Checking in With God

I've been trying to check in with God more frequently lately....mostly because I'm extremely stressed right now and stress can bring out both the worse and the best in me. Because I find myself falling back into old, negative patterns of behavior, I'm reaching out to God like a baby reaches out to his mom...for comfort, for focus, for safety. I visualize his reaction to my actions...it's a real reality check. Would he like what I'm doing and saying? Is what I'm doing and saying loving? What is God's purpose in each situation I find myself in? What can I learn from even the most frustrating situation?

My co-worker shared a useful strategy for dealing with stressful situations. When he gets mad, the first thing is does is stop talking. Then he takes a deep breath and checks in with his body to see what kind of chemical reaction he's experiencing. He objectively identifies the area of his body that is being affected. Then he examines the setting and tries to figure out what is most important...what is the greatest good. Then he tries to contributes to the situation in a healthy manner or stays quiet. Sometimes it is best to leave the situation if emotions are running too high, but he suggested trying to stay and work through any discomfort. I've been trying to use this strategy the last two weeks and find it, combined with prayer, is working very well.