Sometimes I forget that life can be hard. I mean, I KNOW life can be hard - just watch
the news for one evening and anyone can know that. Of course, I have friends who go through some
troubled times and I'm always there to help them through, but I feel very blessed that most of the time my life is
pretty easy. And silly of me, when
things are 'easy' I tend to forget that it won't always be that way. When one of
those hard times hits, it kind of knocks me backwards a bit.
At first I wallow in my worry, because if I'm good at
anything, it is definitely worrying.
And, of course, as the worrying progresses, so does the stress. We all know that a stressed out mind is not a
productive mind, nor is a stressed out Momma and wife a wonderful person to be
around, or so I've been told.
Once the constant worrying has turned me into a completely
stressed out person, I get a grip. It
takes me awhile sometimes, but I eventually get a grip. And then I do what has always worked for
me.
I breathe.
Literally. In and out. Slowly.
The more I sit and focus on my breathing, the more relaxed I
become. It's obvious why breathing
techniques are used in yoga, meditation and Lamaze classes. It works.
And I definitely employ this technique many times throughout the day.
Once I've been able to calm myself down, I remember
something else that always helps me de-stress.
I remember my faith, and I try to turn my worries into prayers. My Mom has always said if we prayed as much
as we worried, we'd have a lot less to worry about. I don't know if those are her words of wisdom,
or whether she read them somewhere, but they are very wise words indeed.
And finally, I try to deal with one day at a time. For a list builder and a calendar planner
extraordinaire, this is definitely a challenge.
Sometimes, just focusing on putting one foot in front of the other and
making it through the day, helps us get through the next, and the next, till
things seem easy again.
I hope you are in one of those easy times right now, but how do you deal with the
stress and worry when times aren't so easy?
I hope you share your thoughts in the comments - they may be just what
someone needs to hear right now.
6 comments:
Boy, you hit the nail on the head! Life isn't easy and mom never said it would be. But I think our coping mechanisms need to be different in this day and age then our moms' were. When I'm stressed, I breathe a lot, too. I also try to park myself in a favorite chair, set the timer on my phone for 10 minutes, close my eyes and concentrate on my breathing. Another trick is at the end of my shower to turn the water a bit warmer, let it run on the back of my neck, close my eyes and do ten deep breaths. And let's not forget a very important one: talk to a trusted friend.
man judy, you are so right on. lately when I'm feeling stressed I will get up and take a stroll around the block. Fresh air and perhaps most importantly, perspective, helps me to calm down.
Ah, yes, it sure can be rough sometimes. Deep breathing helps me calm down but, like Kelly, walking is great too. However, that's not possible all the time, like when it's 110 or there's two feet of snow on the ground, so we have to find other ways. And Dotti's idea of talking to a friend I think is right up there with my favorite ways to cope with stress. Just that listening ear and getting it out does a world of good.
Yes, I'm a worrier too, so I can really relate to your post. I find a caring friend, a hot bath, or a walk by the water help me de-stress. Also hanging out with my grandkids puts me back into the "here and now".
Someone quoted this in Bible Study on Wednesday...."Where worry ends, faith begins," I think having that faith that God is with you has helped me so many many times in the past. And taking a walk, deep breathing, meditation and a nice warm shower along with talking to a friend all helps too. I hope that these worries that you are having will ease up soon and you will find peace again.
You sound like my hubby. His prayer has been, Lord, let me eat the manna you set out for me today. Unfortunately he's had a lot to worry about the past two weeks too. Thanks for your timely word.
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