5 Ways to Avoid Feeling Overwhelmed:
1. Don’t be enslaved to pleasing people.
Don’t give people authority to judge you that they don’t have. Don’t live your life as if what everyone thinks about you trumps what God thinks about you. Colossians 1:22 tells us that in Jesus, we are holy, without blemish, and free from accusation. Romans 8:15-17 tells us we are adopted as God’s sons and daughters and are co-heirs with Christ. Free yourself from the slavery of people pleasing by knowing who you already are, so you don’t have to look to others to tell you.
2. Build margins. (Learn to say “No”)
The desire to please people drives us to say “Yes” to everything. If we say no, we’ll let someone down. There are only 24 hours in a day. Remember that every time you say “No” to something, you are saying “Yes” to something else. Every time you say “Yes” to something, you are saying “No” to something else. You’ve got to prioritize, say yes to your top priorities first, then let the chips fall where they may. You won’t be able to do everything; and that’s okay. (Free hint: say yes to God and your family first)
3. Observe Sabbath and Don’t Try to Be God
The Sabbath is one day of the week where you don’t do any work. It doesn’t have to be Sunday. Use this day to intentionally remember that God doesn’t need you, you need Him. The world spins just fine without you. You aren’t God, someone already has that job and is doing a fine job of it. Remember Him. Remember his love for you. Remember that He has already done everything needed on the cross to make you holy. You can rest in that. Remember how huge the universe is and that you are only a very very very small part of it; and that is okay. Don’t use this as a video/computer veg-out day. Use it to read, reflect, journal, pray, meditate and enjoy God. If you don’t take regular time to remember, you will forget.
4. Live below your means
One of the biggest stressers in life is money. We work frantically because we have to pay bills. We have to pay bills because we buy stuff. We buy stuff because we think it will make us happy and/we are insecure. Solution: buy less stuff, buy less expensive stuff, have less stuff. You will then have less bills, which means you won’t have to work as much, which means you’ll have more time to relax. Just because everyone owns something, doesn’t mean you need to. Stop caring so much about what other people think of you. Stop worshiping comfort. Be grateful. Downsize. Save. Give.
5. Utilize your community (which you have to be in first)
Hang out with people. Go to church and find good, caring, love friends. Ask for help from your friends. Realize that people always have been, and always will be, more important than stuff.
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He is:
Author of Beyond the Battle: A man's guide to his identity in Christ in an oversexualized world
Host of the The Flip Side Podcast
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