If you’ve ever owned a computer, at some point this has happened to you:  You’re trying to open a document, or a website, or your email, or… and all you get is this hypnotic circular-motion ring in the middle of your screen, along with the message “Not Responding”. 

And, more often than not, this happens when you’re in urgent need of opening that particular piece of information.

But computers are like people when it comes to not responding.

Overload causes the same response-paralysis in us.  “Not responding” happens when we get overwhelmed– by too many commands; too many demands; too much busyness; etc., all-at once.  It all makes us short-circuit and shut down, so we can’t respond to anything.  

How can we avoid this?

1. Take things one at a time.  Multi-tasking is fine as long as it doesn’t drain a brain “battery”. 

For example, washing the dishes and talking to our husbands at the same time is a pleasant way to get those dishes done—just don’t gaze into his eyes while doing so, or else you might forget to rinse the soap off! 🙂

On the other hand, trying to write an important message while talking on the phone to someone is either going to mess up the message or the conversation, or both, not to mention you, in the process.

2. Relax.  Really. We’re allowed to do that!  Even Jesus often took some “down-time” when He needed it, and He was the Messiah.

 But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray [in seclusion]. Lk. 5:16

We’re not the Messiah, which is why it’s called a “complex” if we think we are. The Lord, who runs the universe (we don’t) will make sure things don’t fall apart in our “absence”.

Remember when Jesus was asleep in the back of the boat during the storm and the disciples shook Him awake, asking Him if He even cared enough to do something about it? He did.  He cared, and calmed the storm—AFTER He got His much-needed rest!  And no one or nothing was worse for it. (See Luke 8:22-25)

This is also why the Lord instituted the Sabbath and commanded us to keep it.  We can’t say, “Oh, we can’t, we have too much work to do.”  The Lord Himself created and kept the Sabbath originally when He “rested on the seventh day” (Gen. 2:2-3) – and He’s always had heaps of work to do!

3.  Take breaks in the middle of your work.  Hammering a nail into a surface requires pulling back and letting up in order for the hammer to work right.  If we try to push the nail in with constant pressure, it will be a lot of wasted, ineffective, effort.  The same goes for anything we’re working on.

For example, when I was in school, I purposely took study breaks the day before exams and made sure to get a good night’s sleep.  My friends thought I’d lost my mind or didn’t care about grades. 

Actually, I did this because I understood the power of breaks on accomplishing important things, including memorization and assimilation of facts.  Granted, we have to balance this with doing actual work and studying!  Yes, the hammer does need to hit the nail regularly. 

But brain science, as well as behavioral science has proven the value and need for taking breaks in terms of increasing both power and effectiveness.

For the record—I did get better grades that way, and so did our children when they followed my advice and did this.

4.  Refuel and re-tool.  Race-cars that win are the ones that make well-timed pit-stops—not just to sit there but to get filled up with whatever they need to keep going at optimum performance.

Retreats, conferences, our Bible reading and prayer time, nature hikes, enjoying a walk-and-talk with a friend, listening to worship music, playing and singing worship music,…  these and other things that refill and equip us with His love, power, and truth, enable us to keep responding well.

This is all how we avoid the “not-responding” syndrome.  People and tasks are going to have to wait anyway.  This way, they’ll receive better, more effective, and healthier responses from us, while likely even waiting less for them.

And if someone is not responding to us—give them a break! Pressing their “buttons” more, just like a computer, definitely just makes it worse.  Be patient, and they’ll come around.  Likewise, give ourselves a break.  Be patient with ourselves, and we’ll come around.