There’s an old saying that time is God’s way of keeping everything from happening at once. Lately, though, that system doesn’t seem to be working for me. It seems like everything really has been happening at once. That’s why I didn’t write a blog entry Thursday, like I usually do. I simply didn’t have time for it.
I don’t mean that to come off as a complaint. Everyone has times when their job gets really busy—this just happens to be one of mine. Also, I really do love what I do. It’s just that, sometimes, you can get too much of a good thing.
I’m sure you’ve had times when this happens to you, too. Sometimes, we have so much to do that we feel overwhelmed. What can we do about it? Here are some suggestions:
First of all, don’t try to be superman (or superwoman). We only get twenty-four hours in each day, and we can’t spend all of them working. We need to make sure we get enough rest, we need to eat properly, we need to get some exercise, and we need to have a little time to relax. We may not be able to do all of those things every day, but we can’t neglect them for too long. Our bodies will tell us when we need to back off. If we don’t listen, our bodies will force us to listen, usually in ways we don’t like very much. We’re a lot better off if we listen the first time.
Second, we need to remember that this is not the first time we’ve been busy. We’ve had other busy times, too, and somehow everything that needed to be done got done. Sometimes things don’t take as long as we think they will. Sometimes, we realize that some of the “important” things we have to do really don’t need to be done, or at least don’t need to be done right now.
Third, prioritize things and work steadily. Trying to run in six directions at once never helps. Rushing through things and doing them in a half-baked way never helps, either. Take a breath, figure out what’s most important, and work at it until it’s done. Then, take another breath, figure out what’s next in importance, and work at that until it’s done. If we keep plugging away, we’ll keep making progress.
Fourth, we should not be afraid to ask for help when we need it. There may be some things that no one can do for us, but it’s usually not that many. If we’re legitimately overwhelmed, and people can see that, they’ll usually be willing to help out. God put other people in our lives so they can be there for us when we need them. God also put us in other people’s lives so we can be there for them when they need us.
Finally, ask God for help. God knows when life is getting to be too much for us. We should not be afraid to ask God to help us. Sometimes God will help by taking a few things off our plate. Sometimes, God will help by relaxing us and helping us work more efficiently. There are a lot of ways God will help us, if we only take the time to ask.
I wish I could tell you I always do all those things. Actually, I could tell you that; it’s just that I’d be lying. When I do remember to do them, though, I always feel better. And, somehow, everything that really needs to be done always gets done.
So, the next time you’re going through a really busy time and you’re feeling overwhelmed, just remember that you’ll get through it. God will be with you, and things will work out. Everything that really needs to be done will get done.
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