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How do we avoid pressure-induced tunnel vision and keep God’s authority in our peripheral vision? You can combat tunnel vision by asking yourself a series of questions when you encounter pressure. These are great questions for you to ask yourself, but sometimes, it is difficult for us to realize we are experiencing tunnel vision. That is why I also highly encourage you to discuss and ask these questions in your GrowGroup or Sunday School class when a member of your group is under pressure.
1. Am I resting? God designed your body and mind to need rest, relaxation, and nourishment. Remember, even Jesus took naps. Think of rest, relaxation, and nourishment as your daily vitamin. These are things you commit to in preparation for pressure. Once you're in a season of pressure, its often more challenging to rest and relax.
2. Am I breathing? Pressure can trigger our stress response which leads to shallow, quick breathing. Taking a few moments when encountering pressure to take intentional deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth will help us calm down and think more clearly.
3. Am I seeing the whole picture? Tunnel vision is dangerous because we often don’t even realize it is happening. One article I read on tunnel vision stated that police officers are actually trained to combat tunnel vision and restore situational awareness by taking time to evaluate all the information available to them about the call, and think through potential actions that they may need to take when they arrive on scene. When you are under pressure, ask yourself “Am I seeing the whole picture?” and “Am I taking God’s authority into consideration, or am I only seeing what is causing me stress?”
