidote is to cut back on your pace and schedule some times of rest.

* Saturate yourself with scripture. In his book How to Cope With Ten of Lira's Toughest Problems, Norman Vincent Peale says scriptures "are full of comfort, strength, and understanding."

However, he says that simply reading one or two random verses is not sufficient. "I think it has to be a massive dose. It's like those antibiotics that doctors prescribe, doubling the quantity in the first dose so that the healing agent can get into the bloodstream quickly and fight the infection. That's what the Bible is-spiritual medicine."

Many people find it helpful to read and reread the Psalms when facing life's crises, especially Psalm 91. Others find it helpful to repeat and reflect on comforting passages of Scripture, such as:

"Do not be afraid-I will save you. I have called you by name-you are mine. When you pass through deep waters, l will be with you; your troubles will not overwhelm you. When you pass through fire, you will not be burned; the hard trials that come will not hurt you" (Isaiah 43:1,2).*

"Don't worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart. And God's peace, which is far beyond human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6, 7).

* Avoid cafastrophizing. When facing a crisis, people can inadvertently make it worse by catastrophic thinking. Psychologist Alan Lay McGinnis, author of The Power of Optimism, says, "You can make yourself miserable by repeating to yourself statements such as `I'lI never get out of this mess. I can't stand all this stress. This has to be the worst day of my life.'"

To negate the impact of catastrophizing, Dr. McGinnis suggests people yell to themselves "Stop!" and make an immediate modification. "For instance, we can say to ourselves, 'Now wait a minute, is it really true that I'll never get out of this mess? No, of course not. That was an overreaction. I do have a big problem here and there's a lot of pressure, but I'll eventually get it solved. And can I stand this any longer? Sure, for a while at least, I'll have to. Is this the worst day of my life? Hardly."

* Continue to take risks. During times of stress and setback some people give up and quit. However, people who emerge victorious are those who continue to take personal and professional risks. Comedienne Carol Burnett is a good example. When asked which of her many accomplishments bring her the most satisfaction, she answers: "Having survived."

Behind her statement is the fact she was raised on welfare by her grandmother. "Luckily I was ignorant that there were any odds against my doing anything," she explains. "When I was a kid I didn't know I couldn't get out of being poor. Who would have thought I could be in show business? Nobody but me. I think it's important to take risks, to risk defeat. And to find out you can live through one or two or three or many defeats."

* Never think defeat. Winston Churchill eloquently said, "Success is never final. Failure is never fatal. It's courage that counts." In order not to suffer from major discouragement in the face of personal crisis or tragedy, do not give in to the temptation to think you are defeated.

In addition to these tools for inner healing and renewal, try asking yourself what other steps you can take to help restore your bruised mind. Make a list of activities that will bring you pleasure, joy, and delight. That way you will develop customized solutions for stress.

Victor Parachin writes from Elk Grove, Illinois.

* Bible texts in this article ere from the Good News Bible-Old Testament: Copyright (c) American Bible Society 1976; New Testament: Copyright (C) American Bible Society 1966, 1971, 1976.

"Success is never final. Failure is never fatal."

One measure of stress that has been used with success in national surveys is the General Well-Being Scale (GWB), designed by the National Center for Health Statistics. A high score on the GWB represents an absence of bad feelings and an expression of positive feelings.

The General Well-Being Scale Instructions: The following questions ask how you feel and how things have been going for you during the past month. For each question, mark an x for the answer that most nearly applies to you. Since there are no right or wrong answers, it's best to answer each question quickly without pausing too long on any one of them.