Most mornings, I get up and feel peaceful. Other mornings not so much. When that happens, I have to contend for my inner peace. Although I haven’t always succeeded, I know regaining peace during mental and emotional chaos is possible.

Regaining peace during mental and emotional chaos starts with recognizing it for what it is instead of what it wants you to think.

Inner chaos is sneaky. It lies by presenting itself as a singular thing, but it’s not. When we don’t identify chaos for what it is, it wins against us.

We need to see chaos correctly to regain the peace it’s stealing.

TRUTH ABOUT CHAOS

One morning, when that mental and emotional chaos showed up uninvited in my life, I noticed something. I realized it wasn’t singular. Somehow, I knew that meant something, so I started doing a little research.

Looking up the word chaos online, I found that every definition said utter confusion, disorder. That sounded singular, but I still had that gnawing sense it wasn’t.

It seemed to me there had to be more than one thing for something to be confused or out of order.

Then I found two other definitions (not online) that validated my perception.

• confused mixture of parts
• confused collection or state of things

Mental and emotional chaos is more than one thing going on inside of you.

The key to regaining peace in mental and emotional chaos is unpacking it.

UNPACKING CHAOS

Internal chaos is painful. It’s also destructive.

When the mental and emotional pain isn’t resolved, it affects the physical body, causing sickness and pain.

Unpacking mental and emotional chaos will make room for peace. It’s also good for your physical health.

The unpacking begins with calming your whole self.

MAKE SPACE TO UNPACK

• Chaos is noisy.
• Chaos is messy.
• Chaos is unruly.

To unpack what’s causing all that chaos, there needs to be a space of quiet.

You may be saying, “yea right, you don’t know my life,” and you’re right, I don’t. But I remember when I used to be the one saying that.

This can help.

Take one minute.

Sixty seconds.

Pause.

Be still. Quiet your body and your inner self.

I learned how to find my quiet a while back. I turn my phone on airplane mode, set the timer and sit in silence, intentionally relaxing my body and quieting my mind.

It’s amazing how effective this short little space is.

We all have an inner dialogue going on.

In this quiet space listen to the story you’re telling yourself.

PUSH BACK

Chaos is pushy and threatening. It’s like a bully picking on you.

And what’s the tool bullies use to torment? Fear.

Chaos is pushing some kind of fear on you.

Fear of failure. Fear of loss. Fear of something you heard, some sickness going around…fear is selling you lies.

Listen and identify the fear and push back. Refuse/resist the fear by reminding yourself how much God loves you.

The love of God drives fear out. Fear torments, saying you’ll never get everything done or you’ll do it wrong.

Love comforts and helps, saying together we can do this, and when you make a mistake, it’s not the end of the world – my grace is enough.

Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. – 1 John 4:18 NLT

Let the love of God push the fear out.

REMIND YOURSELF

There are two powerful things to remember. You’re human and you’re not alone.

It’s powerful to remind yourself of your humanity because the words in this daily declaration I use are true.

You can’t be all things to all people. You can’t do all things at once. You can’t do all things equally well. Your humanity is showing—just like everyone else’s. (full copy here)

This declaration empowers us to take a breath and relax. Give ourselves the grace we need.

It’s powerful to remind yourself that you’re not alone because God promised to never leave you or forsake you. He promised to help you. You’re not helpless. You’re not at the mercy of the fear. You’re not at the mercy of the disorder. God is not the author of confusion but of peace.

Remembering that God is with you and will help make you stronger. You’re not in this thing called life all by yourself – even when it feels like it. I know sometimes it feels like it. That’s why we need to remind ourselves.

When we remember God is with us to help us, we can lean into Him and put our trust in Him instead of being demanding of ourselves.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Never rely on what you think you know. Remember the Lord in everything you do, and he will show you the right way. – Proverbs 3:5-6 GNT

Remember who you are and who God is, and let Him lead you into peace.

MAKE IT VISIBLE

Chaos lives in the dark where it can hide its nebulous torment. Light exposes it. By dragging it out into the light the darkness flees.

Write out the contents of the inner foreboding chaotic mess in its haphazardness. Don’t try to be neat. Let it be as messy on the paper as it feels inside you.

Write out the answers to the questions above.

• What’s the story you’re telling yourself?
• What fears are talking to you?
• What are you demanding of yourself?
• Are you feeling alone?

Turn it into a list.

This brings order to it on paper. This is step one.

Exposing the mental and emotional chaos to the light is the beginning of change.

ONE, TWO – FOR THE WIN

Go through the list and identify what’s within your power to do something about and what is not.

Things you can do something about might be a task to complete or inner work to do. For example, folding laundry, mowing the lawn, or going to the grocery store, versus needing to deal with unresolved issues or emotions in yourself, forgiving someone, or praying.

Throw some fun in there and use colored pens or markers to separate the two.

ONE – Take the things you can’t do anything about and give them to God. Choose to trust Him. Remember, He’s with you to help you and loves you.

 …casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully]. – 1 Peter 5:7 AMP

Doing that takes faith, so be daring.

• Dare to believe He loves you.
• Dare to believe He’s got it covered, will make a way, or has a plan.
• Dare to believe He’ll help where you feel powerless and blind.

TWO – Take the things you can do something about and make a list. Then prioritize. Identify how important each thing is and when it needs to be done.

Sometimes we think we need to complete something that isn’t happening until next week or month. Sometimes we think we need to complete something in a day that takes much more time.

Prioritizing them relieves pressure.

Then take action.

One.

Thing.

At.

A.

Time.

Then remind yourself again of your humanity. Be kind to yourself.

Winning against mental and emotional chaos is possible, but it isn’t always easy.

I have won and I have lost. I got it right sometimes but sometimes I did not… Colton Dixon

WHAT NOW

• Doing just one of these things is helpful. What works for you?
• Want a coach to help? Go here.
• Listen to this video to encourage you, God is with you—through all of it!

Through All of It by Colton Dixon