“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. -John 10:10 ESV

I remember feeling overwhelmed after we brought our 5-year-old daughter home from Bulgaria. The extent and effect of the trauma she endured throughout her 4+ years in the orphanage blindsided us. And as we received one life-impacting diagnosis after the other, our world turned upside down.   

My husband traveled and worked long hours, so the bulk of parenting was left up to me. Our boys who were 6 and 9 at the time, loved their new sister in the most precious of ways, and I didn’t want anything to alter that.  So, I did all I could to keep their lives as normal and steady as possible. But steady wasn’t easy with a little sister who needed a tremendous amount of mental and physical medical intervention.

It was definitely a season of overwhelm — of survival.

But I learned something critical during that season. I learned that we cannot allow survival to be our norm. It is too much for both our minds and our bodies. God didn’t create us for that. He created us for abundant living. Life to the full.

Jesus didn’t suffer, die on the cross, then conquer death only for our salvation. He sacrificed Himself for our abundant and victorious living on this side of the cross, as well.

But how do we get past surviving to begin thriving? How do we stop the circumstances of a broken world from stealing our joy? How do we step out of the rat race and the vicious cycle of living in a world fueled by comparison?

God tells us He came that we may have abundant life, therefore we can be assured He won’t leave us to figure it out alone. He’s given us a guide — our Bible. All we have to do is tune in. Below are 15 tips that will help the overwhelmed mom find peace. God references each either directly or indirectly within the pages of our Bibles.  

15 Tips to Help the Overwhelmed Mom Begin to Thrive

1.     Scripture: Dig into the Word of God. Commit it to your mind and heart.
2.     Prayer: Talking to God leads to deeper relationship with God which leads to a refreshed soul.
3.     Gratitude: When gratitude is our first and most often response to life, we unleash a powerful weapon against the enemy of our souls.
4.     Praise and Worship: God lifts our spirits as we worship Him.
5.     Love: When we love ourselves as God loves us – with grace – comparison no longer matters.
6.     Music: Christian music feeds us with positive and encouraging content.
7.     Exercise: This serves as a stress management tool, leading to healthier emotions and longevity.
8.     Food: Maintaining a healthy diet rich in all needed nutrients will help us feel better and do better.
9.     Sleep: Sleep is essential to long term health.
10.   Hobby: Doing things we enjoy provides a positive outlet.
11.   Counseling: There are just some things we need help walking through. A qualified neutral listener often makes all the difference.  
12.   Trusted community: Whether it’s church, a small group, or just one or two trusted people, we need the support of those who want the best for us and will not mislead us.
13.   Surrender: Letting go relieves the heavy burdens we bear.
14.   Laughter: God created us for laughter that refreshes our soul and blesses Him.
15.   Social media boundaries: If social media triggers negative feelings, we need to put it down or consider a social media fast. Those who truly love us will understand and be there when or if we come back.

Whether it’s from adversity or from the impact of saying “yes” too often, many of us find ourselves overwhelmed.  

Friend, I challenge you to take a step back and search your life for ways to start reversing the cycle. Are there strategies you could implement to begin to move the needle from overwhelmed to peace-filled?

I pray Jesus gives you the eyes to see where you can make changes and the strength to follow through. It won’t be an overnight transformation. But little by little you’ll begin to feel better. You’ll find renewed hope and joy. And then one day you’ll look up and realize you are doing more than surviving. You are beautifully thriving.

If you long to move forward but need some extra encouragement along the way, I have some resources that will help. On my blog, I offer many free printable Scripture cards and hope-filled prayers. But one of my favorite offerings is the 5-Day Hope Toolkit. It will give you the Word of God, teach you to pray Scripture, and much more.    

Finally, I write more about our adoption story and what it means to pick up the pieces of broken dreams and put them back together God’s way in my book, Surrendered Hearts: An Adoption Story of Love, Loss, and Learning to Trust.

Join me at LoriSchumaker.com or on your favorite social media channel. Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter

Lori Schumaker

As a wife, adoptive and biological mom, teacher, writer, speaker, and coach, Lori’s heart is to encourage others to meet the challenges of life with the hope of Christ. Wherever you find yourself today, you can find the encouragement you need through her work at www.LoriSchumaker.com. In her award-winning book, Surrendered Hearts, she weaves lessons on letting go, trusting, and living surrendered to God through the telling of her family’s adoption story. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, and Amazon

Read Lori’s articles HERE.

Learn more: LoriSchumaker.com