Dealing with the Stresses of Adult Life

#1- My faith keeps me going. Knowing that God has a plan and we’ll survive this struggle like we’ve survived all the others and we’ll come out stronger in the future. We’ve also had many tough seasons, so we know we’ll eventually be ok again. #2- Therapy. I have a tendency to want to micromanage and control everything especially when stress is high. Talking with an unbiased person and unloading on them gets me a professional opinion and reminders on what I can control (mostly just myself and my reactions) and it helps me sort it out. #3- Taking the help. See if there is anything you can qualify for. Say yes when people say ‘let us know if you need anything’. Some people don’t mean it and say it as a pleasantry, but some do and will. Even if it’s to help cook or clean or whatever. It doesn’t mean taking help now means you’ll need it forever, but it can help keep your head above water in the mean time. For me this also comes in the form of listening to loved ones, mostly my husband 😅 I am stubborn and proud and push myself too hard sometimes and he reminds me I need breaks and that’s ok. Listen to those who value you. #4- make time for what you enjoy even if you haven’t done it in a while or don’t feel like Doing it. Prioritize yourself. I stopped creating for a long time. I realized that is part of me, and I often drop it when I am overwhelmed and stressed, but if I pull out my tools and just mess around just to release stress, with no goal, it feels good to do something I do love even when I’m disheartened. And I’ve gotten some cool Works out of it. And also some really silly bad ones I can laugh at 😂 #5- When appropriate, move. Start slow if it’s been a while. Take a shower, get dressed, go outside, get fresh air. Get yourself moving. Even if it’s to walk around a quiet store at an odd hour. Take small short adventures when you can and work up to enjoy longer ones. Walks, yoga, stretching. The worst thing you can do is be still and stagnant and stew in your stressors. You have to make a conscious effort to keep moving. And lastly #6- Allow for days of rest. It IS ok to takes days to be slower, quiet, lower energy activities. Just don’t let it be everyday all the time. Don’t get stuck there. Use it as a tool of healing. Everything will still be there tomorrow. The to do list will not catch the house on fire if not complete. Mental health days are real and for everyone.