How Not To Panic When The Pressure Is On

I couldn’t sleep. I had way too much going on in my mind and it was keeping me up. I was worried about the week ahead because I didn’t know how I could get everything done that needed to be done.

On my schedule were endless meetings, a Confirmation Program to create, volunteers to get ready for the year ahead. I didn’t know how I was going to get it all done. I was in full panic mode and I just wanted to sleep!

Even if you do not battle anxiety there will be times when the amount of work on your plate will overwhelm you. That feeling is normal, but it’s not a great place to stay. To move through the pressure and avoid panic:

Go into full surrender mode

Surrendering feels like failure, but it’s actually success. When you surrender you are giving the steering wheel back to God. It’s an opportunity to recommit our trust in Him to guide us through any obstacle.

How you surrender can be as simple as writing it on a note or in your journal. As a Catholic I love going to Adoration. You might find quiet time prayer or even laying prostrate on the ground. Doesn’t matter how you surrender, but give everything over to Him.

Now, that doesn’t mean everything is going to go according to plan. In fact it means letting go of your plan and embracing the one He gives you. It might be hard at first, but the peace that comes with believing that He has you will calm your nerves.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help

On top of asking God for help start reaching out to people who love you and you trust. Ideally that’s your strategic leadership team for your youth ministry, but not everyone has that team. Part of the reason you are panicking is because that team doesn’t exist. Instead go to:

• Close friends who understand your situation
• Your spouse
• Fellow youth workers
• Your coworkers
• Parents of teens you already know

Don’t be afraid to share with them how you are feeling and the current situation. Ask them for advice and see if they are willing and able to point you in the right direction.

You may even find them stepping up to do that task with you. They’ll have resources and ideas that can refocus your attention. They can be God’s solution to that situation.

Break down the task into bite size chunks

There are times when we set ourselves up for failure by overloading our plates or setting the bar too high. It feels like we have to climb a gigantic mountain in a matter of seconds. If you are feeling overwhelmed by what you need to do, break it into bite size chunks.

A task that has worked for me is the STICKY NOTE METHOD. It’s taking three to-do’s putting it in front of me and tackling those before anything else. Jon Acuff’s latest book Finish is all about cutting your goals in half. In fact, there are several ways of shrinking the enormous feats that lay in front of you into manageable projects.

When the pressure is high the best thing to do is keep moving. Do not let it paralyze you. Keep moving by moving towards God. Keep moving by reaching out to others and take it one step at a time.

If you are feeling stuck, like you need a jump start then join me for my FREE webinar on August 14th and August 15th. Not only will we talk about handling pressure but how to take your ministry in the direction it needs to go. To sign up click the button below.

What best practices or resources would you recommend when it comes to handling pressure?

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