Learning how to stop feeling overwhelmed is a serious problem for many. As we grow emotionally and therefore spiritually throughout our lives, this battlefield will be a familiar setting for most of us. This setting, this landscape we are now in shows we have an opportunity to grow spiritually because we can learn something about the parts of ourselves that we have not previously been aware. Like a bird learning that we have wings as it gains a need to leave its parent’s nest, we now must learn we have parts of ourselves that need strengthening so we can use them. Having faith and a higher sense of our importance are usually two of the lessons.
Before we get into specific steps as a remedy, let us talk first about the things that are overwhelming us in general, so we understand them better. Becoming trapped in a sea of problems all over the map of our lives is how we currently see things. Everything needs fixed and all these things are urgent and important. This is especially true for women, who many times their lives are enmeshed in the worlds made for them by their husbands whom themselves have added immensely to the situation, all screwed up.
Is there a spiritual side to this? Yes, we come into this world not just a person floating in a sea of chaos and randomness with the need to control all our lives on our own. We have a purpose; and our lives have a purpose. Moreover, our lives, our place and timing of our birth, and relationships, our limitations and problems we will have all have a purpose as well. We are not just a helpless audience to our setting, and we exist to glorify it, the setting and the problems faced therein are to glorify and complete us.
In other words, the settings we experience are not to serve them by imprisoning us, the settings are for us to learn something, usually about ourselves. Life is a series of classrooms, and all have a teacher, which is God, and all have lessons we are to learn to grow us stronger. Like the bird needing to strengthen its wings so it can leave the nest, we too must learn of our wings, so that our nest is no longer a prison.
For some things there is no tactical answer for, such as terminal cancer, or the need of a loving mother to provide care for a special needs grown child when they themselves are failing in health themselves and at risk of losing everything. I have seen this personally myself. When faced with this as a source for being overwhelmed, then God’s lesson for you is to grow your faith. Above the chaos, and all the apparent randomness, and the limitations you face, is a greater order, a greater purpose that overrides it all.
When you are feeling overwhelmed all the time, and feeling overwhelmed by life, perhaps a higher perspective is needed. Being immersed in your circumstances can prevent you from seeing things from above, much like a spy satellite or a recon aerial drone may see your situation. Everything in your life has a purpose. Your life’s purpose is to teach you stuff. Is there anything in your situation that is to teach you a spiritual lesson? We are not talking about teaching you that you are wrong or undeserving. We are talking about teaching you that you deserve better and deserving of better treatment than what you have been doing for yourself.
Was there anything in your present situation that is based on you selecting poisoning people, employment, and settings because this chaos feels familiar to you and that you did not deserve better? Look closely at this area first, your possible contribution to the setting. In almost every situation improvement can happen if the one going through it will reach out to others for support and resources. For the overwhelmed person the task is to reach out to others with a solid footing in life already. For those of low self esteem who already feel they are a mistake and deserving of failure, this can be extremely difficult. It is not because their world does not contain emotionally solid people able and willing to help, but because the overwhelmed person will not feel worthy to ask for the help they need.
Now we are getting to the spiritual growth and purpose part of your life. All life is a classroom for something, and all life is about your spiritual growth to teach you and make you better at something. Do not just look at life from a ‘what is causing me to be overwhelmed’ standpoint. Look at it also from a ‘what am I to learn from this overwhelming situation’ view as well. I guarantee you there is a lesson in it somewhere. Once you look at your life’s maze from above, then you can start taking steps to walk yourself out of it.
Just for the record, this is an emotional and spiritual encouragement ministry. We are selling nothing here and are not at the present time even set up to take donations, and probably never will. Your healed life is our reward enough, and we are very pleased with that. If you want to, please share your strength with others in your future so our nurturing can live on.