Boundaries and balance: how to deal with lockdown stress and overwhelm
David Shosanya and Jacqueline Peart share practical tips, based on their personal experience.
The seismic events of the past few months - COVID, lockdown and the murder of George Floyd - have turned our world upside down. What can we do when we've been knocked sideways by stress, anxiety and overwhelm?
In our first episode of The Living Room with Denis Wade on Friday 29 May our special guests David Shosanya and Jacqueline Peart shared some useful practical tips for maintaining boundaries and balance in the midst of storms. We share them below:
A boundary and balance issue
David Shosanya reminded us that God created things and put boundaries around them in the Garden of Eden. In the same way we need to set boundaries for ourselves.
When too much is dictating your priorities and responses are coming from outside of you, you feel an inward sense of disorientation and a degree of powerlessness because you're being overwhelmed and start losing your balance. It's at this point that you need to ask yourself the question, 'What boundaries am I letting go?'.
David's top tips for dealing with overwhelm
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Take extreme action to get your balance back - learn to say no.
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Practise self-care! Meet with people who you don't feel you have to give out to.
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You want to leave feeling that you've been deposited into rather than drained.
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Withdraw and go into a state of silence, or solitude. Don't worry about upsetting people.
Jacqueline's top tips for dealing with overwhelm
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Hold your boundaries - e.g. No calls after 9pm.
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Self-reflection - what is stopping you from keeping your boundaries? In the words of T.D. Jakes, you need to put your own mask on before you can help others.
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Wise counsel! Surround yourself with people you trust and who can tell you when to slow down.
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Laughter! be around people who can make you laugh and can laugh with you.
To hear more from David and Jacqueline about dealing with stress and Coping with COVID watch the full webinar here.