How to live inspired when you feel overwhelmed and stressed

Do you ever feel like you are drowning in chaos? 

The demands of everyday life can hit us hard. Maybe you feel stretched thin. As if there is more work than time. Add social pressures to do it all while looking like a Pinterest board. And you have a recipe for stress and overwhelm. 

I remember sitting straight up in bed, panicking, wondering if I had paid the electric bill. 

I've tossed and turned and let all of my next day's to-do's run through my mind. 

I've struggled with parenting, marriage, pain, body image, finances, and career. You name it, and I've probably struggled with it at some point. 

I've had significant anxiety kneeling on my bathroom floor in the middle of the night, convinced I may die from the pressures of it all. 

I've cried. 

Prayed. 

And asked God, through the worst of it, to help me overcome the crippling anxiety. I didn't want to panic and feel like something terrible was about to happen. I never wanted fear to control me. 

Fear makes me feel weak and magnifies my insecurities. I don't make the best decisions when I am afraid because it comes from fear instead of faith. But something extraordinary happens when I can take all my questions, fears, insecurities, heartaches, and stress and talk it over with God. 

I do this in a journal. 

Suddenly, it's not just my wisdom and knowledge making tough decisions or guiding me through life's hardships. 

When I talk things over with the Lord, I invite Him into every part of my life. I like to do this in a journal to get it all out. My mind doesn't wander as much when I'm writing. And even if I pray while walking or doing something else, I still like to journal our conversations. 

Because I don't want to forget, and I can't work out problems in my head. But on paper, I can see things so much better. I can also write reminders to myself. 

I feel inspired when I invite God into every part of my life. When I allow Him to give me my daily orders, I feel peaceful, joyful, and loving. I don't forget important things because I ask God to help me. And I pay attention to the little nudges that make me question essential things. 

Journaling is something I wish I had started years ago. It helps me keep focused on what's truly important in my life. When I focus on my heart's desires, it inspires me to live my best life.