Coping with the Tyranny of Demands

“Hey! Hey!! Hey!!!,” you hear them shout. You attempt to look away but you can’t escape them. The voices ring throughout every aspect of your life. They permeate every space and threaten your wellbeing. They interrupt your thoughts. They invade your sleep. They disrupt your sanity.

Stop!!! Breathe.

You’re a problem solver and decision maker. People come to you for solutions. They need you to decide the best next step forward.

1. Identify What Matters Most First

Begin by prioritizing. You can’t eat an elephant in one big bite. Identify what problem is the most pressing. The tyranny of demands is often wrapped in the tyranny of the urgent. Therefore, you’ve got to determine what is urgent and significant. This helps you focus your energy on what actually matters and hopefully prevents you from feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of demands. Yep, that’s right. Some demands don’t matter. Not all problems are your problems to solve. And not every crisis is yours to manage.

Someone else’s lack of planning doesn’t always constitute a crisis on your end.

Ancient Proverb

2 Manage Expectations

Be slow to make promises. If you promise something, deliver. Without integrity, no one will trust you to solve problems or make decisions. Manage expectations by being honest with yourself about what you can realistically accomplish within a given timeframe. Don’t overcommit and spread yourself too thin. Learn to say “no” to additional requests that add unnecessary pressure. Someone else failing to plan doesn’t mean you should feel obligated to solve their problem first—if at all.

3. If You Make All the Decisions, They Won’t Learn to Make Any

God’s honest truth: you can’t complain that people aren’t willing to make decisions if you make every decision for them. In order for people to get better at making decisions and solving problems, you need to let them. This means letting go and letting them get it wrong (occasionally). Otherwise, they won’t learn. And since there’s only so much of you to go around, the sensible thing to do is grow other people’s ability and confidence in solving problems and making decisions.

Wax on, Wax off.

Mr. Miyagi, The Karate Kid movie

4. Prevent Train Wrecks

Know what’s going on. Anticipate obstacles. Clear the path. Handle the big problems. Make the critical decisions. Develop plans so that the extraordinary becomes routine. Teach others. Be a learner.

5. Practice Self-Care

The older you get, the harder it is to bounce back from a fall. Make your physical health (note to self) and mental well-being a priority. Get enough sleep. Eat more nutritious meals. Exercise regularly (no, couch surfing isn’t actually physical exercise). Take time off and take breaks to ensure you can recharge and refuel. Do things that relieve stress.

As you know, I’ve taken up writing my own contemporary psalms as a means of expressing myself and helping others find comfort and solace in whatever they are going through at the moment.

I know all too well what it feels like to look out into a sea of unfulfilled demands. It can be overwhelming and frustrating. It can also be scary.

Rest in the Lord during times of calamity. I pray you are refreshed through reading my new psalm.

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A Psalm for Coping with the Tyranny of Demands

O Lord, please hear my prayer; O Lord, hear my heart’s beating lament.

In this modern world, many demands remain unmet, the weight of which lay heavy upon my heart and my soul.

The sea of overwhelming demands leaves me exhausted, broken, and unwhole.

Confined in the realm of expectations, bound by the pressures clouding my mind, I cry out to You, O Lord. Please hear my prayer. Please receive my lament.

From dawn to dusk, people pull and prod. They yell and they shout!

“Give me your time, your energy, your empathy!”

They leave me gasping, feeling flawed.

I am drained.

Their demands, like a raging storm, tear at my soul, leaving me worn, fragile, and weak,

Yet they demand more and more and more.

“Hey! Hey!! Hey!!!”

Stop!!! Breathe.

In the midst of chaos, I turn to You, O Lord, for solace, strength, wisdom, and truth.

You, O Lord, You are my refuge and my peace, always.

In Your presence, all demands are released.

Your Word reminds me that I am wonderfully and fearfully made.

I need not be overwhelmed by the demands of my trade because You, Lord, are with me wherever I go.

For You, O God, know the burdens I bear. You show me endless mercy and great care.

Lord, help me keep my boundaries set firm.

Affirm the purpose You alone called me to fulfill.

Help me, O Lord, let go of demands that take their toll.

Grant me the courage to say “no,” and to prioritize my own well-being.

Let me find balance in the demands that I face, seeking Your guidance and Your grace.

For it is in Your hands, I find strength to endure.

I surrender the burdens I carry,

I know I will find refuge in You, my Holy Sanctuary.

Renew my spirit, O Lord. Refresh my soul.

In writing this psalm, I find my release.

May those reading it find their peace.

I am trusting in You for You are the One who understands.

O Lord, please hear my prayer; O Lord, hear my heart’s beating lament.

Amen and amen.

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May the Lord bless you and sustain you.

Rainer Bantau

The Devotional Guy™

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The Devotional Guy™ Rainer Bantau © 2023