Pressured?

When it seems there is much more to be done than there is time to do it, or the situation we find ourselves in makes it very difficult for us to reach our goals, it’s easy to get under pressure. We think we’re not getting enough done or are not getting ahead quickly enough, so we push ourselves harder. But the fact of the matter is that when we do that, we usually wind up being less effective and get even less done.

Stress hinders us in a number of ways: it puts extra strain on our nervous system, which diminishes our mental capacities. It causes us to try to go too fast, so we’re not as careful as we should be and are therefore more likely to make mistakes. It squelches inspiration. It makes us irritable and harder for others to work with. It can really take the joy out of life. Allowing ourselves to get under pressure is counterproductive in every way.

Learning to recognize when we’re starting to get under pressure and then taking positive steps to counter that feeling is probably one of the most important habits we could build.

First of all, what is pressure? If we really boil it down , pressure is fear or worry- worry that we’re not going to make our goal or deadline;  worry that we’ll not have the necessary finances; worry that we’re going to let others down; fear of the future; fear of social pressures; etc.

Pressure is really counter productive. Why is that true? Because the feeling of pressure uses up so much of our energy through worry and tension. When we feel under pressure, the first thing to get crowded out of our schedule is often the very thing we need most-our daily time of quiet reflection. If we neglect to take a little quiet time in prayer to reflect on the day, it will affect us negatively.

It’s good to remind ourselves that we can’t change the past, but we can ruin a perfectly good present by worrying about the future and allowing ourselves to get under undue pressure. If we learn to take quiet moments of reflection throughout the day and spend a little time communicating with our creator as this will lighten our load and we will find that problems will be solved, situations will improve and things will run smoother, faster, and more efficiently. It will change our life.