Guiding Scripture: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” (Psalm 46:1-3)
🔴 How to Reset When You’re Overwhelmed
Right now, I’m in the middle of an unexpected move. My house is in what I can only describe as a state of barely controlled chaos, and my brain feels like an internet browser with about thirty-seven tabs open at the same time.
Which items should we take, and which ones should we give away? How much will it cost to hire movers? How are the kids coping? How am I managing? Are we all going to get to our new destination with our sanity intact?
The word that best illustrates how I feel at the moment is…overwhelmed.
It is a word that every woman can relate to at some point in her life, especially this year. So many of us are juggling a myriad of challenges: working from home, virtual learning, staying healthy, and a neverending list of household tasks with fewer options and less support.
It can feel like you’re treading water. You pull yourself up just long enough to get a breath, only to go right back to paddling furiously again. It can feel like the cycle never ends.
And that’s when you need a reset.
Whether it be with our careers, our relationships, or even our health, however, you can also choose to reset your life when you’re feeling overwhelmed.
Here are some helpful ways to reset:
- Take care of your most pressing physical needs first. In other words, if you’re exhausted, rearrange your schedule to get sleep as soon as possible. If you’re hungry, drop whatever can wait and eat. If you’re sick, force yourself to rest. I know this is much easier said than done, but the hard truth is that the longer you go without self-care, the more you’ll suffer in the long run.
- Find a few minutes to spend time alone with God. Isaiah 26:3 tells us, “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in you.” When you make time with God a priority, he responds by giving you His peace. Not only that, but He also gives you direction about what to do next. Ironically, the times when you’re overwhelmed and think you don’t have time for God are when you need Him most.
- Ask for help. That might be the most challenging step to execute. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says, “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.” If you don’t have a support system, building one is a priority. Your local church is a great place to start. And if you do have support, humble yourself and ask for it. Don’t have a nervous breakdown because of pride.
These are a few of the coping mechanisms I use whenever I’m feeling stressed. They may not take my challenges away, but they give me the strength I need to fight another day. I hope they’ll do the same for you.
~Lisa C. Gant
LISA C. GANT: CEO & Founder of Purpose Without Apology, the Podcast. Tune in for weekly podcasts and connect with Lisa on Instagram. Visit www.lisacgant.com for more information.
This devotional was written by Lisa C. Gant a loving contributor to Our Given Purpose®. Edited by Torrie Slaughter in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
© Torrie Slaughter, LLC; Torrie Slaughter Photography, and Our Given Purpose®
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