On the heels of weeks of activity: good family stuff, out-of-town trips, hosting visitors, and an unexpected, serious surgery for my father-in-law, I was hit with a nasty upper respiratory infection. I found myself struggling to even make it from the bed to the bathroom.
When I finally started regaining my voice and returned to the land of the living, I found myself paralyzed. Not physically, but emotionally. Do you ever feel that way? I call it “hitting the wall,” and here’s what I find helpful when that happens.
- Revisit truth
Scripture is always the place to go. I also have a dog-eared Spurgeon devotional that I’ve marked up through the years. When I’m at a low point, it is so helpful to revisit a verse or devotional page where God has met me many times. I also use my journals to remind myself of His faithfulness. Recounting truth about God is vital for me when I’m slammed.
- Call on a truth-speaking friend for prayer
I don’t understand all that goes on in the spiritual realm when we cry out to God together, but big things happen. When I get honest with a trustworthy friend about my need, and she cries out with me for help, God responds in a powerful way.
- Tackle what’s on my plate in small doses
The hardest thing is actually starting when I’m overwhelmed with my workload. For the biggies that I’ve been putting off, I set a small goal and then set a timer. That gets me started, and once I accomplish a task, I have more motivation to keep going.
- Get some rest
When I’m in a depleted state, sometimes the best thing I can do for my body and spirit is to get some sleep. To go to bed earlier than normal. If I have opportunity, I grab a short afternoon nap. Sometimes that means giving up some computer or phone time in order to take care of my health by getting a good amount of sleep.
- Exercise for endorphins
The last thing I feel like doing when I’ve hit the wall is exercise—I don’t even feel I can cross the room! But, just like the workload that needs to be tackled, if I set a small goal (walk to the mailbox) it gets my little endorphin buddies to work and soon my outlook is much better.
If you’re not in the wall-hitting phase today, consider saving this blog for one of those paralyzing days. Truth and encouragement are great motivators when you’re struggling to get back in the race! Do you have any tips you’d like to share?
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