This is a guest post from Valerie Rath of The Kitchen Revival.

Our day-to-day lives are filled with the hustle and bustle of appointments, meetings, lunch dates, tasks, shopping lists, and the list goes on. And trying to stay on top of our jam packed schedules can sometimes leave us feeling stressed, overwhelmed and anxious.

Anxiety is starting to become more of a common problem, especially for those who are driven and are trying to do their best in this crazy world we live in today. With all the hectic demands of life, what is the best way to help control your anxiety or depression? Are you ready for this? The answer might surprise you! A planner! Our minds are made to only pay attention to 3 or 4 things at once, so writing down all of your tasks, to do lists, and appointments helps your mind to focus more on your current present needs.

I am the kind of person that believes in proper planning for almost everything. I decided to look in the Bible to see what it had to say about planning. And guess what? Planning is biblical! In fact, the Bible clearly tells us that we should plan ahead. I consider planning to be part of stewardship. When planning, we should always plan ahead by seeking guidance from God.

But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. They would say, “There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t afford to finish it!” (Luke 14:28-30 NLT)

Do you need even more reasons to start using a planner? Here are 4 more reasons to consider:

1. A planner helps you be at your best both mentally and physically. I would say that one of the greatest benefits of using a planner is that it helps you to be an overall healthier version of you. By having proper planning or structure in your day or week, this allows you to be at your overall best both mentally and physically.

 

2. You will sleep better at night. If you write everything down and have your next day planned out, then your plans for the next day won’t keep you up at night. You will get a restful night sleep and when you wake up the next morning, your planner will be right there to tell you exactly what you need to do for that day.

 

3. A planner helps relieve our brains of anxiety. Instead of trying to cram everything inside your brain, just write it down! This way you can just let go of your thought or idea so you can better concentrate on other things.

 

4. Planning leads to abundance. Have you ever looked at the clock in panic because your next class starts in 5 minutes or your late for an important appointment? We’ve all done this one before! If you don’t take responsibility for your time or your family’s time, you could be missing out on His great abundance.

 

Planners come in all shapes, sizes, and there are even Apps that you can use on your phones these days. I, myself suffer from anxiety and I have found that planning out my day reduces my anxiety levels. For me personally, I prefer using the old fashioned pen and paper kind to be very relaxing and more helpful than the electronic ones. Recently I started using the bullet journal method of planning. Of course, the Bullet Journal system isn’t for everyone and there is no planning system that is perfect for everyone. But if you suffer from anxiety, then I highly encourage you to find a planning system that works best for you!

 

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Val is a Gluten Free, Dairy Free, and sometimes Paleo food blogger over at The Kitchen Revival. She also has personal experience and knowledge into the world of anxiety, because she, herself suffers from anxiety, and is thriving. Val has learned through natural methods as well as through self care techniques how to best manage her anxiety. Val’s ultimate mission is to teach others how they can experience a Revival of Wholeness through being a good steward of food, faith, and well-being. To learn more about Val and the mission of The Kitchen Revival please visit her About page to learn more. You can also follow her on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

 

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