From the desk of Grace Lange,
As I am writing this blog, I am simply stressed out.
For what reason?
Well… I am not really sure.
Here is how my day went:
I woke up at 5:15 this morning, hit snooze, got up at 5:30 then rushed to get ready and I was out the door by 5:50am…
I hopped into my car and slammed it in drive and sped all the way to Willmar, MN where I was attending an event.
While I was driving, I attempted to listen to a podcast, but I got nothing out of it, because my mind wouldn’t stop thinking.
When I arrived at the event, Willmar Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast, I finally let myself relax. I sat down and enjoyed the 2 hour event, then got back into my car and rushed to a coffee shop, grabbed a coffee and started working.
Then I started to get hungry, so I got in my car and rushed home to grab something to eat.
When I got home, I was completely starving at this point, so I ate the first thing I could find, then I rushed to my desk to start working again.
Now here I sit writing this blog telling you about how stressed out I am…
Only for me to realize that I am not stressed. I am rushed.
The entire day I never let myself enjoy anything, because I was always in a hurry to get to the next thing, and days like this are stressful.
Do you ever have days like this?
Now I hate to admit it, but I have days like this more often than not, because we are accustomed to working faster, harder, and more than ever before…
So here I sit… stressed, overwhelmed, and tired of rushing.
How can we change this? How can we slow down and allow ourselves to enjoy each moment we are in?
Well… I have a few ideas that I know would help me, so I hope they’ll help you!
- Plan Ahead: If I were to have got up to my first alarm, packed a lunch the night before, and added buffer time in my calendar before the day started, everything would have gone smoother. Plan ahead so you can enjoy your day!
- Don’t Pack Your Day So Full: There are 24 hours in a day, and studies show we should rest at least 10 hours of the day. That leaves you with 14 hours to work with, and some of us try to fill every minute of our time. This leaves us exhausted and overwhelmed. Set boundaries with yourself so you can understand when you will work or do things and when you won’t!
- Sit in Silence & Breathe: When we are constantly rushing, we forget to stop, breathe, and be present. When you do have a busy day, take 2 minutes between meetings or events to sit and focus on your breath and thank God for the day!
What does God say about this?
Life often feels like a series of deadlines. The more we get done, the more we fall behind.
Rather than rushing from one task to the next and ending the day with disappointment, frustration, and anxiety, let us “lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:1–2).
God isn’t in a rush, so why are you?
If you are seeking a day to simply rest and refresh, join us on August 8th for the Refresh & Reconnect Retreat.
Through personal reflection, group discussion, and learning from great speakers, you will come to understand that less is more.
Less distractions and less noise will lead you to a life of more joy and peace… Isn’t that what we are all seeking?