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Question:

“I always seem to lose my cool when someone triggers me! Often I raise my voice or take a defensive posture. Occasionally I’ll cry (usually afterward in the bathroom). I’m so tired of feeling overwhelmed! I can’t focus, I can’t get anything done. Can meditating help?

Answer

Feeling overwhelmed can be a symptom of stress, trauma, or even relationship issues.

In many situations, people ‘trigger’ us because they are demonstrating the same energy, patterns, speech, or actions of someone who has hurt us in the past. Consequently, many of us react subconsciously to this and don’t recognize the root cause of the trigger. Then we go through our day, thinking it’s one thing when it’s really something very different and we wonder why we can’t focus or get anything done…it’s a terrible cycle!

Yes, prayer and meditation can be very helpful for any person who is capable of some degree of self-regulation. I say that because meditation for this purpose, when done correctly, can help to reveal some of the deeper truths hidden from our conscious mind as you explore your interior world.  This is not easy to face and can cause emotional disruption. This can be a very real and frightening experience for some, and most people will avoid this kind of deep work in meditation.

However, I can tell you from experience, this is the kind of work everyone should be doing in meditation if they have the courage. It takes true courage to look at the ugliest parts of ourselves, and recognize their true beauty. It takes true courage to take the broken pieces of ourselves and see them made whole in Christ.

If sitting to meditate brings up too much heavy stuff for you, then don’t do it. Instead, seek some help.

For some who are suffering, having a guide through the process can be beneficial.  This could take the form of CBT, craniosacral therapy, or somatic experiencing. The important thing to do is to find someone you can work with and feel safe with to explore and express some of the deeper emotions that create these experiences in our day-to-day life.

Whatever you choose, don’t choose to do nothing. Don’t continue to live from the world of your subconscious, making decisions that even you aren’t aware of why you’re making them. Learn to master your mind through meditation, or get someone to help you through life’s challenging events, emotions, and trauma, so that afterward, you can feel comfortable sitting with yourself and enter into a deeper relationship with God.

In His Love

Additional Resources on Feeling Overwhelmed

• What does the Bible say about feeling overwhelmed?