Gesondheid in die rondheid

Transcription

Gesondheid in
die rondheid
Besprekingstukke vir selgroepe
(Leiersgids)
Inhoudsopgawe
bl
Inleiding – Notas vir fassiliteerders en groepleiers
2
28 Oktober
Week 1 – ‘n Blik op die toekoms
4
4 November
Week 2 – Jy en jou lyf
9
11 November
Week 3 – EI (Emosioneel gesond)
19
18 November
Week 4 – Wat beheer jou?
25
25 November
Week 5 – Ritmes
33
Ander belangrike datums
Do 15 Nov
- iLead
Byeenkoms vir leierskapsontwikkeling (oop geleentheid vir almal in leierskap)
1
Inleiding
Notas vir fassiliteerders en groepleiers
Die ‘Gesondheid in die rondheid’ Leiersgids is saamgestel om jou te help met die aanbieding van jou
kleingroep vir die tydsduur van die reeks met dieselfde naam. Die idee is nie om hierdie material
slaafs na te volg nie, maar om dit te gebruik as ‘n vertrekpunt vir die aanbied van ‘n lewenskragtige,
Gees-geïnspireerde kleingroep elke week. Hier volg ‘n paar wenke om die beste waarde daaruit te
put.
IN JOU VOORBEREIDING VIR JULLE WEEKLIKSE BYEENKOMS:



Lees deur die materiaal in die BESTUDEER VIR JOU VOORBEREIDING afdeling en kyk na die
DVD-insetsel . Besluit ook wat hiervan (idees/verse) om te gebruik tydens die aanbieding
van die groepbyeenkoms.
Vra die Here om almal in die groep se harte en gedagtes voor te berei vir dit wat julle gaan
doen. Vra Hom ook hoe jy elke persoon kan aanmoedig om die beginsels, wat julle saam
gaan ontdek of bespreek, deel te maak van hul daaglikse lewe. Wees oop vir dit wat die Here
aan jou wil wys, wat sal lei tot groter openheid en bediening binne die groep.
Beplan hoeveel tyd jy aan elke aspek van die aand gaan spandeer. In elke sessie word die
. Indien die tyd julle inhaal en jy moet minder
belangrikste of kernvrae aangedui met ‘n
besprekingsvrae hanteer as beplan, probeer ten minste by hierdie vrae uitkom.
Onthou: die doel is nie om deur al die vrae te kom nie, maar om ‘n ruimte te skep waarbinne
lewensverandering by mense kan plaasvind. Soms mag dit meer bespreking van die
onderwerp verg en soms gaan dit vra dat daar meer persoonlike bediening van groeplede
moet plaasvind soos wat die Heilige Gees op daardie oomblik lei. Hoe beter jy voorbereid is,
hoe makliker is dit om die Here se leiding te volg.
HOE OM HIERDIE MATERIAAL TE GEBRUIK
Hierdie leiersgids het ‘n eenvoudige plan vir elke week se groepbyeenkoms.
BESTUDEER VIR JOU VOORBEREIDING
Werk voor die tyd deur hierdie materiaal en skrifverse. Die idee is nie om hierdie inligting
alles te probeer deurgee in die aanbieding van die selgroep nie. Dit is daar om jou te help om
vertroud te wees met die onderwerp. Jy kan dit ook voor die tyd aan sellede uitstuur vir ‘n
beter bespreking. Gebruik nou enkele van hierdie idees saam met van die voorgestelde
besprekingsvrae (of vrae wat jy self ontwikkel het) tydens die GESELS SAAM gedeelte van die
aand. Kyk ook na die DVD-insetsel om vertroud te raak met die inhoud daarvan. Toets ook
altyd eers om seker te maak dat die DVD reg speel by die plek waar die groepbyeenkoms
gaan plaasvind, voordat dit gebeur.
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KUIER SAAM
Skep ‘n gesellige, veilige ruimte vir groeplede om regtig met mekaar en die Here te kan
connect.
WORSHIP SAAM
Spandeer tyd saam in aanbidding voor die Here.
GESELS SAAM
Speel nou die DVD-insetsel vir die groep en bespreek die materiaal deur gebruik te maak
van die besprekingsvrae. Jy hoef die vrae nie presies net so te gebruik nie, maar dit wil jou
help om by die kernsake uit te kom. Stimuleer deelname en oop gesprekvoering. Vermy die
versoeking om ‘n lesing af te steek, jou rol is om ‘n sinvolle gesprek te fassiliteer en almal te
kry om deel te neem. Gebruik dus “open-ended” vrae wat nie net met “ja” of “nee”
geantwoord kan word nie. Gee mense geleentheid om te sê wat op hulle hart is, al is dit nie
noodwendig die regte antwoord nie, want dit vorm deel van die groei-ervaring vir almal.
BID SAAM
Skep geleentheid vir groeplede om saam te bid of om iemand met gebed en die gebruik van
die gawes van die Gees te bedien soos Hy lei. Sonder hierdie aspek van groeplewe loop jy die
gevaar dat jul groepbyeenkomste verval in akademiese besprekings van ‘n onderwerp,
sonder dat mense se lewens regtig aangeraak word.
‘n Paar sleutels vir dinamiese selgroepe:
Verhoudings -die diepte van die gesprekke wat ontstaan en die manier waarop mense mekaar bedien binne
die groep hang grotendeels af van die onderlinge vertroue wat opgebou word in die natuurlike verhoudings
wat tussen groeplede ontstaan. Diep, egte verhoudings vorm dus die grondslag van ‘n suksesvolle selgroep.
Openhartigheid -‘n Gesonde selgroep omgewing, waar groeplede mekaar respekteer en aanmoedig, sal lei
tot groter openlikheid en eerlikheid. Waar mense voel dat hulle aanvaar en hulle bydrae tot die groep
waardeer word, sal hulle makliker hul ware gevoelens deel. Daarom moet groeplede ook kan veilig voel dat dit
wat hulle binne die groep deel nie buite die groep bespreek sal word nie.
Gedeelde verantwoordelikheid -Almal wat deel vorm van die groep moet ‘n rol hê om te vervul, of dit
nou is om reëlings te tref, besprekings te fasiliteer, koffie te maak, aanbidding te lei, sosiale geleendhede te
beplan, of wat ook al nodig is. Hierdie verantwoordelikhede kan afgewissel word of vir ‘n tyd lank aan ‘n
bepaalde persoon toegesê word. Selfs mense wat nuut is in die groep, moet van vroeg af deel in die
verantwoordelikheid vir die groep. Die ou Chinese spreekwoord sê: “If a stranger comes to visit you, treat him
like a king for a week, then give him a hoe to help you in the garden.”
Sensitiwiteit -Dinamiese kleingroepe word gebore wanneer die selleier gedurig sensitief is vir die Heilige
Gees se leiding oor dit wat moet gebeur, veral tydens die bespekings- en bedientye, maar ook tydens die week
in die tye tussen byeeenkomste. Gereelde kontak met groeplede buite “seltyd” gee ‘n hele ander dimensie aan
die groep.
Plesier! -Gesonde selgroepe weet hoe om lekker saam te ontspan en pret te hê! Navorsing het gewys dat
humor en pret sleutelfatore is in die groei van selgroepe wêreldwyd, ongeag die kultuur of kerk denominasie.
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Week 1: ’n Blik op jou toekoms
Fokus vir hierdie week:
 Jy
moet ‘n visie en toekomsverwagting hê vir jou eie lewe, ook rondom jou persoonlike
welwese, en dan moet jy die nodige stappe neem om daardie visie tot uitvoering te bring.
Kyk na die DVD-insetsel vir Week 1.
Lees die volgende uittreksel uit Joyce Meyer se boek “Look Great, Feel Great”:
RIGHT VISION
To get somewhere, you have to know where you are going. You may not know the exact route, but
you at least have a goal in mind. If you are driving from St. Louis to New Orleans, you have a goal.
And you have lots of means to achieve that goal, from reading maps to stopping and asking for
directions. On the other hand, if you just get in your car in St. Louis and drive with no idea where
you’re going, you probably won’t get anywhere useful. You’ll likely end up going in circles.
In your effort to enjoy the healthy life you deserve, you need to have a vision of your goal. What will
your life be like when you are eating well, and feel fit, comfortable, and happy? What will you look
like? What kinds of activities will fill your days? Only when you have a vision of the new you can
you start making the necessary plans to achieve it.
One of the most dramatic instances of this I have witnessed involved a woman I hired as a
housekeeper ten years ago. The way Cindy looked when she first came to work for me made it clear
how she felt about herself. She was thirty pounds overweight and put no effort into making her
clothes, hair, posture, or anything else attractive. Although she did her work well, she was insecure,
frequently moody, and appeared unhappy. She was also very fearful of making mistakes or
disappointing people, and when she did she persecuted herself and felt guilty for days.
She was a workaholic, a classic symptom for people who feel they have no intrinsic value and can
place value only in what they produce or accomplish. (And I speak from personal experience!) It was
no surprise to me to discover that Cindy was verbally abused in the earlier years of her life and made
to feel as if she had no worth. But she was a very nice woman and a gifted person with a lot of
potential, and I could see her spirit glinting beneath the layers it had put on over the years. She needed
a vision of better things. She needed to believe that things could change for her, and eventually that is
exactly what happened.
As she spent time around me and my family, Cindy started seeing that there was a different way to
live. We began to do special things for her to make her feel valuable. She always liked my clothes and
saw that I gave clothes away frequently to women who worked for me. She often said, “I wish I could
wear your clothes.” Then one day she said, “I’m going to be able to wear your clothes!”
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Before we achieve victory we have to transition from wishing to taking action. Cindy got a vision of
what she could be, instead of believing that she always had to be what she was. Then she decided it
was time to change her life. She believed she deserved more from life. She studied nutrition and,
instead of going on yet another diet, changed her eating habits and knew from the start that it had to
be a lifetime decision. Instead of working all day and then going home to a huge unhealthy meal right
before bed, she began eating a good breakfast, a great lunch, and a smaller but healthy dinner. She ate
lots of vegetables, lean meat, fruit and healthy snacks. She kept getting smaller and smaller, and guess
what? Cindy now wears my clothes! She looks and acts like a different person than the one I hired ten
years ago.
But that’s the least of it. Over the years we have
watched Cindy blossom into a stylish, healthy,
attractive woman who is stable and enjoys life very
much. She began working for me as a housecleaner,
and now she actually manages the house and helps me
with many details of my life, including preparation for
travel, ordering, and computer work. Best of all, I now
count her as a faithful friend. I thank Cindy for being a
wonderful support in my life, and for letting me share
her story.
God has only one gear: forward! He has no park and
no reverse. He wants you to start progressing towards
your goals, but before you can do that you must get a
clear image of those goals, just like Cindy did. If you
are hung up on your past disappointments and keep harping on them, you are never going to escape
them. Talk about your future, not your past! Talk about the new you that you are becoming. Every
successful person starts off by envisioning his or her success. It’s time to get out the road atlas of your
life, pick your destination, and slide into that transmission gear. Here are five ideas to help you pick
where to go.
Five ways to make success easy
1.
2.
3.
4.
Take small steps (small successes breed large ones)
Laugh at setbacks (You will have setbacks, that is normal – just keep moving forward)
Make it convenient (keep it simple and do-able)
Make it fun (Find exercise you like, find vegetables you like, you will only keep on doing
things if you enjoy it)
5. Reward yourself (Celebrate successes with appropriate rewards – small goal, small reward;
big goal big reward)
TAKE RESPONSIBILITY
One of the biggest problems in society today is that people don’t want to take responsibility for their
lives. They want quick fixes. Society has trained them to believe that if they have problems,
somebody else is responsible. Their parents are responsible. Their spouses are responsible. Their
schools or employers are responsible. The company that made the cigarettes or vehicle or junk food is
responsible.
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I don’t like this passive mentality. Maybe your parents did feed you a lot of junk food when you were
young, or never encouraged exercise. Maybe you do have the “thrifty gene” that makes you more
likely to store fat than the average person. Maybe you do have a sixty-hour-a-week job with long
commute that gives you little time to make a home-cooked meal. Whatever your life is, you must
make the best you can out of it.
I’m not saying you are responsible for the current state of your life. Lots of uncontrollable events
occur in our lives. Sometimes we do get very bad messages in childhood. Sometimes we have bad
people in our lives who hurt us. The situation you find yourself in may or may not be your fault. But it
is your fault if you take it lying down! You do not have to stay in that bad situation. You get to make
a choice. And that choice is 100 percent yours.
My parents did not teach me anything about nutrition
because the did not know anything about it. Does that give
me a free pass to eat poorly? No, I had to take
responsibility and educate myself in these areas. A lot of
people in my family’s bloodline were overweight. It
would have been easy to say, “It runs in my genes.”
Although body structure is inherited, it is not an excuse to
remain unhealthy.
No matter how you got to where you find yourself today,
don’t let it be an excuse to stay there. I had many excuses
and reasons for my poor health, bad attitude, and unbalanced life. As long as I offered excuses, I
never made progress. Taking responsibility for where we are is a must in making progress. Shifting
the blame keeps us trapped. It may put off a little guilt in the short term, but in the long run it just
prolongs our misery.
THE POWER OF FREE WILL
It would be easy if God had not given us free will. We could wander through the days like robots,
eating the fruit that falls into our hands and waiting for the next thing to happen to us. But He did give
us free will, which gives us tremendous responsibility but also the possibility of total joy and
fulfillment.
God will give you all the tools you need on earth to reach spiritual completion. But it’s up to you to
take up those tools and put them to work restoring your health and renovating his temple for Him. He
can make it as easy on you as possible – and, in writing this book, I’ve tried to help by giving you
some useful information, guidance and tips, - but He can’t do the work for you. The work is an
essential part of the fulfillment, an essential part of the process of freeing your soul from bondage.
When you are in the depths of self-pity, free will can feel aweful, a pressure and responsibility you
just don’t want. But once you make the commitment to maintain your body and soul as you should, to
be a person of excellence and power, you discover that free will is your most valuable possession.
This is why you must avoid self-pity at all costs. Self-pity is an emotion that feeds on itself and steals
your power. You need power to become the person you were meant to be, and you cannot be pityful
and powerful at the same time. I had a major problem with self-pity in my earlier years, and not until I
stopped feeling sorry for myself did I start making progress.
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We feel better about ourselves when we approach life boldly, ready to be accountable and responsible.
You don’t have to hide from anything. You can do whatever you need to do in life. You can look
healthy and attractive. You can feel great inside and out. You can live a life that keeps you fit and
happy into old age. It’s all up to you. Through God you are ready for anything. Confront your life
head on and never turn back!
KUIER SAAM
Hierdie reeks handel oor ‘n gesonde leefstyl in ligaam, siel en gees. Koop lekker vrugte en laat
sellede saam ‘n groot vrugteslaai voorberei. Geniet dit saam en praat ‘n bietjie oor dit wat jou
opgewonde maak in jou lewe op die oomblik.
WORSHIP SAAM
Jerry Kerns - ‘A glimpse of God will save you. To gaze at Him will sanctify you’
Voorstel: ‘n Uitstekende nuwe Afrikaanse aanbiddings cd is ‘In verwondering’ – opgeneem deur 4
van Suid Afrika se groot name in aanbidding. Skaf dit gerus aan en gebruik dit ook in selverband.
Kies ‘n diep, intieme worshiplied wat vir jou van betekenis is (dalk sommer ‘n lied op bg cd), luister
as groep daarna en laat gebede spontaan hieruit voortvloei.
GESELS SAAM
1. Hoe gesond sal jy jou huidige leefstyl beskryf as dit kom by:
- Geestelik
- Emosioneel
- Liggaamlik (eet, oefen, rus, ens)
2. Lees 1 Korintiërs 9:24 Het jy ‘n spesifieke visie en doelwitte as dit kom by jou gesondheid, of
vat jy dit maar soos dit kom?
3.
 Dink jy dis vir God belangrik dat ons gesond moet leef? Hoekom? Beskryf jou prentjie
tov die ideale gesonde leefstyl vir jouself.
4. Wat verhoed jou om hierby uit te kom? Hoe kan julle as groep mekaar hierin ondersteun?
5.
 “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends
of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the
faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and
young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall
mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
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Isaiah 40:28-31
Het jy al die inrigting van jou leefstyl / eetgewoontes / oefenprogram ens aan die Here
oorgegee en Hom gevra om jou te help of probeer jy maar net deur wilskrag en inspanning
om die nodige resultate te kry? Indien wel, deel hoe Hy jou help hiermee.
6. Is jy gelukkig en vervuld met jou lewe soos dit nou is? Wat is daar in jou denkwyse
oor/persepsie van jouself, wat jy onmidellik kan verander, wat ‘n groot verskil sal maak in
jou leefstyl?
7.
☻
Ouers met kinders: Belê jy tans in jou kind(ers) se lewe rondom geestelike, emosionele
en liggamlike gesondheid?
BID SAAM
Mense mag dalk baie mismoedig voel oor hul leefstyl/gesondheid omdat hulle reeds dikwels in die
verlede probeer en misluk het. Bedien mekaar met die klem op die Here se aandeel in die proses en
aanmoediging vir langtermyn veranderinge en nie noodwendig ‘n “quickfix” oplossing nie.
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Week 2: Jy en jou lyf

Die enigste manier om ‘n gesonde leefstyl te handhaaf is om gesonde gewoontes in plek te sit
in jou lewe en daarmee vol te hou.
Lees die volgende artikel:
MAKING EXERCISE PART OF YOUR EVERYDAY
LIFE
Of all the different ways to improve your physical and mental health, exercise is one of the
easiest and safest methods. It is also one of the most effective. Even a little regular exercise
can help ease depression, boost energy and mood, and relieve stress. But you don't have to be
a fitness fanatic to reap the benefits. No matter your age, health limitations, or fitness levels,
there are enjoyable ways to use physical activity to feel better every day.
Exercise is not just about aerobic capacity and muscle size. Sure, exercise improves your
health and your physique, but it has even greater benefits for your energy, mood, and
brainpower. A study in the ACSM Journal of Health & Fitness asked long-term exercisers
(those who had been regularly exercising for an average of 13 years) what motivated them to
continue exercising. Rather than being motivated by building muscle or flattening their
stomachs, for example, most exercisers cited the feelings of well-being they derived from
exercise, along with increased energy, and how exercise helped them sleep better and made
them more relaxed.
The important thing to remember is that these benefits can be achieved without spending
hours pumping weights in a gym or pounding on a treadmill. Regular mild to moderate
exercise can improve your life by:
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Easing stress and anxiety.
Lifting your mood.
Sharpening brainpower..
Improving self-esteem.
Boosting energy.
Obstacles to exercise: What’s holding you back?
Despite all the life-changing benefits, many of us still think of exercise as a chore, either
something that we don’t have time for, or something that’s only suitable for the young or the
athletic.
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There are many commonly-held myths about exercise that make it seem more arduous and
painful than it has to be. Overcoming obstacles to exercise starts with separating fact from
fiction.
Why we don’t exercise
“I don’t have enough time to exercise.”
Even short low-impact intervals of exercise can act as a powerful tool to supercharge your
health. If you have time for a 15-minute walk with the dog, your body will thank you in many
ways.
“Exercise is too difficult and painful.”
Consider “no pain, no gain” the old fashioned way of thinking about exercise. Exercise
doesn’t have to hurt to be incredibly effective. You don’t have to push yourself to the limit to
get results. You can build your strength and fitness by walking, swimming, even playing golf
or cleaning the house.
“I’m too tired to exercise.”
Regular exercise is a powerful pick-me-up that can significantly reduce fatigue and make you
feel much more energetic. If you’re feeling tired, try taking a brisk walk or dancing to your
favorite music and see how much better you feel afterwards.
“I’m too old to start exercising,” “I'm too fat,” or “My health isn’t good enough.”
It’s never too late to start building your strength and physical fitness, even if you’re a senior
or a self-confessed couch potato who has never exercised before. And exercise is a proven
treatment for many diseases—from diabetes to arthritis. Very few health or weight problems
make exercise out of the question, so talk to your doctor about a safe routine for you.
“I’m not athletic.”
Do you hide your head when the tennis ball approaches? Are you stumped at the difference
between a foul ball and a free throw? Join the ranks. Don’t worry if you’re not sporty or
ultra-coordinated. Instead, find an activity like walking, jogging, or yoga that makes you feel
good to be in your body.
“Exercise is boring.”
Sure, pounding on a treadmill for an hour may not be everyone’s idea of a good time. But not
all exercise has to be boring; just about everyone can find a physical activity they enjoy. Try
playing ping-pong (table tennis) or activity-based video games with your kids. So-called
“exergames” that are played standing up and moving around—simulating dancing,
skateboarding, soccer, or tennis, for example—can burn at least as many calories as walking
on a treadmill; some substantially more. Once you build up your confidence, try getting away
from the TV screen and playing the real thing outside.
Reaping the benefits of exercise is easier than you think
To reap the benefits of exercise, you don’t need to devote hours out your busy day, train at
the gym, sweat buckets, or run mile after monotonous mile. You can reap all the physical and
mental health benefits of exercise with 30-minutes of moderate exercise five times a week.
Two 15-minute exercise sessions can also work just as well.
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If that still seems intimidating, don’t despair. Even just a few minutes of physical activity are
better than none at all. If you don’t have time for 15 or 30 minutes of exercise, or if your
body tells you to take a break after 5 or 10 minutes, for example, that’s okay, too. Start with
5- or 10-minute sessions and slowly increase your time. The more you exercise, the more
energy you’ll have, so eventually you’ll feel ready for a little more. The key is to commit to
do some moderate physical activity—however little—on most days. As exercising becomes
habit, you can slowly add extra minutes or try different types of activities. If you keep at it,
the benefits of exercise will begin to pay off.
Moderate exercise means two things:


That you breathe a little heavier than normal, but are not out of breath. For example,
you should be able to chat with your walking partner, but not easily sing a song.
That your body feels warmer as you move, but not overheated or very sweaty.
Do I need different types of exercise?
While any kind of exercise offers tremendous health benefits, different types of exercise
focus more on certain aspects of your health. You can concentrate on one type of exercise or
mix them up to add variety to your workouts and broaden the health benefits.
 Aerobic
activities like running, cycling, and swimming
strengthen your heart and increase your endurance.
 Strength training like weight lifting or resistance
training builds muscle and bone mass, improves
balance and prevents falls. It’s one of the best
counters to frailty in old age.
 Flexibility exercises like stretching help prevent injury,
enhance range of motion, reduce stiffness, and
limit aches and pains.
Easy exercise tips:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Move more in your daily life
Start slowly—a little is better than nothing
Make exercise fun
Make exercise a social activity
Set yourself goals and rewards
Get inspired (read fitness magazines/books/websites)
HEALTHY EATING HABITS
Healthy eating does not mean depriving yourself of the foods you love or staying
unrealistically thin, but rather about developing a well-balanced, satisfying relationship with
food. Your food choices can reduce your risk of illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, and
diabetes, as well increase your energy, stabilize your weight, and boost your mood.
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Healthy eating tip 1: Set yourself up for success
To set yourself up for success, think about planning a healthy diet as a number of small,
manageable steps rather than one big drastic change. If you approach the changes gradually
and with commitment, you will have a healthy diet sooner than you think.
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

Simplify. Instead of being overly concerned with counting calories or measuring
portion sizes, think of your diet in terms of color, variety, and freshness. This way it
should be easier to make healthy choices. Focus on finding foods you love and easy
recipes that incorporate a few fresh ingredients. Gradually, your diet will become
healthier and more delicious.
Start slow and make changes to your eating habits over time. Trying to make your
diet healthy overnight isn’t realistic or smart. Changing everything at once usually
leads to cheating or giving up on your new eating plan. Make small steps, like adding
a salad (full of different color vegetables) to your diet once a day or switching from
butter to olive oil when cooking. As your small changes become habit, you can
continue to add more healthy choices to your diet.
Every change you make to improve your diet matters. You don’t have to be
perfect and you don’t have to completely eliminate foods you enjoy to have a healthy
diet. The long term goal is to feel good, have more energy, and reduce the risk of
cancer and disease. Don’t let your missteps derail you—every healthy food choice
you make counts.
Think of water as a food group in your diet.
Water helps flush our systems of waste products and toxins, yet many people go through life
dehydrated—causing tiredness, low energy, and headaches. It’s common to mistake thirst for
hunger, so staying well hydrated will also help you make healthier food choices.
Healthy eating tip 2: Moderation is key
People often think of healthy eating as an all or nothing proposition, but a key foundation for
any healthy diet is moderation. The goal of healthy eating is to develop a diet that you can
maintain for life, not just a few weeks or months, or until you've hit your ideal weight. So try
to think of moderation in terms of balance. Despite what certain fad diets would have you
believe, we all need a balance of carbohydrates, protein, fat, fibre, vitamins, and minerals to
sustain a healthy body.
For most of us, moderation or balance means eating less than we do now. More specifically,
it means eating far less of the unhealthy stuff (unrefined sugar, saturated fat, for example) and
more of the healthy (such as fresh fruit and vegetables). But it doesn't mean eliminating the
foods you love. Eating bacon for breakfast once a week, for example, could be considered
moderation if you follow it with a healthy lunch and dinner–but not if you follow it with a
box of donuts and a sausage pizza. If you eat 100 calories of chocolate one afternoon, balance
it out by deducting 100 calories from your evening meal. If you're still hungry, fill up with an
extra serving of fresh vegetables.
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Try not to think of certain foods as “off-limits.” When you ban certain foods or
food groups, it is natural to want those foods more, and then feel like a failure if you
give in to temptation. If you are drawn towards sweet, salty, or unhealthy foods, start
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by reducing portion sizes and not eating them as often. Later you may find yourself
craving them less or thinking of them as only occasional indulgences.
Think smaller portions. Serving sizes have ballooned recently, particularly in
restaurants. When dining out, choose a starter instead of an main course, split a dish
with a friend, and don't order supersized anything. At home, use smaller plates, think
about serving sizes in realistic terms, and start small. If you don't feel satisfied at the
end of a meal, try adding more leafy green vegetables or rounding off the meal with
fresh fruit. Visual cues can help with portion sizes–your serving of meat, fish, or
chicken should be the size of a deck of cards, a slice of bread should be the size of a
CD case, and half a cup of mashed potato, rice, or pasta is about the size of a
traditional light bulb.
Healthy eating tip 3: It's not just what you eat, it's how you eat
Healthy eating is about more than the food on your plate—
it is also about how you think about food. Healthy eating
habits can be learned and it is important to slow down and
think about food as nourishment rather than just something
to gulp down in between meetings or on the way to pick up
the kids.
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Eat with others whenever possible. Eating with other people has numerous social
and emotional benefits—particularly for children—and allows you to model healthy
eating habits. Eating in front of the TV or computer often leads to mindless
overeating.
Take time to chew your food and enjoy mealtimes. Chew your food slowly,
savouring every bite. We tend to rush though our meals, forgetting to actually taste
the flavours and feel the textures of our food. Reconnect with the joy of eating.
Listen to your body. Ask yourself if you are really hungry, or have a glass of water
to see if you are thirsty instead of hungry. During a meal, stop eating before you feel
full. It actually takes a few minutes for your brain to tell your body that it has had
enough food, so eat slowly.
Eat breakfast, and eat smaller meals throughout the day. A healthy breakfast can
jumpstart your metabolism, and eating small, healthy meals throughout the day (rather
than the standard three large meals) keeps your energy up and your metabolism going.
Avoid eating at night. Try to eat dinner earlier in the day and then fast for 14-16
hours until breakfast the next morning. Early studies suggest that this simple dietary
adjustment—eating only when you’re most active and giving your digestive system a
long break each day—may help to regulate weight. After-dinner snacks tend to be
high in fat and calories so are best avoided, anyway.
13
Healthy eating tip 4: Fill up on colorful fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are the foundation of a healthy diet.
They are low in calories and nutrient dense, which means
they are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and
fibre.
Try to eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables every day and
with every meal—the brighter the better. Colorful, deeply
colored fruits and vegetables contain higher concentrations
of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants—and different
colors provide different benefits, so eat a variety. Aim for a
minimum of five portions each day.
Some great choices include:
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Greens. Branch out beyond bright and dark green lettuce. Kale, mustard greens,
broccoli, and Chinese cabbage are just a few of the options—all packed with calcium,
magnesium, iron, potassium, zinc, and vitamins A, C, E, and K.
Sweet vegetables. Naturally sweet vegetables—such as corn, carrots, beets, sweet
potatoes, onions, and squash—add healthy sweetness to your meals and reduce your
cravings for other sweets.
Fruit. Fruit is a tasty, satisfying way to fill up on fibre, vitamins, and antioxidants.
Berries are cancer-fighting, apples provide fibre, oranges and mangos offer vitamin C,
and so on.
The importance of getting vitamins from food—not pills
The antioxidants and other nutrients in fruits and vegetables help protect against certain types
of cancer and other diseases. And while advertisements abound for supplements promising to
deliver the nutritional benefits of fruits and vegetables in pill or powder form, research
suggests that it’s just not the same.
A daily regimen of nutritional supplements is not going to have the same impact of eating
right. That’s because the benefits of fruits and vegetables don’t come from a single vitamin or
an isolated antioxidant.
The health benefits of fruits and vegetables come from numerous vitamins, minerals, and
phytochemicals working together synergistically. They can’t be broken down into the sum of
their parts or replicated in pill form.
Healthy eating tip 5: Eat more healthy carbs and whole grains
Choose healthy carbohydrates and fibre sources, especially whole grains, for long lasting
energy. In addition to being delicious and satisfying, whole grains are rich in phytochemicals
and antioxidants, which help to protect against coronary heart disease, certain cancers, and
diabetes. Studies have shown people who eat more whole grains tend to have a healthier
heart.
14
A quick definition of healthy carbs and unhealthy carbs
Healthy carbs (sometimes known as good carbs) include whole grains, beans, fruits, and
vegetables. Healthy carbs are digested slowly, helping you feel full longer and keeping blood
sugar and insulin levels stable.
Unhealthy carbs (or bad carbs) are foods such as white flour, refined sugar, and white rice
that have been stripped of all bran, fibre, and nutrients. Unhealthy carbs digest quickly and
cause spikes in blood sugar levels and energy.
Tips for eating more healthy carbs

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
Include a variety of whole grains in your healthy diet, including whole wheat,
brown rice, millet, quinoa, and barley. Experiment with different grains to find your
favourites.
Make sure you're really getting whole grains. Be
aware that the words stone-ground, multi-grain,
100% wheat, or bran can be deceptive. Look for the
words “whole grain” or “100% whole wheat” at the
beginning of the ingredient list. In the U.S., Canada,
and some other countries, check for the Whole
Grain Stamps that distinguish between partial whole
grain and 100% whole grain.
Try mixing grains as a first step to switching to
whole grains. If whole grains like brown rice and whole wheat pasta don’t sound
good at first, start by mixing what you normally use with the whole grains. You can
gradually increase the whole grain to 100%.
Avoid: Refined foods such as breads, pastas, and breakfast cereals that are not whole grain.
Healthy eating tip 6: Enjoy healthy fats & avoid unhealthy fats
Good sources of healthy fat are needed to nourish your brain, heart, and cells, as well as your
hair, skin, and nails. Foods rich in certain omega-3 fats called EPA and DHA are particularly
important and can reduce cardiovascular disease, improve your mood, and help prevent
dementia.
Add to your healthy diet:


Monounsaturated fats, from plant oils like canola oil, peanut oil, and olive oil, as
well as avocados, nuts (like almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans), and seeds (such as
pumpkin, sesame).
Polyunsaturated fats, including Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, found in fatty
fish such as salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, and some cold water fish
oil supplements. Other sources of polyunsaturated fats are unheated sunflower, corn,
soybean, flaxseed oils, and walnuts.
15
Reduce or eliminate from your diet:


Saturated fats, found primarily in animal sources including red meat and whole milk
dairy products.
Trans fats, found in vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers, candies,
cookies, snack foods, fried foods, baked goods, and other processed foods made with
partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Healthy eating tip 7: Put protein in perspective
Protein gives us the energy to get up and go—and keep going. Protein in food is broken down
into the 20 amino acids that are the body’s basic building blocks for growth and energy, and
essential for maintaining cells, tissues, and organs. A lack of protein in our diet can slow
growth, reduce muscle mass, lower immunity, and weaken the heart and respiratory system.
Protein is particularly important for children, whose bodies are growing and changing daily.
Here are some guidelines for including protein in your healthy diet:
Try different types of protein. Whether or not you are a vegetarian, trying different protein
sources—such as beans, nuts, seeds, peas, tofu, and soy products—will open up new options
for healthy mealtimes.
 Beans: Black beans, navy beans, garbanzos, and lentils are good options.
 Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, pistachios, and pecans are great choices.
 Soy products: Try tofu, soy milk, tempeh, and veggie burgers for a change.
 Avoid salted or sugary nuts and refried beans.
Downsize your portions of protein. Many people in the West eat too much protein. Try to
move away from protein being the centre of your meal. Focus on equal servings of protein,
whole grains, and vegetables.
Focus on quality sources of protein, like fresh fish, chicken or turkey, tofu, eggs, beans, or
nuts. When you are having meat, chicken, or turkey, buy meat that is free of hormones and
antibiotics.
Healthy eating tip 8: Add calcium for strong bones
Calcium is one of the key nutrients that your body needs in order to stay strong and healthy.
It is an essential building block for lifelong bone health in both men and women, as well as
many other important functions.
You and your bones will benefit from eating plenty of calciumrich foods, limiting foods that deplete your body’s calcium
stores, and getting your daily dose of magnesium and vitamins D
and K—nutrients that help calcium do its job.
Recommended calcium levels are 1000 mg per day, 1200 mg if
you are over 50 years old. Take a vitamin D and calcium
supplement if you don’t get enough of these nutrients from your
diet.
16
Good sources of calcium include:

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
Dairy: Dairy products are rich in calcium in a form that is easily digested and
absorbed by the body. Sources include milk, yogurt, and cheese.
Vegetables and greens: Many vegetables, especially leafy green ones, are rich
sources of calcium. Try turnip greens, mustard greens, collard greens, kale, romaine
lettuce, celery, broccoli, fennel, cabbage, summer squash, green beans, Brussels
sprouts, asparagus, and crimini mushrooms.
Beans: For another rich source of calcium, try black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans,
white beans, black-eyed peas, or baked beans.
Healthy eating tip 9: Limit sugar and salt
If you succeed in planning your diet around fibre-rich fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean
protein, and good fats, you may find yourself naturally cutting back on foods that can get in
the way of your healthy diet—sugar and salt.
Sugar
Sugar causes energy ups and downs and can add to health and weight problems.
Unfortunately, reducing the amount of candy, cakes, and desserts we eat is only part of the
solution. Often you may not even be aware of the amount of sugar you’re consuming each
day. Large amounts of added sugar can be hidden in foods such as bread, canned soups and
vegetables, pasta sauce, margarine, instant mashed potatoes, frozen dinners, fast food, soy
sauce, and ketchup. Here are some tips:


Avoid sugary drinks. One 340ml soda has about 10 teaspoons of sugar in it, more
than the daily recommended limit! Try sparkling water with lemon or a splash of fruit
juice.
Eat naturally sweet food such as fruit, peppers, or natural peanut butter to satisfy
your sweet tooth.
Salt
Most of us consume too much salt in our diets. Eating too much salt can cause high blood
pressure and lead to other health problems. Try to limit sodium intake to 1,500 to 2,300 mg
per day, the equivalent of one teaspoon of salt.

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Avoid processed or pre-packaged foods. Processed foods like canned soups or
frozen dinners contain hidden sodium that quickly surpasses the recommended limit.
Be careful when eating out. Most restaurant and fast food meals are loaded with
sodium.
Opt for fresh or frozen vegetables instead of canned vegetables.
Cut back on salty snacks such as potato chips, nuts, and pretzels.
Choose low-salt or reduced-sodium products.
Try slowly reducing the salt in your diet to give your taste buds time to adjust.
17
KUIER SAAM
Laat groeplede elkeen ‘n idee/resep saambring vir ‘n vinnige, gesonde, maar smaaklike ete. Deel
met mekaar van watter gesonde kos jy hou en watter ongesonde lekkernye vir jou ‘n versoeking is.
WORSHIP SAAM
Michael Catt - ‘If we are going to worship in Spirit, we must develop a spirit of worship’
Wees kreatief met klei, of kryte. Gee aan elke groeplid ‘n stukkie klei of ‘n bladsy met kleurpotlode
waarvan hulle kan kies. Terwyl die selleier ‘n skrifgedeelte (kies enige gedeelte) voorlees, moedig
groeplede aan om in stilte daarop te mediteer en iets te vorm of te teken na aanleiding van die
voorlesing. Deel met mekaar die resultate.
GESELS SAAM
1.

Bespreek die inhoud van die dvd & verwys spesifiek na Dieter se laaste opmerking
(....leef gesond – jou lewe hang daarvan af.)
2.

Volgens Harvard Medical School is die belangrikste aspekte van ‘n fisiese gesonde
leefstyl:
a) Eet gesond
b) Oefen gereeld
c) Goeie higiëne d) Rus genoeg
Hoe vaar jy op elkeen van hierdie areas?
3. Is jy gemaklik in jou lyf? Hoe voel jy oor jou eie liggaam?
4. In 1 Kor 6:19-20 sê Paulus dat God aan ons ‘n liggaam gegee het om jou gees te huisves en
Sy wil te doen. Indien jy ongesond lewe het jy nie genoeg energie in jou liggaam om God se
wil uit te voer nie. Daarom is dit belangrik om fiks te wees met goeie spiertonus. Bespreek.
5. Eet jy gesond genoeg of moet jy aan jou dieët verander? Is daar kossoorte wat ons nie
behoort te eet nie?
6.
☻
Ouers met kinders: Belê jy tans in jou kind(ers) se lewe om ‘n gesonde leefstyf aan te
kweek? Bespreek & ruil voorstelle uit.
BID SAAM
Laat groeplede 2/2 saam gesels en bid vir leiding oor die dinge in hul leefstyl waar aanpassings nodig
is. Dis slegs met God se hulp wat ons langtermyn aanpassings in ons lewe kan maak en volhou.
18
Week 3: EI (Emosioneel gesond)
Jou emosies vorm ‘n baie belangrike komponent van jou lewe en die suksesvolle hantering van jou
emosies dra geweldig baie by tot ‘n gesonde leefstyl en die maak van gesonde leefstyl keuses.
Lees die volgende artikel:
Improving Emotional Health
Strategies and Tips for Good Mental Health
People who are emotionally healthy are in control of their
emotions and their behavior. They are able to handle life’s
challenges, build strong relationships, and recover from
setbacks. But just as it requires effort to build or maintain
physical health, so it is with mental and emotional health.
Improving your emotional health can be a rewarding
experience, benefiting all aspects of your life, including
boosting your mood, building resilience, and adding to your
overall enjoyment of life.
What is mental health or emotional health?
Mental or emotional health refers to your overall psychological well-being. It includes the way you
feel about yourself, the quality of your relationships, and your ability to manage your feelings and
deal with difficulties.
Good mental health isn't just the absence of mental health problems. Being mentally or emotionally
healthy is much more than being free of depression, anxiety, or other psychological issues. Rather
than the absence of mental illness, mental and emotional health refers to the presence of positive
characteristics. Similarly, not feeling bad is not the same as feeling good. While some people may not
have negative feelings, they still need to do things that make them feel positive in order to achieve
mental and emotional health.
People who are mentally and emotionally healthy have:
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A sense of contentment.
A zest for living and the ability to laugh and have fun.
The ability to deal with stress and bounce back from adversity.
A sense of meaning and purpose, in both their activities and their relationships.
The flexibility to learn new things and adapt to change.
A balance between work and play, rest and activity, etc.
The ability to build and maintain fulfilling relationships.
19
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Self-confidence and high self-esteem.
These positive characteristics of mental and emotional health allow you to participate in life to the
fullest extent possible through productive, meaningful activities and strong relationships. These
positive characteristics also help you cope when faced with life's challenges and stresses.
The role of resilience in mental and emotional health
Being emotionally and mentally healthy doesn’t mean never going through bad times or experiencing
emotional problems. We all go through disappointments, loss, and change. And while these are
normal parts of life, they can still cause sadness, anxiety, and stress.
The difference is that people with good emotional health have an ability to bounce back from
adversity, trauma, and stress. This ability is called resilience. People who are emotionally and
mentally healthy have the tools for coping with difficult situations and maintaining a positive outlook.
They remain focused, flexible, and creative in bad times as well as good.
One of the key factors in resilience is the ability to balance stress and your emotions. The capacity to
recognize your emotions and express them appropriately helps you avoid getting stuck in depression,
anxiety, or other negative mood states. Another key factor is having a strong support network. Having
trusted people you can turn to for encouragement and support will boost your resilience in tough
times.
What is emotional intelligence?
Emotional intelligence (EQ) is the ability to identify, use, understand, and manage emotions in
positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges,
and defuse conflict. Emotional intelligence impacts many different aspects of your daily life, such as
the way you behave and the way you interact with others.
If you have a high emotional intelligence you are able to recognize your own emotional state and the
emotional states of others and engage with people in a way that draws them to you. You can use this
understanding of emotions to relate better to other people, form healthier relationships, achieve
greater success at work, and lead a more fulfilling life.
Emotional intelligence consists of four attributes:
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Self-awareness – You recognize your own emotions and how they affect your thoughts and
behavior, know your strengths and weaknesses, and have self-confidence.
Self-management – You’re able to control impulsive feelings and behaviors, manage your
emotions in healthy ways, take initiative, follow through on commitments, and adapt to
changing circumstances.
Social awareness – You can understand the emotions, needs, and concerns of other people,
pick up on emotional cues, feel comfortable socially, and recognize the power dynamics in a
group or organization.
Relationship management – You know how to develop and maintain good relationships,
communicate clearly, inspire and influence others, work well in a team, and manage conflict.
Physical health is connected to mental and emotional health
Taking care of your body is a powerful first step towards mental and emotional health. The mind and
the body are linked. When you improve your physical health, you’ll automatically experience greater
20
mental and emotional well-being. For example, exercise not only strengthens our heart and lungs, but
also releases endorphins, powerful chemicals that energize us and lift our mood.
The activities you engage in and the daily choices you make affect the way
you feel physically and emotionally.
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Get enough rest. To have good mental and emotional health, it’s
important to take care of your body. That includes getting enough
sleep. Most people need seven to eight hours of sleep each night in
order to function optimally.
Learn about good nutrition and practice it. The subject of nutrition is complicated and not
always easy to put into practice. But the more you learn about what you eat and how it affects
your energy and mood, the better you can feel.
Exercise to relieve stress and lift your mood. Exercise is a powerful antidote to stress,
anxiety, and depression. Look for small ways to add activity to your day, like taking the stairs
instead of the elevator or going on a short walk. To get the most mental health benefits, aim
for 30 minutes or more of exercise per day.
Get a dose of sunlight every day. Sunlight lifts your mood, so try to get at least 10 to 15
minutes of sun per day. This can be done while exercising, gardening, or socializing.
Limit alcohol and avoid cigarettes and other drugs. These are stimulants that may
unnaturally make you feel good in the short term, but have long-term negative consequences
for mood and emotional health.
Improve mental and emotional health by taking care of yourself
In order to maintain and strengthen your mental and emotional health, it’s important to pay attention
to your own needs and feelings. Don’t let stress and negative emotions build up. Try to maintain a
balance between your daily responsibilities and the things you enjoy. If you take care of yourself,
you’ll be better prepared to deal with challenges if and when they arise.
Taking care of yourself includes pursuing activities that naturally release endorphins and contribute to
feeling good. In addition to physical exercise, endorphins are also naturally released when we:
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Do things that positively impact others. Being useful to others and being valued for what
you do can help build self-esteem.
Practice self-discipline. Self-control naturally leads to a sense of hopefulness and can help
you overcome despair, helplessness, and other negative thoughts.
Learn or discover new things. Think of it as “intellectual candy”. Try taking an adult
education class, join a book club, visit a museum, learn a new language, or simply travel
somewhere new.
Enjoy the beauty of nature or art. Studies show that simply walking through a garden can
lower blood pressure and reduce stress. The same goes for strolling through a park or an art
gallery, hiking, admiring architecture, or sitting on a beach.
Manage your stress levels. Stress takes a heavy toll on mental and emotional health, so it’s
important to keep it under control. While not all stressors can be avoided, stress management
strategies can help you bring things back into balance.
Limit unhealthy mental habits like worrying. Try to avoid becoming absorbed by repetitive
mental habits – negative thoughts about yourself and the world that suck up time, drain your
energy, and trigger feelings of anxiety, fear, and depression.
21
More tips and strategies for taking care of yourself:
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Appeal to your senses. Stay calm and energized by appealing to the five senses: sight, sound,
touch, smell, and taste. Listen to music that lifts your mood, place flowers where you will see
and smell them, massage your hands and feet, or sip a warm drink.
Engage in meaningful, creative work. Do things that challenge your creativity and make
you feel productive, whether or not you get paid for it – things like gardening, drawing,
writing, playing an instrument, or building something in your workshop.
Get a pet. Yes, pets are a responsibility, but caring for one makes you feel needed and loved.
There is no love quite as unconditional as the love a pet can give. Animals can also get you
out of the house for exercise and expose you to new people and places.
Make leisure time a priority. Do things for no other reason than that it feels good to do
them. Go to a funny movie, take a walk on the beach, listen to music, read a good book, or
talk to a friend. Doing things just because they are fun is no indulgence. Play is an emotional
and mental health necessity.
Make time for contemplation and appreciation. Think about the things you’re grateful for.
Mediate, pray, enjoy the sunset, or simply take a moment to pay attention to what is good,
positive, and beautiful as you go about your day.
Everyone is different; not all things will be equally beneficial to all people. Some people feel better
relaxing and slowing down while others need more activity and more excitement or stimulation to feel
better. The important thing is to find activities that you enjoy and that give you a boost.
Supportive relationships: The foundation of emotional health
No matter how much time you devote to improving your mental and emotional health, you will still
need the company of others to feel and be your best. Humans are social creatures with an emotional
need for relationships and positive connections to others. We’re not meant to survive, let alone thrive,
in isolation. Our social brains crave companionship—even when experience has made us shy and
distrustful of others.
Social interaction—specifically talking to someone else about your problems—can also help to reduce
stress. The key is to find a supportive relationship with someone who is a “good listener”—someone
you can talk to regularly, preferably face-to-face, who will listen to you without a pre-existing agenda
for how you should think or feel. A good listener will listen to the feelings behind your words, and
won’t interrupt or judge or criticize you. The best way to find a good listener? Be a good listener
yourself. Develop a friendship with someone you can talk to regularly, and then listen and support
each other.
Tips and strategies for connecting to others:
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Get out from behind your TV or computer screen. Screens have their place but they will
never have the same effect as an expression of interest or a reassuring touch. Communication
is a largely nonverbal experience that requires you to be in direct contact with other people, so
don’t neglect your real-world relationships in favor of virtual interaction.
Spend time daily, face-to-face, with people you like. Make spending time with people you
enjoy a priority. Choose friends, neighbors, colleagues, and family members who are upbeat,
positive, and interested in you. Take time to inquire about people you meet during the day
that you like.
Volunteer. Doing something that helps others has a beneficial effect on how you feel about
yourself. The meaning and purpose you find in helping others will enrich and expand your
life. There is no limit to the individual and group volunteer opportunities you can explore.
22

Schools, churches, nonprofits, and charitable organization of all sorts depend on volunteers
for their survival.
Be a joiner. Join networking, social action, conservation, and special interest groups that
meet on a regular basis. These groups offer wonderful opportunities for finding people with
common interests – people you like being with who are potential friends.
Risk factors for mental and emotional problems
Your mental and emotional health has been and will continue to be shaped by your experiences. Early
childhood experiences are especially significant. Genetic and biological factors can also play a role,
but these too can be changed by experience.
Risk factors that can compromise mental and emotional health:
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Poor connection or attachment to your primary caretaker early in life. Feeling lonely,
isolated, unsafe, confused, or abused as an infant or young child.
Traumas or serious losses, especially early in life. Death of a parent or other traumatic
experiences such as war or hospitalization.
Learned helplessness. Negative experiences that lead to a belief that you’re helpless and that
you have little control over the situations in your life.
Illness, especially when it’s chronic, disabling, or isolates you from others.
Side effects of medications, especially in older people who may be taking a variety of
medications.
Substance abuse. Alcohol and drug abuse can both cause mental health problems and make
preexisting mental or emotional problems worse.
Whatever internal or external factors have shaped your mental and emotional health, it’s never too
late to make changes that will improve your psychological well-being. Risk factors can be
counteracted with protective factors, like strong relationships, a healthy lifestyle, and coping strategies
for managing stress and negative emotions.
When to seek professional help for emotional problems
If you’ve made consistent efforts to improve your mental and emotional health and you still don’t feel
good – then it’s time to seek professional help. Because we are so socially attuned, input from a
knowledgeable, caring professional can motivate us to do things for ourselves that we were not able to
do on our own.
Red flag feelings and behaviors that may require immediate attention
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Inability to sleep.
Feeling down, hopeless, or helpless most of the time.
Concentration problems that are interfering with your work or home life.
Using nicotine, food, drugs, or alcohol to cope with difficult emotions.
Negative or self-destructive thoughts or fears that you can’t control.
Thoughts of death or suicide.
If you identify with any of these red flag symptoms, consider making an appointment with a mental
health professional.
23
KUIER SAAM
Laat groeplede hulle eie naam spel deur slegs die vorm en beweging van hulle liggaam te gebruik.
WORSHIP SAAM
A.W. Tozer - ‘Without worship we go about miserable.’
Sit ‘n aanbidding CD aan vir agtergrondmusiek. Deel met mekaar in die groot groep 1 of 2 dinge wat
die afgelope week gebeur het, waar julle die Here se hand in kon sien. Draai nou 2 /2 na mekaar en
dank die Here spesifiek vir hierdie dinge, maar ook vir Sy voorsiening in ons lewens in die algemeen .
GESELS SAAM
1. As jy na jou lewe kyk soos dit nou is, is jy gelukkig? Hoekom sê jy so?
2.
 Hoe goed “cope” jy met die huidige druk in jou lewe? Ervaar jy hoë vlakke van stress?
Voel jy soms depressief. Het jy die nodige vaardighede om jou stress te hanteer?
3. Deel van social awareness is om bewus te wees van die emosies van die mense rondom jou.
Hoe goed luister jy na die mense naaste aan jou as dinge bedrywig raak? Is jy teenwoordig in
die oomblik en gee die nodige aandag aan mense of is jy net in liggaam teenwoordig.
4. Hoe lyk jou verhoudingslewe?
5. 3 John 1:2 sê: “Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good
health, as it goes well with your soul.”
Dikwels belê mense baie tyd in hul fisiese gesondheid, maar maak nie genoeg tyd om te belê
in hulle eie emosionele welwese nie. Watter gesonde gewoontes is in plek in jou lewe om
jou binnekant te voed en verkwik?
6.
 Die woorde wat jy spreek kan jou toekoms positief of negatief beïnvloed. Is jou woorde
in lyn met jou visie vir ‘n gesonde leefstyl? Hoe dikwels spreek jy negatiewe dinge uit oor jou
eie lewe? Sou jy sê dit is nodig vir jou om ‘n aanpassing te maak?
7.
☻
Ouers met kinders: Evalueer - Wanneer jy tyd saam met jou kinders spandeer, gaan jy
net deur die motions om alles gedoen te kry of is jy regtig ingestel op hulle emosionele
behoeftes en ontwikkeling.
BID SAAM
Daar kan moontlik mense in jou groep wees wat baie swaar kry en emosionele pyn ervaar. Skep ‘n
veilige geleentheid met genoeg tyd om mekaar te kan bedien soos nodig.
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Week 4: Wat beheer jou?
 Verslawende gedrag is nie net beperk tot middelafhanklikheid nie, maar affekteer almal van
ons. Verslawing, in watter vorm ookal, weerhou jou daarvan om jou volle potensiaal in
Christus te bereik.
Die meeste mense dink aan verslawing as die misbruik van middels soos alkohol of kokaïne, maar
verslawing kan die vorm aanneem van enige herhalende aksie wat jou weerhou daarvan om jou
volle potensiaal in Christus te verwesenlik. Die sogenaamde “soft addictions” (te veel tyd op
Facebook, ‘n positiewe aksie soos oefening doen – maar in oormaat, ens) kan net so ‘n negatiewe
uitwerking op jou lewe hê soos middelafhanklikheid. Ongeag die aksie of middel, die proses van
verslawing werk min of meer dieselfde vir almal.
Lees asb die volgende artikel:
HOW ADDICTION HIJACKS THE BRAIN
The word “addiction” is derived from a Latin term for “enslaved by” or “bound to.” Anyone
who has struggled to overcome an addiction — or has tried to help someone else to do so —
understands why.
Addiction exerts a long and powerful influence on the brain that manifests in three distinct
ways: craving for the object of addiction, loss of control over its use, and continuing
involvement with it despite adverse consequences.
For many years, experts believed that only alcohol and powerful drugs could cause addiction.
Neuroimaging technologies and more recent research, however, have shown that certain
pleasurable activities, such as gambling, shopping, sex and soft addictions can also co-opt the
brain.
New insights into a common problem
Nobody starts out intending to develop an addiction, but many people get caught in its snare.
n the 1930s, when researchers first began to investigate what caused addictive behavior, they
believed that people who developed addictions were somehow morally flawed or lacking in
willpower. Overcoming addiction, they thought, involved punishing miscreants or,
alternately, encouraging them to muster the will to break a habit.
The scientific consensus has changed since then. Today we recognize addiction as a chronic
disease that changes both brain structure and function. Just as cardiovascular disease damages
25
the heart and diabetes impairs the pancreas, addiction hijacks the brain. This happens as the
brain goes through a series of changes, beginning with recognition of pleasure and ending
with a drive toward compulsive behavior.
Pleasure principle
The brain registers all pleasures in the same way, whether they originate with a psychoactive
drug, a monetary reward, a sexual encounter, or a satisfying meal. In the brain, pleasure has a
distinct signature: the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the nucleus accumbens, a
cluster of nerve cells lying underneath the cerebral cortex (see illustration). Dopamine release
in the nucleus accumbens is so consistently tied with pleasure that neuroscientists refer to the
region as the brain’s pleasure centre.
All drugs of abuse, from nicotine to heroin, cause a particularly powerful surge of dopamine
in the nucleus accumbens. The likelihood that the use of a drug or participation in a
rewarding activity will lead to addiction is directly linked to the speed with which it promotes
dopamine release, the intensity of that release, and the reliability of that release.
Even taking the same drug through different methods of administration can influence how
likely it is to lead to addiction. Smoking a drug or injecting it intravenously, as opposed to
swallowing it as a pill, for example, generally produces a faster, stronger dopamine signal
and is more likely to lead to drug misuse.
Brain's Reward Centre
Addictive drugs provide a shortcut to the brain’s reward system by flooding the nucleus
accumbens with dopamine. The hippocampus lays down memories of this rapid sense of
satisfaction, and the amygdala creates a conditioned response to certain stimuli.
Learning process
Scientists once believed that the experience of pleasure alone was enough to prompt people to
continue seeking an addictive substance or activity. But more recent research suggests that
the situation is more complicated. Dopamine not only contributes to the experience of
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pleasure, but also plays a role in learning and memory — two key elements in the transition
from liking something to becoming addicted to it.
According to the current theory about addiction, dopamine interacts with another
neurotransmitter, glutamate, to take over the brain’s system of reward-related learning. This
system has an important role in sustaining life because it links activities needed for human
survival (such as eating and sex) with pleasure and reward.
The reward circuit in the brain includes areas involved with motivation and memory as well
as with pleasure. Addictive substances and behaviors stimulate the same circuit — and then
overload it.
Repeated exposure to an addictive substance or behavior causes nerve cells in the nucleus
accumbens and the prefrontal cortex (the area of the brain involved in planning and executing
tasks) to communicate in a way that couples liking something with wanting it, in turn driving
us to go after it. That is, this process motivates us to take action to seek out the source of
pleasure.
Do you have addiction?
Determining whether you have addiction isn’t completely straightforward. And admitting it
isn’t easy, largely because of the stigma and shame associated with addiction. But
acknowledging the problem is the first step toward recovery.
A “yes” answer to any of the following three questions suggests you might have a problem
with addiction and should — at the very least — consult a health care provider for further
evaluation and guidance.



Do you use more of the substance or engage in the behavior more often than in the
past?
Do you have withdrawal symptoms when you don’t have the substance or engage in
the behavior?
Have you ever lied to anyone about your use of the substance or extent of your
behavior?
Development of tolerance
Over time, the brain adapts in a way that actually makes the sought-after substance or activity
less pleasurable.
In nature, rewards usually come only with time and effort. Addictive drugs and behaviors
provide a shortcut, flooding the brain with dopamine and other neurotransmitters. Our brains
do not have an easy way to withstand the onslaught.
Addictive drugs, for example, can release two to 10 times the amount of dopamine that
natural rewards do, and they do it more quickly and more reliably. In a person who becomes
addicted, brain receptors become overwhelmed. The brain responds by producing less
dopamine or eliminating dopamine receptors — an adaptation similar to turning the volume
down on a loudspeaker when noise becomes too loud.
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As a result of these adaptations, dopamine has less impact on the brain’s reward centre.
People who develop an addiction typically find that, in time, the desired substance no longer
gives them as much pleasure. They have to take more of it to obtain the same dopamine
“high” because their brains have adapted — an effect known as tolerance.
Compulsion takes over
At this point, compulsion takes over. The pleasure associated with an addictive drug or
behavior subsides — and yet the memory of the desired effect and the need to recreate it (the
wanting) persists. It’s as though the normal machinery of motivation is no longer functioning.
The learning process mentioned earlier also comes into play. The
hippocampus and the amygdala store information about environmental
cues associated with the desired substance, so that it can be located
again. These memories help create a conditioned response — intense
craving — whenever the person encounters those environmental cues.
Cravings contribute not only to addiction but to relapse after a hardwon sobriety. A person addicted to heroin may be in danger of relapse
when he sees a hypodermic needle, for example, while another person
might start to drink again after seeing a bottle of whiskey. Conditioned
learning helps explain why people who develop an addiction risk
relapse even after years of abstinence.
How drug abuse and addiction can develop
People who experiment with drugs continue to use them because the substance either makes
them feel good, or stops them from feeling bad. In many cases, however, there is a fine line
between regular use and drug abuse and addiction. Very few addicts are able to recognize
when they have crossed that line. While frequency or the amount of drugs consumed don’t in
themselves constitute drug abuse or addiction, they can often be indicators of drug-related
problems.



Problems can sometimes sneak up on you, as your drug use gradually increases
over time. Smoking a joint with friends at the weekend, or taking ecstasy at a rave, or
cocaine at an occasional party, for example, can change to using drugs a couple of
days a week, then every day. Gradually, getting and using the drug becomes more and
more important to you.
If the drug fulfills a valuable need, you may find yourself increasingly relying on it.
For example, you may take drugs to calm you if you feel anxious or stressed, energize
you if you feel depressed, or make you more confident in social situations if you
normally feel shy. Or you may have started using prescription drugs to cope with
panic attacks or relieve chronic pain, for example. Until you find alternative, healthier
methods for overcoming these problems, your drug use will likely continue.
Similarly, if you use drugs to fill a void in your life, you’re more at risk of crossing
the line from casual use to drug abuse and addiction. To maintain healthy balance in
your life, you need to have other positive experiences, to feel good in your life aside
from any drug use.
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
As drug abuse takes hold, you may miss or frequently be late for work or school,
your job performance may progressively deteriorate, and you start to neglect social or
family obligations. Your ability to stop using is eventually compromised. What began
as a voluntary choice has turned into a physical and psychological need.
The good news is that with the right treatment and support, you can counteract the disruptive
effects of drug use and regain control of your life. The first obstacle is to recognize and admit
you have a problem, or listen to loved ones who are often better able to see the negative
effects drug use is having on your life.
5 Myths about Drug Abuse and Addiction
MYTH 1: Overcoming addiction is a simply a matter of willpower. You can stop using
drugs if you really want to. Prolonged exposure to drugs alters the brain in ways that result
in powerful cravings and a compulsion to use. These brain changes make it extremely
difficult to quit by sheer force of will.
MYTH 2: Addiction is a disease; there’s nothing you can do about it. Most experts agree
that addiction is a brain disease, but that doesn’t mean you’re a helpless victim. The brain
changes associated with addiction can be treated and reversed through therapy, medication,
exercise, and other treatments.
MYTH 3: Addicts have to hit rock bottom before they can get better. Recovery can begin
at any point in the addiction process—and the earlier, the better. The longer drug abuse
continues, the stronger the addiction becomes and the harder it is to treat. Don’t wait to
intervene until the addict has lost it all.
MYTH 4: You can’t force someone into treatment; they have to want help. Treatment
doesn’t have to be voluntary to be successful. People who are pressured into treatment by
their family, employer, or the legal system are just as likely to benefit as those who choose to
enter treatment on their own. As they sober up and their thinking clears, many formerly
resistant addicts decide they want to change.
MYTH 5: Treatment didn’t work before, so there’s no point trying again. Recovery
from drug addiction is a long process that often involves setbacks. Relapse doesn’t mean that
treatment has failed or that you’re a lost cause. Rather, it’s a signal to get back on track,
either by going back to treatment or adjusting the treatment approach.
Signs and symptoms of drug abuse and drug addiction
Although different drugs have different physical effects, the symptoms of addiction are
similar. See if you recognize yourself in the following signs and symptoms of substance
abuse and addiction. If so, consider talking to someone about your drug use.
Common signs and symptoms of drug abuse

You’re neglecting your responsibilities at school, work, or home (e.g. flunking
classes, skipping work, neglecting your children) because of your drug use.
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


You’re using drugs under dangerous conditions or taking risks while high, such
as driving while on drugs, using dirty needles, or having unprotected sex.
Your drug use is getting you into legal trouble, such as arrests for disorderly
conduct, driving under the influence, or stealing to support a drug habit.
Your drug use is causing problems in your relationships, such as fights with your
partner or family members, an unhappy boss, or the loss of old friends.
Getting help for addiction
Finding help and support for addiction
Recognizing that you have a problem is the first step on the road to recovery, one that takes
tremendous courage and strength. Facing your addiction without minimizing the problem or
making excuses can feel frightening and overwhelming, but recovery is within reach. If
you’re ready to make a change and willing to seek help, you can overcome your addiction
and build a satisfying, addiction-free life for yourself.
Support is essential to addiction recovery
Don’t try to go it alone; it’s all too easy to get discouraged and rationalize “just one more”.
Whether you choose to go to rehab, rely on self-help programs, get therapy, or take a selfdirected treatment approach, support is essential. Recovering from addiction is much easier
when you have people you can lean on for encouragement, comfort, and guidance. Support
can come from:
 family members
 close friends
 therapists or counselors
 other recovering addicts
 healthcare providers
 people from your faith community
When a loved one has an addiction problem
If you suspect that a friend or family member has a drug problem, here are a few things you
can do:
 Speak up. Talk to the person about your concerns, and offer your help and support,
without being judgmental. The earlier addiction is treated, the better. Don’t wait for
your loved one to hit bottom! Be prepared for excuses and denial by listing specific
examples of your loved one’s behavior that has you worried.
 Take care of yourself. Don’t get so caught up in someone else’s addiction problem
that you neglect your own needs. Make sure you have people you can talk to and lean
on for support. And stay safe. Don’t put yourself in dangerous situations.
 Avoid self-blame. You can support a person with a substance abuse problem and
encourage treatment, but you can’t force an addict to change. You can’t control your
loved one’s decisions. Let the person accept responsibility for his or her actions, an
essential step along the way to recovery for drug addiction.
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KUIER SAAM
Vul ‘n groot sak met verskeie kledingstukke (sokkies, serpe, hemde, ens .....sluit ‘n paar fun items
ook in). Speel musiek en stuur die sak in die kring om. Wanneer die musiek stop, moet die persoon
met die sak in sy hand, sonder om te loer, ‘n item uit die sak haal en aantrek. Herhaal totdat almal
ten minste een beurt gehad het. Kyk na die “eindproduk”...... is dit soos jy die persoon voorstel.
You never know!!???!
WORSHIP SAAM
M.H.Micks ‘When we worship together as a community of living Christians, we do not worship alone, we
worship ‘with all the company of heaven’ ’
Gebruik hierdie week saam nagmaal. Gee eers geleentheid vir mense om op hul eie skuldbeleidenis
voor die Here te doen. Gee dan groeplede kans om nagmaal aan mekaar te bedien. (Maak bv.
gebruik van brood wat gebreek word en 1 nagmaalbeker waaruit gedrink word.) Bedien mekaar
volgens behoeftes. Speel rustige agtergrondmusiek en sluit die worshiptyd af met ‘n paar gebede.
GESELS SAAM
1.
Op die DVD het julle gehoor van “soft addictions”. Watter “soft addictions” is daar in jou
lewe. Het jy dit voorheen as ‘n verslawende gedrag gesien?
2. Kan jy die dieperliggende behoefte in jou binnekant identifiseer wat jy probeer bevredig met
die soft addiction (bv behoefte na aanvaarding, “comfort”, ens)
3. Waarvan weerhou of beroof dit jou in jou lewe?
4.
 Versalwende gedrag beroof jou dikwels van tyd.
Deel aan elke groepslid ‘n papier uit.
Verdeel in 4 blokke wat die volgende kwadrante reflekteer:
a) Belangrik & dringend b) Belangrik, maar nie dringend
c) Dringend, maar nie belangrik d) Nie belangrik of dringend nie
Laat elke persoon sy algemene daaglikse aktiwiteite volgens hierdie kwadrante plot.
Bespreek die uitkoms....is dit in lyn met wat jy graag sou wou sien?
5.
Wanneer gaan ‘n gewoonte oor in verslawende gedrag? As Christus ons dan vry maak,
hoekom vind mense dit so moeilik om los te kom van verslawende gedrag? Wat werk?
6. Het jy in die verlede te doen gehad met middelafhanklikheid (nikotien/drank/drugs/ens)?
Indien wel, hoe het jy dit oorkom? Is jy dalk nou vasgevang in so ‘n situasie?
7.
☻
Ouers met kinders: Skep jy genoeg balans in jou kind se lewe om nie van kleins af te
verval in ongesonde gewoontevormende gedrag nie?
31
BID SAAM
Verslawing het nie ‘n vinnige oplossing nie. Partykeer is dit patrone wat oor jare in mense se lewens
uitgekerf is wat omgekeer en met nuwe gesonde patrone vervang moet word. Die belangrikste is om
mense wat vasgevang is in verslawende gedrag te ondersteun en te bly aanmoedig om nie moed op
te gee nie. ‘n Uiters belangrike eerste stap is om te erken dat jy vasgevang is en nie jouself uit die
situasie kan red nie. Laat groeplede in kleiner groepies saambid en die Here innooi in elke persoon se
omstandighede in. Laat die Gees jou lei oor verdere bediening soos nodig.
BENODIG JY HULP?
Indien jy of iemand in jou familie/vriendekring vasgevang is in verslawing of middelafhanklikheid,
kontak Karin Muller ([email protected] , 021-950 4463) of Louise Spies van Living
Network ([email protected] , 021-9504455) vir hulp.
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Week 5: Ritmes
 Die
lewe bestaan uit ritmes en seisoene, dag en nag, winter en somer, ens. ‘n Gesonde
leefstyl hou rekening met hierdie ritmes en maak voorsiening vir genoeg rus sodat jy
energiek en effektief kan wees.
Lees die arttikel oor die waarde van rus. Daar is ook
handige wenke as dit kom by probleme met slaap:
The Value of Rest
Alan Perkins
By and large, we don’t value rest and relaxation. On the contrary, we’ve made a virtue of unceasing
labor; we brag about how busy we are, as if the hectic pace of our lives is proof that we’re important
and significant. We feel guilty when we’re not working, and we’re suspicious of anyone else who
removes their nose from the grindstone for too long.
Frankly, I want to shake up some of your assumptions and prepare you for a reassessment. Because,
believe it or not, God is very interested in the topic of rest. To Him, rest is not just wasted time, time
when we could be doing something useful and productive. No. Rest, properly understood, has value
and worth and purpose. In fact, it’s essential to our physical and spiritual well-being. My purpose is
to help you examine the balance of work and rest in your life, and not only the quantity, but the
quality of your rest, to see if it’s what you need; what you were designed for. And more importantly,
whether the balance of work and rest that you are experiencing in your life is pleasing to God.
God himself rests.
Anything that God does is by definition a good thing. No one would accuse God of being lazy or
unproductive. Yet the Bible tells us clearly that both God the Father and God the Son took time for
rest. In Genesis, the story of creation tells us that,
"By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the
seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and
made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had
done." – Genesis 2:2-3
Why does the Bible tell us this? Because the balance of work and rest that we see in God’s creative
activity is intended to be a model for us. Whether or not you believe that we should literally set
33
aside the seventh day of every week as a formal day of rest, it certainly shows that we should follow
a regular pattern of ceasing from our labors. It tells us that a lifestyle of uninterrupted labor, day
after day, is not good for us, nor pleasing to the Lord. In other words, if God chose to rest, then we
should as well. We should follow His example.
In the same way, we see that Jesus also rested. He often withdrew from people in order to spend
time alone with God. As Luke tells us,
". . . [T]he news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to
hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely
places and prayed." – Luke 5:15-16
Similarly, Mark writes that:
"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and
went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to
look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: ’Everyone is looking for
you!’" – Mark 1:35-36
One of the striking things about these passages is the fact that Jesus withdrew from the crowds just
when he was most in demand. There were thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of people waiting
for Jesus to heal them, to teach them, to bless them. They were primed. They were ready. The
opportunity was great. The need was great. And yet, Jesus was nowhere to be found. Why? Wasn’t
that irresponsible, to take a day off when there were so many people needing his help? Wasn’t that
a bit self-indulgent? No. Not in the least. Jesus understood that the need was endless. But in order to
accomplish the purpose for which God had sent Him, he had to remain spiritually strong. And that
required regular times of prayer and meditation, regular times of rest and recuperation.
We see the same pattern in Jesus’ relationship with the disciples. Again in Mark, we read this:
"The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and
taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not
even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ’Come with me by yourselves to a
quiet place and get some rest.’ So they went away by themselves in a boat to a
solitary place." – Mark 6:30-32
Jesus did not demand, nor desire, that his followers labor to
the point of exhaustion and burn-out. He knew that they
needed periods of rest in order to remain strong, just as we
do.
Why is rest so important? For several reasons. One of the most important functions of rest is to
allow us to listen to God. Often, we get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of daily life that we
become deaf to the still, small voice of God. We become so busy doing things for Christ that we
forget to simply be with Christ. We get tunnel vision, becoming so fixated on completing our list of
assigned tasks that we have no time for anything else but work. But somehow, the list of tasks never
gets any shorter. For every one we finish, two more rise up to take their place. We’re on a treadmill,
34
running toward a finish line that never gets any closer. And in the meantime, lacking that quiet,
unhurried fellowship with the Lord, our perspectives can become warped; our attitudes poisoned.
We begin to run on autopilot. Instead of being guided by the Holy Spirit, we find ourselves being
controlled by emotion; by habit and circumstance. And as Martha found out, that’s no way for a
Christian to live:
"As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman
named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at
the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the
preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ’Lord, don’t you
care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’
’Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ’you are worried and upset about many
things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will
not be taken away from her.’’ – Luke 10:38-40
Time away from our labors helps us to regain our perspective and realign our priorities. It helps us to
remember what’s most important. It reminds us that the things of God are eternal, while the things
of this life are temporary. Certainly that’s now painfully obvious to the former employees of Arthur
Andersen, many of whom invested years of late nights and long weekends to build their careers,
only to find them shattered in a matter of weeks. Yes, there are "many things" we can be doing,
many things that are worthwhile and even important. But there is really only one thing that is
essential, and that is spending time with Christ.
Rest is important to remind us of who we are, to reaffirm our
humanity as men and women made in the image of God.
We are not merely the sum of what we accomplish. We are not merely a means of production, cogs
in a machine. A man is not a horse, to be valued according to how well he pulls a wagon or a plow;
he is not a tool, to be valued only for the tasks he can perform. Yes, our work has value, but it’s not
our work that gives us value. Our value is inherent within us; it comes from the fact that God made
us and gave his Son for us. A workaholic is someone who is addicted to work, not because he enjoys
it, but because it’s the only thing that gives him any sense of worth. But that’s a pathology, a
sickness. It’s not true. We have great worth, regardless of how much or how little we accomplish.
We have value because God is our Father, and because in Christ we are his children.
The 17th century author John Milton, who wrote Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained, became blind
at the age of 44. And he wrote the following poem as a reflection on that fact.
When I consider how my light is spent
E’re half my days, in this dark world and wide,
And that one talent which is death to hide,
Lodged with me useless, though my soul more bent
To serve therewith my maker, and present
My true account, least he returning chide.
"Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?"
I fondly ask.
35
But Patience, to prevent that murmur, soon replies,
God doth not need either man’s work or his own gifts.
Who best bear his mild yoak, they serve him best.
His state Is kingly. Thousands at his bidding speed
And post o’er land and ocean without rest:
They also serve who only stand and wait.
Milton’s "rest," caused by his blindness, was not of his own choosing. But as he correctly
understood, his blindness did not reduce his value to God one iota. Did it diminish his ability to serve
God as a writer and a poet? Probably. But it didn’t matter. God doesn’t need our work. He doesn’t
need our gifts; in fact, all that we can offer to him is what we have already received from him in the
first place.
My point is this: not only do we have worth when we are working; but we have equal worth when
we are simply enjoying God’s good gifts – reading the Scriptures, listening to music, fishing, walking
in the woods, playing with our children, having coffee with our spouse, admiring a painting, or eating
a hot croissant with jam and butter. And we need regular times of rest to help us remember that.
Rest keeps us humble.
It helps us maintain perspective on our place in the grand scheme of things. A period of withdrawal
from our usual responsibilities – without cell phone, or conference calls, or beeper, or even email –
can demonstrate powerfully that we are not as indispensable as we had imagined. As Charles
DeGaulle once said, "the graveyards are full of indispensable men." Somehow, even in our absence,
the important tasks still get done and the company manages to stay in business; somehow, the earth
continues to revolve on its axis and the sun continues to rise and set. And this is a good thing. This is
healthy. Because when we become too grandiose in thinking of ourselves as essential, then we
become either arrogant and prideful, or stressed out and depressed. Either way, we’re taking a load
upon ourselves that only God is equipped to bear. As Peter tells us,
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up
in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." – 1 Peter 5:6-7
Taking a break helps us to put the weight of ultimate responsibility back where it belongs, on God’s
shoulders, rather than ours. And if things do fall apart when we’re away, then we need to
restructure our work so that others are not so dependent upon us to get their work done.
A time of resting from our labors reminds us that it is God who
provides what we need, and not we ourselves.
Yes, we usually have to work to obtain food, and clothing, and shelter. But ultimately, everything we
have comes from God as a gift. Even the ability to earn a living comes from Him. As Paul writes, in 1
36
Corinthians 4:7, "What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you
boast as if you had not received it?" Remember what Christ taught us:
"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet
your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? . . .
And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do
not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed
like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here
today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you
of little faith?" – Matthew 6:26-30
Again, the focus here is on the fact that it is God who
provides for our needs. Stopping our work for a time
reminds us of that fact. It is also an act of faith. My
father-in-law is a farmer, and as a matter of personal
conviction he never works on Sunday. That can require
a lot of commitment when you need to get the beans
planted, and it’s been raining for two weeks solid, and
the first day the fields are dry enough to get the tractors
in the field is a Sunday. But his confidence has always
been in the Lord to provide for his needs. And so he is
content to cease from his labor one day a week,
regardless of the circumstances.
This last reason for rest, reminding us that we are wholly dependent upon God, is important,
because it ties in directly with the fact that salvation is a gift from God, that salvation is by faith
alone, and not by works. When we trust in Christ, we are resting from our efforts to make ourselves
acceptable to God by our own effort. We are ceasing from our vain attempts at self-righteousness.
We are coming to God with empty hands, confessing that our only hope is to receive Christ’s
righteousness as ours, because our own righteousness will never be sufficient. As the Psalmist
writes:
"My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my
rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken." – Psalm 62:1-2
And in Isaiah, we read that:
This is what the Sovereign Lord , the Holy One of Israel, says: "In repentance and
rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength" – Isaiah 30:15
And the author of Hebrews brings us full circle, linking salvation back to creation:
"There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters
God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his."
– Hebrews 4:9-10
37
This is why the consequences for breaking the Sabbath in ancient Israel were so severe. The
Sabbath-rest of the Old Covenant was intended to be a picture, a foreshadowing, of the spiritual rest
we now have in Christ. And so work was absolutely prohibited on the seventh day of every week,
upon pain of death. Why the seemingly extreme punishment for someone who just wanted to be a
little more productive? Because it was essential to stress the fact that salvation is entirely by grace,
that there is nothing whatsoever of our works involved. It cannot be earned, it can only be received
as a gift by those who place their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. And when we observe a day of rest,
we are acknowledging that basic fact, that everything we have – our salvation, our forgiveness of
sins, and eternal life – all of those things come to us from God as a gift. Listen to the words of Christ:
"Then they asked him, ’What must we do to do the works God requires?’ Jesus
answered, ’The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.’"
– John 6:28-29
That’s all. Just believe. That’s the only so-called "work" we have to do, or indeed can do, to be saved.
Let me ask you – do you value times of rest? Do you plan for them, and schedule them, and protect
them? Do you plan for regular times alone with the Lord? Parents, do you ensure that your children
have times of rest, times when there are no demands on them from school work or sports? Do you
plan time away with your family, time when you can be together without distractions from work and
school? Have you given up all attempts to earn God’s love and acceptance, and have you come to
trust in Christ alone for salvation? And most importantly, are you resting in Christ?
How to Sleep Better
Tips for Getting a Good Night’s Sleep
How you feel during your waking hours hinges on how
well you sleep at night. Similarly, the cure for sleep
difficulties can often be found in your daily routine.
Your sleep schedule, bedtime habits, and day–to–day
lifestyle choices can make an enormous difference to the
quality of your nightly rest. The following sleep tips will
help you optimize your nightly rest so you can be
productive, mentally sharp, emotionally balanced, and
full of energy all day long.
The secret to getting good sleep every night
Good sleep strategies are essential to deep, restorative sleep you can count on, night after
night. By learning to avoid common enemies of sleep and trying out a variety of healthy
sleep-promoting techniques, you can discover your personal prescription to a good night’s
rest. The key is to experiment. What works for some might not work as well for others. It’s
important to find the sleep strategies that work best for you.
38
The first step to improving the quality of your rest is finding out how much sleep you need.
How much sleep is enough? While sleep requirements vary slightly from person to person,
most healthy adults need at least 8 hours of sleep each night to function at their best.
How to sleep better tip 1: Keep a regular sleep schedule
Getting back in sync with your body’s natural sleep–wake cycle—your circadian rhythm—is
one of the most important strategies for achieving good sleep. If you keep a regular sleep
schedule, going to bed and getting up at the same time each day, you will feel much more
refreshed and energized than if you sleep the same number of hours at different times. This
holds true even if you alter your sleep schedule by only an hour or two. Consistency is
important.





Set a regular bedtime. Go to bed at the same time every night. Choose a time when
you normally feel tired, so that you don’t toss and turn. Try not to break this routine
on weekends when it may be tempting to stay up late. If you want to change your
bedtime, help your body adjust by making the change in small daily increments, such
as 15 minutes earlier or later each day.
Wake up at the same time every day. If you’re getting enough sleep, you should
wake up naturally without an alarm. If you need an alarm clock to wake up on time,
you may need to set an earlier bedtime. As with your bedtime, try to maintain your
regular wake–time even on weekends.
Nap to make up for lost sleep. If you need to make up for a few lost hours, opt for a
daytime nap rather than sleeping late. This strategy allows you to pay off your sleep
debt without disturbing your natural sleep–wake rhythm, which often backfires in
insomnia and throws you off for days.
Be smart about napping. While taking a nap can be a great way to recharge,
especially for older adults, it can make insomnia worse. If insomnia is a problem for
you, consider eliminating napping. If you must nap, do it in the early afternoon, and
limit it to thirty minutes.
Fight after–dinner drowsiness. If you find yourself getting sleepy way before your
bedtime, get off the couch and do something mildly stimulating to avoid falling
asleep, such as washing the dishes, calling a friend, or getting clothes ready for the
next day. If you give in to the drowsiness, you may wake up later in the night and
have trouble getting back to sleep.
Discovering your optimal sleep schedule
Find a period of time (a week or two should do) when you are free to experiment with
different sleep and wake times. Go to bed at the same time every night and allow yourself to
sleep until you wake up naturally. No alarm clocks! If you’re sleep deprived, it may take a
few weeks to fully recover. But as you go to bed and get up at the same time, you’ll
eventually land on the natural sleep schedule that works best for you.
39
How to sleep better tip 2: Naturally regulate your sleep-wake
cycle
Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone that helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle.
Melatonin production is controlled by light exposure. Your brain should secrete more in the
evening, when it’s dark, to make you sleepy, and less during the day when it’s light and you
want to stay awake and alert. However, many aspects of modern life can disrupt your body’s
natural production of melatonin and with it your sleep-wake cycle.
Spending long days in an office away from natural light, for example, can impact your
daytime wakefulness and make your brain sleepy. Then bright lights at night—especially
from hours spent in front of the TV or computer screen—can suppress your body’s
production of melatonin and make it harder to sleep. However, there are ways for you to
naturally regulate your sleep-wake cycle, boost your body’s production of melatonin, and
keep your brain on a healthy schedule.
Increase light exposure during the day




Remove your sunglasses in the morning and let light onto your face.
Spend more time outside during daylight. Try to take your work breaks outside in
sunlight, exercise outside, or walk your dog during the day instead of at night.
Let as much light into your home/workspace as possible. Keep curtains and blinds
open during the day, move your desk closer to the window.
If necessary, use a light therapy box. A light therapy box can simulate sunshine and
can be especially useful during short winter days when there’s limited daylight.
Boost melatonin production at night





Turn off your television and computer. Many people use the television to fall
asleep or relax at the end of the day. Not only does the light suppress melatonin
production, but television can actually stimulate the mind, rather than relaxing it. Try
listening to music or audio books instead, or practicing relaxation exercises. If your
favorite TV show is on late at night, record it for viewing earlier in the day.
Don’t read from a backlit device at night (such as an iPad). If you use a portable
electronic device to read, use an eReader that is not backlit, i.e. one that requires an
additional light source such as a bedside lamp.
Change your light bulbs. Avoid bright lights before bed, use low-wattage bulbs
instead.
When it’s time to sleep, make sure the room is dark. The darker it is, the better
you’ll sleep. Cover electrical displays, use heavy curtains or shades to block light
from windows, or try an eye mask to cover your eyes.
Use a flashlight to go to the bathroom at night. As long as it’s safe to do so, keep
the light to a minimum so it will be easier to go back to sleep.
40
How to sleep better tip 3: Create a relaxing bedtime routine
If you make a consistent effort to relax and unwind before bed,
you will sleep easier and more deeply. A peaceful bedtime routine
sends a powerful signal to your brain that it’s time to wind down
and let go of the day’s stresses.
Make your bedroom more sleep friendly



Keep noise down. If you can’t avoid or eliminate noise from barking dogs, loud
neighbors, city traffic, or other people in your household, try masking it with a fan,
recordings of soothing sounds, or white noise. You can buy a special sound machine
or generate your own white noise by setting your radio between stations. Earplugs
may also help.
Keep your room cool. The temperature of your bedroom also affects sleep. Most
people sleep best in a slightly cool room (around 65° F or 18° C) with adequate
ventilation. A bedroom that is too hot or too cold can interfere with quality sleep.
Make sure your bed is comfortable. You should have enough room to stretch and
turn comfortably. If you often wake up with a sore back or an aching neck, you may
need to invest in a new mattress or a try a different pillow. Experiment with different
levels of mattress firmness, foam or egg crate toppers, and pillows that provide more
support.
Reserve your bed for sleeping and sex
If you associate your bed with events like work or errands, it will be harder to wind down at
night. Use your bed only for sleep and sex. That way, when you go to bed, your body gets a
powerful cue: it’s time to nod off.
Relaxing bedtime rituals to try







Read a book or magazine by a soft light
Take a warm bath
Listen to soft music
Do some easy stretches
Wind down with a favorite hobby
Listen to books on tape
Make simple preparations for the next day
Relaxing bedtime rituals to try







Read a book or magazine by a soft light
Take a warm bath
Listen to soft music
Do some easy stretches
Wind down with a favorite hobby
Listen to books on tape
Make simple preparations for the next day
41
How to sleep better tip 4: Eat right and get regular exercise
Your daytime eating and exercise habits play a role in how well you sleep. It’s particularly
important to watch what you put in your body in the hours leading up to your bedtime.





Stay away from big meals at night. Try to make dinnertime earlier in the evening,
and avoid heavy, rich foods within two hours of bed. Fatty foods take a lot of work
for your stomach to digest and may keep you up. Also be cautious when it comes to
spicy or acidic foods in the evening, as they can cause stomach trouble and heartburn.
Avoid alcohol before bed. Many people think that a nightcap before bed will help
them sleep. While it may make you fall asleep faster, alcohol reduces your sleep
quality, waking you up later in the night. To avoid this effect, so stay away from
alcohol in the hours before bed.
Cut down on caffeine. You might be surprised to know that caffeine can cause sleep
problems up to ten to twelve hours after drinking it! Consider eliminating caffeine
after lunch or cutting back your overall intake.
Avoid drinking too many liquids in the evening. Drinking lots of water, juice, tea,
or other fluids may result in frequent bathroom trips throughout the night. Caffeinated
drinks, which act as diuretics, only make things worse.
Quit smoking. Smoking causes sleep troubles in numerous ways. Nicotine is a
stimulant, which disrupts sleep. Additionally, smokers actually experience nicotine
withdrawal as the night progresses, making it hard to sleep.
How to sleep better tip 5: Get anxiety and stress in check
Do you find yourself unable to sleep or waking up night after
night? Residual stress, worry, and anger from your day can
make it very difficult to sleep well. When you wake up or
can’t get to sleep, take note of what seems to be the recurring
theme. That will help you figure out what you need to do to
get your stress and anger under control during the day.
If you can’t stop yourself from worrying, especially about
things outside your control, you need to learn how to manage
your thoughts. For example, you can learn to evaluate your
worries to see if they’re truly realistic and learn to replace
irrational fears with more productive thoughts. Even counting
sheep is more productive than worrying at bedtime.
If the stress of managing work, family, or school is keeping
you awake, you need help with stress management. By
learning how to manage your time effectively, handle stress in a productive way, and
maintain a calm, positive outlook, you’ll be able to sleep better at night.
Relaxation techniques for better sleep
Relaxation is beneficial for everyone, but especially for those struggling with sleep.
Practicing relaxation techniques before bed is a great way to wind down, calm the mind, and
prepare for sleep. Some simple relaxation techniques include:
42



Deep breathing. Close your eyes—and try taking deep, slow breaths—making each
breath even deeper than the last.
Progressive muscle relaxation. Starting at your toes, tense all the muscles as tightly
as you can, then completely relax. Work your way up from your feet to the top of
your head.
Visualizing a peaceful, restful place. Close your eyes and imagine a place or activity
that is calming and peaceful for you. Concentrate on how relaxed this place or activity
makes you feel.
How to sleep better tip 6: Ways to get back to sleep
It’s normal to wake briefly during the night. In fact, a good sleeper won’t even remember it.
But if you’re waking up during the night and having trouble falling back asleep, the following
tips may help.




Stay out of your head. The key to getting back to sleep is continuing to cue your
body for sleep, so remain in bed in a relaxed position. Hard as it may be, try not to
stress over the fact that you’re awake or your inability to fall asleep again, because
that very stress and anxiety encourages your body to stay awake. A good way to stay
out of your head is to focus on the feelings and sensations in your body.
Make relaxation your goal, not sleep. If you are finding it hard to fall back asleep,
try a relaxation technique such as visualization, deep breathing, or meditation, which
can be done without even getting out of bed. Remind yourself that although they’re
not a replacement for sleep, rest and relaxation still help rejuvenate your body.
Do a quiet, non-stimulating activity. If you’ve been awake for more than 15
minutes, try getting out of bed and doing a quiet, non-stimulating activity, such as
reading a book. Keep the lights dim so as not to cue your body clock that it’s time to
wake up. Also avoid screens of any kind—computers, TV, cell phones, iPads—as the
type of light they emit is stimulating to the brain. A light snack or herbal tea might
help relax you, but be careful not to eat so much that your body begins to expect a
meal at that time of the day.
Postpone worrying and brainstorming. If you wake during the night feeling
anxious about something, make a brief note of it on paper and postpone worrying
about it until the next day when you are fresh and it will be easier to resolve.
Similarly, if a brainstorm or great idea is keeping you awake, make a note of it on
paper and fall back to sleep knowing you’ll be much more productive and creative
after a good night’s rest.
How to sleep better tip 7: Cope with shift work sleep disorder
A disrupted sleep schedule caused by working nights or irregular shifts can lead to sleepiness
in the work place, affect your mood, energy, and concentration, and increase your risk of
accidents, injuries, and work-related mistakes. Shift workers tend to suffer from two
problems: sleeping at home during the day and staying awake at work during the night. To
avoid or limit these problems:

Limit the number of night or irregular shifts you work in a row to prevent sleep
deprivation from mounting up. If that’s not possible, avoid rotating shifts frequently
so you can maintain the same sleep schedule.
43






Avoid a long commute as reduces sleep time. Also, the more time you spend
traveling home in daylight, the more awake you’ll become and the harder you’ll find
it to get to sleep.
Drink caffeinated drinks early in your shift, but avoid them close to bedtime.
Take frequent breaks and use them to move around as much as possible – take a
walk, stretch, even exercise if possible.
Adjust your sleep-wake schedule and your body’s natural production of melatonin.
Expose yourself to bright light when you wake up at night, use bright lamps or
daylight-simulation bulbs in your workplace, and then wear dark glasses on your
journey home to block out sunlight and encourage sleepiness.
Eliminate noise and light from your bedroom during the day. Use blackout
curtains or an eye mask, turn off the phone, and use ear plugs or a soothing sound
machine to block out daytime noise.
Make sleep a priority at the weekends or on your days off so you can pay off your
sleep debt.
How to sleep better tip 8: Know when to see a sleep doctor
If you’ve tried the tips above, but are still struggling with sleep problems, you may have a
sleep disorder that requires professional treatment. Consider scheduling a visit with a sleep
doctor if, despite your best efforts at self–help, you are still troubled by any of the following
symptoms:









Persistent daytime sleepiness or fatigue
Loud snoring accompanied by pauses in breathing
Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
Unrefreshing sleep
Frequent morning headaches
Crawling sensations in your legs or arms at night
Inability to move while falling asleep or waking up
Physically acting out dreams during sleep
Falling asleep at inappropriate times
44
KUIER en WORSHIP SAAM
Paul E. Billheimer - ‘Surely that which occupies the total time and energies of heaven must
be a fitting pattern for earth’
Met die Passion worshipaand wat onlangs in Kaapstad plaasgevind het, het Louie Giglio die ganse
natuur ingetrek in ‘n wonderbare worship experience. Op die DVD is ‘n 4-minute en 14-minuut
weergawe van hoe ‘amazing’ dit is wanneer sterrestelsels en dolfyne saam met die mensdom God se
naam groot maak. Kies een om te wys in die selgroep. Jy kan dit ook van Youtube aflaai.
GESELS SAAM
1.
 In die skeppingsverhaal het God die mens op die sesde dag geskep en die sewende dag
gerus. Die mens se eerste dag was dus ‘n rusdag en nie ‘n werksdag nie. Ons moet rus sodat
ons genoeg energie kan hê om te werk, nie omdat ons reeds moeg gewerk is nie. Rus kom
dus voor werk. Bespreek die implikasies van hierdie perskeptief.
2. ‘n Primêre manier van rus is om elke nag genoeg slaap in te kry. Het jy gesonde
slaappatrone? Wat werk vir jou?
3.

Dwarsdeur die Bybel sien ons die beginsel van ‘n “een uit elke sewe” rusdag
(Sabbatdag). Hoe moet ons hierdie belangrike ritme toepas in ‘n moderne konteks en wat
doen jy op so ‘n rusdag?
4. ‘n Baie interessante projek is die “Pace of Life”-studie. Navorsers het oor ‘n paar jaar in groot
stede reg oor die wêreld gemeet hoe vinnig mense stap. Dis opmerklik dat die gemiddelde
spoed waarteen mense stap besig is om al hoe vinniger te raak. Dit vra ‘n doelbewuste keuse
om die “spoed” van jou lewe af te bring. Wat maak jou lewe vol en gejaagd? Is dit alles
nodige goed en wat kan jy anders inrig om vir jouself meer tyd te gun.
5. “During this time, as the disciples were increasing in numbers by leaps and bounds, hard
feelings developed…So the Twelve called a meeting of the disciples. They said, ‘It wouldn’t be
right for us to abandon our responsibilities for preaching and teaching the Word of
God…choose seven men from among you…and we’ll assign them this task. Meanwhile, we’ll
stick to our assigned tasks of prayer and speaking God’s Word’” (Acts 6, The Message).
Delegeer jy wanneer dit nodig is of probeer jy alles self inprop? Bespreek moontlik redes,
strukture/hulp benodig & regstellende aksies.
6. Baie van die moderne vorme van ontspanning/vermaak help jou eintlik glad nie om te rus of
ontspan nie. Wanneer jy bv op vakansie gaan, kry jy genoeg rus in of prop jy dit vol energietappende aktiwiteite? Met wie omring jy jouself? Sommige mense kan al jou energie uit jou
dreineer.
45
7. Hoe begin jy jou dag. Is daar gesonde rituele in jou dag/week wat maak dat jy ontspan en
fokus op wat belangrik is?
8.
☻
Ouers met kinders: Wanneer kinders nie genoeg rus gekry het nie, tree hulle dikwels
“stout” op, wat dan konflik met hul ouers ontlok. Soms word hierdie situasie geskep, nie
deur die kind se toedoen nie, maar deur keuses van die ouers. Evalueer hoe dikwels hierdie
toneel hom in jou gesin afspeel. Hoe kan jy dit beter maak?
BID SAAM
Sluit die reeks af deur ‘n lys op te stel van gebedsversoeke en voorstelle wat gaan help dat groeplede
mekaar kan ondersteun om by ‘n gebalanseerde, gesonde leefstyl uit te kom.
Beskikbaar op ons webwerf
Hierdie handleiding is ook beskikbaar op Vredelust Gemeente se webwerf.
http://www.churchadventure.co.za/Kleingroepe/Selgroepe/Toerustingvirselleiers.aspx
Daar sal ook elke week van hierdie reeks ‘n kort video op hierdie webblad verskyn met “Pointers vir
selleiers” oor die fassilitering van die week se onderwerp.
46

Gesondheid in die rondheid

Transcription

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