From Overwhelmed to Anchored

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From Overwhelmed to Anchored

From Overwhelmed to Anchored

A 5 MINUTE RESET FOR A LOUD WORLD

The world feels particularly loud lately with wars in countries you’ve only heard of and some political parties having differences, water restrictions, naming only a few. With this information overload and your mind feeling like an excel spreadsheet you don’t need a long journaling session. You just need a moment to drop anchor.

As introverts, we don’t just hear the noise of the world; we absorb it. The news, the notifications, the demands of family and work it all layers over our souls until we can’t hear our own thoughts, let alone the whisper of the Holy Spirit. You don’t need an hour of silence to fix this. You don’t need a retreat. You can find an anchor in five minutes.

The “Brain Dump and Release” Method

When I feel that rising tide of anxiety, I open my journal to a fresh page and draw a line down the middle.

On the Left: The Noise

I set a timer for two minutes. I list everything that is loud right now. The grocery list, the worry about a friend, the email I forgot to send, the vague feeling of not being “enough.” I get it all out of my head and onto the paper. I acknowledge it.

On the Right: The Anchor

On the right side, I choose one truth to counter the noise. Just one. It might be a snippet of scripture, or a simple phrase like, “I am held,” or “Peace is a person, not a circumstance.”

I look at the list on the left and then I look at the truth on the right. I visualize handing the list over to God and holding onto the anchor. Close the journal. You haven’t solved every problem, but you have sorted them. You have remembered who is carrying the load.

your journaling prompts

  • The Sensory Grounding: If your mind is racing, stop and write down: 5 things you see, 4 things you feel, 3 things you hear, 2 things you smell and 1 truth about God.
  • The “Not Mine to Carry” List: Write down the burdens weighing on you. Draw a circle around the ones that are actually outside of your control. Visualize handing those specifically to Jesus.
  • The One-Word Prayer: Take a deep breath. Write one word that you need today (for example, Peace, Patience, Strength). Decorate that word or write it 10 times slowly, turning it into a meditation.

With grace, Debbera