How do I handle pressure 

Pressure is something that no person can escape, as nice as it would be. So if we can’t escape it we need to know how to handle it when it comes. There are a few things I’ve learned over the years that help and many of these I learned the hard way. The good news is that we can learn from others' experiences.

1. Get all the thoughts off your mind and get them on paper (or the notes app on your iphone). Too many thoughts or problems to solve will overwhelm even the best of us. Some people call this a mind dump which means you take everything on your mind and dump it all on a piece of paper so that you can eat the elephant one bite at a time. 
2. Make self care a priority. If you’ve got a lot of pressure on you it’s imperative that you keep yourself healthy so the pressure doesn’t turn into something blowing up. Self care includes time with God, time with close relationships, exercise, and especially sleep. All these are vital and easy to neglect.
3. Stop avoiding conversations that need to be had. Much of the things we overthink that create pressure mentally can be solved by having a conversation that we need to be avoiding. Sometimes it’s professional and sometimes it’s personal. The longer you wait the more the pressure builds. The conversations are generally never fun, but at least you’ll know where you stand the other person does as well. 
4. Decide what you will pay attention to in life and what does not deserve your attention. We all have a certain amount of time and energy in the day. Use your time and energy wisely. Everyone else's problems can’t become yours. Praying for people is the best way you can help others many times. Invest into and receive from the divine connections in your life (the people who matter most to you). They will energize you and give you wisdom during times of pressure unlike most people who will add more pressure to your day.

These are just a handful of practical ways that you can use when life seems overwhelming and the pressure needs to be relieved. It’s the trap of the enemy to get us to numb through various activities when pressure is heavy. This always leads to sinking deeper and life becomes darker. Real rest only comes from time with God and those God’s divinely placed to speak into our lives. When the pressure is on, press into God because He will give you rest.