From Intense Frustration to Radical Focus: Quick Tips for Sustaining Peace of Mind

As the saying goes, and as life will demonstrate at one point or another:  the mind is truly a battlefield.

I recently had one of “those” weeks – the kind where I could barely think straight and my discernment was severely compromised.  To say that I wanted to give up is an understatement because I almost succeeded in doing so.  Admittedly, the negative thoughts and reminders of past failures and disappointments continually interrupted my daily flow like a flash flood, and I was overwhelmed with anxiety and feelings of hopelessness.  It seems I cried more tears in one week than I had in an entire year.  If you are like me, it is easy to linger in spaces like these for a while – even knowing full well that it doesn’t have to be this way.  Even after investing time in encouraging others.  Even after prayer, study, and meditation.  Even after living a Spirit-filled life.  Even after celebrated victories and blessings.  Yes indeed – it is possible to experience temporary breakdowns with seemingly no clarity in sight.

I offer the following strategies to help you and I overcome the illusion of despair when faced with mental and emotional challenges:

1.  Feel, Acknowledge, Create.

It is a healthy practice to feel emotions as they come up and acknowledge what you are experiencing, but it is completely unhealthy to wallow in denial, shame, or self-criticism.  Unfortunately, I have a tendency to repeatedly beat myself up for my unwise decisions and missteps – resulting in an act of self-punishment that is almost just as damaging as the mistakes in and of themselves.  Some patterns must be dismantled in order to have true breakthrough, and for me this is definitely one of them!  Instead, I am much better off and empowered by creating a space and a clearing for joy, contentment, and spiritual direction to be restored in my life.  This clearing gives God leeway and permission to address the question, “Where do I go from here?”

2.  Unplug

Whenever possible, shut off as much outside “noise” and as many distractions as possible in order to hear from God and be reminded of His love and presence.  Do this as often as needed – whether it takes disconnecting from social media, emails, phone calls, or television.   I would go as far as saying that unplugging is not an option; it serves as critical intervention – especially when the enemy comes in the manner in which I have described in my personal story above.

3. Think on “these things”. 

The time spent focusing on failure is time taken away from dwelling on the goodness and mercies of God.  A scripture in the Bible found in Philippians 4:8 reminds us to direct our attention toward things that are “true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and worthy of praise.”  This is a powerful way to combat the onslaught of any emotional or mental attack.

4.  Keep every thought under God’s lock and key.

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5)

Whenever we continually speak or think about something that does not align with the will and mind of God, it immediately puts us in a danger zone.  The passage above suggests that our every thought must be held in God’s custody and gentle care in order for our minds to be regulated.  Applying this principle on a regular basis keeps us from being subjugated to an overflow of chaos, lies, and confusion that will send us into an emotional collapse.

Allow me to encourage you as I encourage myself:  temporary defeats lead to permanent victories.  The lessons we learn from our setbacks, whether great or small, will determine how successful we are with our forward progress. And it is so!