5 Things to do when you are losing your mind (Part 1)
It doesn’t seem to matter what stage of life you are in as a woman, we all have the fortune of living in this fallen world where things have a tendency to not go our way. Maybe you are battling with the care and deteriorating condition of an aging parent. For some, you are in such an intense work environment that you can’t see a time where the pressure will ever lighten. Maybe today's the day that you look across the kitchen and see more mayhem, mess, and snotty noses than you ever bargained for when you started this journey as a mom. As much as the intensity and volume can overwhelm some, the silence can be equally painful for the empty nester or the recent widow. The one common thread is that we can all have a day where we feel like we are just one step away from losing our mind.The problem with those days is that when life is coming at you from all sides, it is hard to think straight. So, may I remind you of 5 things to do when you think you are going to implode or explode:1. SLEEPNo sarcasm on this one. I am serious. Sometimes the best thing you can do is close your mouth and close your eyes. Five or six times a year, I will just get to my breaking point. It is usually not just one thing, but the combination of several things that lead me to the edge. I will simply tell my family that I am going to bed. Truly, it is the best thing for everyone involved. We are most tempted to lash out and criticize others when we get to our breaking point. Avoid having to clean up a mess the following day and simply tell those closest to you that you have self-prescribed bed rest. If you have small kids and your husband has ever seen this side of you before, I bet he would gladly bath the kids and tuck them in to avoid the meltdown!2. REMOVE YOURSELF FROM THE ROLEMost of us wear multiple hats. We are daughter, friend, employee, wife… you get the point. Sometimes when a particular role in our life is stressful, we need to step out of that role for a few hours. If it has been an intense day at the office, we need to go home and remember that we are more than an employee. Our life is not one-dimensional and where one area is pressing in, we can step away. Regaining perspective that God sees us as a person, not a role, can give us the breath of fresh air we need. If you have been home all day with the kids, week after week, you need to prioritize making a way to step out of the role of mom for a few hours and allow yourself to enjoy the other roles you have been given.Our Heavenly Father cares for us deeply. He desires for us to live in His precious grace, not as a time bomb waiting to go off.Join me on Thursday, as we look at 3 more things to do when you are at your limits.