You feel stressed out and overwhelmed
Do you remember being a kid? Taking naps, coloring, playing make pretend with dolls, action figures, or stuffed animals, singing songs ridiculously off-key and thinking you were going to be the next Christina Aguilera or Blink 182? Yeah, me too. When we’re little the truth is we can’t wait to grow up because, obviously, when we’re grown up we think we can do whatever we want to do. What we ignored was the amused laughter and wistful statements from the adults in our lives that growing up isn’t so easy. Well, if you (like me) have made it to adulthood you’ll know the truth behind the ominous comments you brushed off all those years ago. Being an adult can be bittersweet, while it is fun it can also be overwhelming being a slave to time, having bills to pay, deadlines to meet, budgets to set up (determining wants versus needs) and events to attend when you wish you can just stay home with a pint of ice cream and watch Zoolander.
Let’s face it, being an adult is fun but it is also hard. If we’re really honest with ourselves, we can all admit we’ve had days where we did not want to leave the comfort of our beds and start our day.
The truth about adulthood is that you aren’t alone, everybody feels overwhelmed and stressed sometimes.
•Maybe you have a family circumstance that needs additional time and consideration.
•Maybe you have a specific colleague that just by one means or another meshes on your last nerve.
•Maybe money is tight this month and you’re worried about bills getting paid on time.
•Maybe you are having car problems.
•Maybe you are sick or some you love and care about is sick.
So what would you be able to do when you feel irate, overwhelmed and focused about the things you truly have little control over?
I trust that, on the off-chance that you take these seven ways to de-stress at the end of the day you can all the more effortlessly control how you handle your response to the unpleasant circumstances that manifest in your life (and trust me they will manifest at the most unpredictable times).
I might want to say that you can take out anxiety totally — however I can’t. I’ve been a silent suffer of anxiety for years and had countless amount of anxiety attacks through the years. Nonetheless, there is a great deal you can do to set yourself up so when you are confronted with these circumstances you can find your inner peace once more.
1. Color. Yes, you heard me right, buy a coloring book and crayons from the dollar store or you can google ‘adult coloring book’ to order a customized coloring book and literally color your stress away. I’ve found this works when I have a block in creative thoughts or a situation which requires me to problem solve. I whip out my coloring book, focus solely on staying in the lines and when I finish I am able to re-think the situation more calmly and rationally.
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| Coloring is the best thing kids of all ages can do to unwind. |
2. Reading. We’ve all had bad days, bad weeks, and sometimes bad months. Picking up your favorite chapter book (mine is the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling and Embraced by the Light by Barbara J. Eadie) can literally transport you into another time or place where your problems simply do not exist. There’s no better way to get your mind off of whatever is going on in your life then focusing on the lives of your favorite fictional characters. You may find after reading a particularly sobering novel (like Angela’s Ashes or My Sister’s Keeper) your situation isn’t that bad and are able to tackle your issues with renewed vigor.
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| Harry Potter remains a classic for me to unwind to. |
3. Watch a Soap Opera. Really, turn on ABC 7 at about 3 PM eastern time, watch ‘General Hospital’ and tell me if seeing all the drama, backstabbing, and betrayal that goes on in that show doesn’t make you feel a heck of a lot better about your own life problems. At work or in school when it comes on? Record it and watch it when you come home. My father-in-law swore by this as a coping mechanism when his divorce from my Mother-in-law was happening and recommended it when I was studying for my math praxis as a means to take my mind off of my own feelings of being short-changed that I couldn’t student teach and I came to really enjoy this method. Not only do you get to follow ridiculous story lines (some not even realistic) and larger than life characters but you get attached to the actors who play them (when the actress who plays Kiki on GH was replaced, I noticed it and got outraged).
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| Me (blonde in this picture)watching some TV |
4. Smile and Joke. Even when you feel like crying, smiling and laughing is one of the best ways to instantly lighten your mood. Sharing good joke with a friend or even a corny one with a family member, like the time I was upset that it was snowing so I called my cousin Lisa on my break and told her: “How do you find Will Smith in the snow? Look for the Fresh Prints!”. Watch a good movie or TV show with your Husband or Wife, Tom and I personally watch ABC’s Once Upon a Time, Monday night RAW/Thursday night Smackdown and Total Divas on “E!”. We watch it, share our thoughts on the episode and hold a discussion or debate on whatever is going on that week. It’s a great way to set aside time for your significant other and (all it requires is cable or Netflix) talk about things that aren’t bills, upcoming events you need an outfit for, fur babies (or human babies if you got them!) and other monotonous topics. Even just smiling at the sun shine can improve your day by leaps and bounds (just don’t look directly into the sun for obvious reasons).
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| Smiles and silly faces from the bridal party |
5. Take a walk and appreciate nature. There is no better way to reconnect with your inner-self than taking a walk and watching flowers bloom, or a sunrise/sunset occur. There is a calming balm to our chapped souls when we seek solstice in the beauty that surrounds us that typically goes unnoticed in the hustle or bustle of everyday life. I do this when I’m really overwhelmed, it both grounds and puts things into perspective for me, I highly recommend this if you can find the (or better yet make) time to.
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| Tom and I taking in the beautiful Florida scenery on our walk |
6. Listen to music. Have a go at accomplishing something truly soothing to keep stress under control. Music is one of the most ideal approaches to unwind experience de-anxiety, and it’s prominent with people of all ages, pay levels, and different backgrounds. It’s universal across both cultural and lingual barriers. Just listen to the music you like; which you’ve generally already established, however, when you pick something calm (such as Bonobo which is widely instrumental and calming) to listen to it will make you feel both refreshed and quiet. Attempt a few distinctive musical styles – classical, religious, instrumental and trust me when I say you’ll know when you’re listening to something that works for you. What’s more, is once you’ve found it, you can listen at whatever time you have to for a quieting break from reality.
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| Jam out to your |
7. Be thankful. When you’re feeling focused on the bad, try remembering the good. Record them in an appreciation diary (I have one which I started back in 2014). There is continually something you can be grateful for…make a list, try it now and it is as straightforward and even awakening. Consider every one of the things that you have in your life that you value: great family and friends, great job, even that cop who pulled you over for a tail light out that also might have saved you from a horrific accident. When you concentrate on appreciation, you’ll additionally see a greater amount of the positive experiences lessons which enable growth throughout your life. When you think of these good things you’re much less likely to feel angry and pushed. Brings new meaning to the old saying ‘Positive vibes, positive life’!
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| My grateful journal which I began in 2014 |
Remember you are the author of your life and what experiences positive or negative you choose to dwell upon. Have you tried any of these seven things mentioned above? Did they work for you? If not, what does work for you on days when you can’t adult? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts and experiences, I love to hear from you.
Love you. Mean it.
Brittany
xo
Are You There Friday? It's Me, Brittany. 