I am not going to lie. This has been a challenging year, and we’re only into the month of April. There have been many stressors beyond mine or my family’s control that have created moments, days, even weeks of anxiety and worry, from emotional to financial burdens. It has become increasingly difficult to remain calm, present, and happy. Most days, I just want to sit and cry from the pressures of it all. Am I overreacting? Perhaps. Perhaps not.
This should be a time of joy. We are, once again, going on an adventure. I am thrilled beyond expression, and very grateful to have this wonderful opportunity to travel with my family. We should be feeling the anticipation and excitement of our pending journey; instead, we are overwhelmed with nervous tension that is simply beyond our control. So how does one cope?
I feel like my posts, of late, have focused on this concept – coping. Over the years I have written many posts that offer helpful suggestions and coping strategies, such as Coping Through and A Coziness of the Soul. I have not only revisited them but also followed my own advice. So why, of late, are the strategies not working for me? What is so different this time? There in lies the question.
Why are the stressors I am feeling immune to my coping strategies? I have actively tried to calm my anxieties. Within the moment, the strategies work, however, all it takes is one additional stressor to arise and I am knocked backward – each and every time. My personal analogy? I am knocked down, I get up, dust myself off, only to be knocked down again. It doesn’t seem to matter what the stressor is, my reaction remains the same; and I cannot seem to catch a break to just breathe, be happy, and be in the moment. What do I do?
To start, I have booked an appointment with my family doctor. The appointment will address one very big stressor that is far beyond my control, and hopefully, ease a great source of my anxiety; and I will take time to discuss my current emotional state with my doctor. I will seek her advice and wisdom. It’s a start, and it’s a curve ball to my coping strategies that will, perhaps, provide some much needed reassurance and peace of mind.
As for the other stressors? We can only work through them one at a time – my husband and I – as a united team. We have always drawn upon on our mutual love, respect, and strength in each other. We have experienced hardships before, we will work through these ones together.
As wonderful, mysterious, and magical life is, it is also effortful. We plod along, making choices – best guesses – and do what we can to enrich our life, and the lives of those we love and/or care about. There will be challenges, difficulties, and hardships. It is during those times that we must draw upon others for guidance and reassurance. It is within those moments that we must find the strength, courage, and resourcefulness within ourselves.
Here’s hoping for better days to come.
Here’s Hoping for Better Days to Come. Published by Crystal Joy Hall
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