5 Things to do when you are losing your mind (Part 2)

On Tuesday, I began a blog that I hope you will save on your phone or tuck into a file… one you can actually find again, of course! When circumstances feel like they are overwhelming us, it is common to just shut down and let negativity take over. On my last blog we identified two things that can help us when we are at our breaking point.  Here are three more:3. GET AWAYYour first thought might be, “If only I could get away. But that is just not realistic for me.”  Before you dismiss a very healthy option, let me encourage you. I recently had a mom call me who was overwhelmed with her circumstances and just needed a break from being a mom. I would have never known her need, if she had not voiced it. So many times we feel stuck and we need help, but we are too prideful to let our need be known.I expressed the need to some ladies and within a few hours I had a half dozen people who wanted to help. They offered because they could identify with this mom’s struggle. Maybe it is an afternoon free from your normal routine, a Saturday borrowing a friend's house where you can just be alone, or a weekend to just clear your head. God knows what you need, but sometimes He requires us to humble ourselves and ask for help.4. MAKE YOURSELF DO SOMETHING FUNWhen pressure is closing in, most of us cut out anything fun. We shift to survival mode and before we know it we have lost those very windows of our existence that cause us to laugh and smile. If you feel like you are being selfish by doing something frivolous, just remember that your attitude impacts the people you love. They need you to be healthy. Call a friend and break the stress with something that will put a smile on your face.5. CALL SOMEONE A STEP AHEAD OF YOU ON THE JOURNEYIt is so easy for us to feel like we are in unchartered territory and that no one could possibly understand, but the reality is that there is nothing new under the sun.  There have been millions of people who have dealt with the terrible two’s, teen drivers, getting fired from a job, or an elderly parent. Often the very thing we need when life is stressful is the very thing that we can’t possibly have: hindsight. There is something very comforting talking to someone who has already navigated the journey you are currently on.  Take advantage of the people God has put around you that are just a little further along the road than you.Any of these five actions can give us the help we need to regain some peace when life is difficult. In reality, if we begin to make these five ideas a regular part of our routine, we can reduce the times when we feel like we can’t take it anymore.I’d love to hear… what are some ways that you have found helpful when coping with the stresses of life?