What are we doing today? What’s for dinner? Can I have a snack? Do I have to? Can I have more screen time? Can I have a snack? And the best question of them all…Are we going back to school?

I don’t know!!

I don’t have the answer to most of the inquiries above most of the time. Isn’t this why they call this pandemic season the Corona-coaster?

Corona-coaster: Noun. The ups and downs of the pandemic. One day your loving your bubble, doing your work outs, baking banana bread and going for long walks. And the next day you are crying, drinking gin for breakfast, and missing people you don’t even like.

I don’t know. There are a lot of questions–so much out of our control–that so often lead to a lot of overwhelm. But there is still a lot of things we CAN control—things we GET TO CHOOSE, that strengthen our faith, our family and our whole health. Here’s how to stop feeling overwhelmed, even when everything is driving you crazy:

1. Create a morning routine.

a. Start with coffee (always coffee) and a journal. It helps me to brain dump pen to paper so my head is clear of what might have got me up in the middle of the night.

b. Grab hold of truth. I read the Bible. Try grabbing the YOU version app for a devotional plan or a good Christian book.

c. Journal again. Write down what you hear from God and go from your hard to HIS hope. This is a time of prayer for me. And I write them out.

d. Worship. I move my body into adoration through praising God. Cue music. This has helped me center myself on the here and the now. Worship brings my awareness back to the present moment, leaves me with proper perspective in Christ and encourages me that I am known and loved in spite of my current circumstance.

2. Drop judgements.

There are a lot of opinions and perspectives rolling through our social media feeds. Have you noticed? I’ve taken a few 2-3 day breaks from trolling it all. I encourage an occasional fast–a full stop from the news feed every once in a while. It’s good for the soul. I also give you permission to “mute” or “unfollow” certain folks when the noise is just more toxic than your heart can handle. At the same time, I suggest you not judge too negatively for how they act or what they say. And then don’t be hard on yourself for not always getting it right or handling it well either. Nobody’s perfect. We are only human after all, and we are each doing the best we can in these extreme circumstances.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” 2 Corinthians 2:9

3. Rejoice!

Some days we just have to decide to give praise and grab hold of joy. What’s plan B? I heard it said that joy is the determined choice to praise God in ALL things. And if you lose your sense of joy from time to time, just make the determined choice to take joy again. RE-joice!

Rejoice Always. 1 Thessalonians 5:16

4. Cultivate Community.

Our wounds often happen in the context of community. And so does our healing. When you engage in community, your healing and hope can happen exponentially faster than when you are disconnected. This is one of the reasons I created the Significant Conference. You will feel less overwhelmed and more encouraged when you realize you are not alone. I invite you to join me and many other women who are gathering on August 15 for a one-day live virtual conference. Make the decision to cultivate community. At Significant, you will connect with God and with other women, and trade your overwhelm for God’s peace. You’ll trade your pain for His purposes. There’s an online spot just waiting for you. REGISTER NOW