When Things Feel Out of Control

When life feels chaotic, my heart races, and I want everything fixed immediately! This is my initial response to stress and feeling like life is out of control. My emotions explode without a filter, leading to short replies and impatience. What I really need, rather than sprinting to action, is to take a moment.

This is how I felt during the third week of summer break as I diligently checked my work email (a requirement, even though we were not in the office). A simple question had me spiraling: Did I miss something? How long is this going to take? I don't want to deal with this.

Breathe

I've mentioned deep breathing in previous posts, and it really does work. Take a deep breath all the way into your belly, hold it, then slowly release. Repeat and notice the difference in your heartbeat and how you feel.

Pray

James 1:5

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

Hold to What is True

Philippians 4:8-9

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

After I take a moment to breathe, I can look at the problem and see what is really going on. Is this something I need to deal with right now? Can it be easily fixed? Do I need to involve other people? As for my email, it took less than five minutes to find the answer to the question, which allowed me to return to summer vacation mode.

Do the Next Thing

Elisabeth Elliot, a famous missionary, used to quote this poem by Minnie Paull, a musician, writer, and minister's wife who struggled with doubt. Here is a portion of it:

"Do it immediately; do it with prayer;

Do it reliantly, casting all care;

Do it with reverence, tracing Christ’s hand

Who placed it before you with earnest command,

Stayed on His omnipotence, safe ‘neath His wing,

Leave all resultings. DO THE NEXT THING."

Thinking of the whole picture is just too much. Whether it's making dinner and the next thing is to start boiling water, or a work email and the next thing is to press reply, just start.

Ask for Help

I’m not really a tech person, but I can stumble through a couple of hours to find an inefficient way of fixing my problem. Or, I can have a quick conversation with our “tech guy” and learn a shortcut that I can use now and in the future. Learning to ask for help from the right people at the right time can lift stress.

When life feels out of control, it's easy to become overwhelmed and react with emotion. By taking a moment to breathe, pray, and focus on what is true, we can restore calm and clarity. Breaking down tasks into manageable steps and asking for help when needed can reduce stress and make challenges more approachable. The next time life begins to feel out of control, remember to take one small step of faith at a time.