Well, I’m back from paralysis. I know you were all worried. Upon reflection and some conversations with my counselor, I have come to recognize what may be obvious to you, and may not: there are almost always signs on why you get stuck in the rut of paralysis.
What do I mean?
What I mean is that as I step back and examine what is going on in my life, I can almost always pinpoint why I am having a hard day, or I seem to be stuck in the fog. Here are some of the way of doing some self-examination:
- What has changed in your life? This can be big or little, scheduling issues, watching the kids more (or less), meetings, etc.
- How are you sleeping? If your sleeping pattern has changed, that can certainly have an effect.
- Related to number one, are there either short or long-term stressors that can be weighing on your mind?
By identifying what is it that is causing your spiral, this will lesson the spiral, give you focus on what to pray for, and will help you to figure out if any of those causes can be removd, redirected, or postponed.
For myself, I know that I can be worrying about things that are weeks or even months ahead, both known and unknown. They can weigh you down and play right into Satan’s hand of robbing you of the hope in Christ which we share by Holy Baptism.
Keep at it, friends. Don’t be afraid. Our Lord suffers with you, and He will not abandon you in your time of need.
-DMR
I have experienced what you’re saying about certain changes or certain stressors being the thing that sends a person spiralling downward. But if you can identify that and STILL not be able to do ANYthing about it, then what?