To say life is a bit stressful right now is an understatement. So many things seem to keep crashing on us, one right after the other, like waves in a turbulent ocean. It’s easy to get caught up in it all, letting it pull us under, sweeping us out to the depths of our own personal anxieties.
Riding the waves of stress is sometimes all we can do just to survive until we reach calmer seas. Other times we have to fight and swim against the current to get our way back to some level of peace.
Fighting back can take on many forms:
- Counseling
- Psychology Today has a large database of therapists, teletherapy, psychiatrists, treatment centers and support groups tailored to your location.
- Talking to your doctor about medication that might help.
- Anxiety Exercises
- Healthline.com is a highly trusted source for medical information and has an article listing 6 exercises or techniques you can do to help ease your anxiety.
- Cleaning/Organizing your space
- Journaling
At the moment, for me, cleaning, organizing and journaling are my weapons of choice. Cleaning and organizing helps me to get rid of any anxious energy I might have or even angry emotions that are bottled up inside. It helps me think through things that are troubling me by giving me time to myself without the distraction of a device.
Journaling acts as a brain dump for me. I write about everything. I put all my negative and positive thoughts and feelings down because I feel like it gives me a sense of peace. Once I’m done writing whatever it is I need to write, it’s like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders and my brain feels less heavy and less jumbled.
When I’m feeling anxious but don’t really know why, lists are what I gravitate towards to help give me something to do with my mind and hands. Creating lists also helps me feel productive and more organized which comes in handy on those days where I feel anything but.
If you think you might want to give lists a try, I’ve made an infographic on 40 different lists you can try.
Inspirational
- List the things you are thankful for.
- List quotes, songs, or Bible verses that speak to your soul.
- List people and things that make you happy.
- List people who inspire you.
- List people who are important to you.
- List all the things you are good at.
- List all the things you love about your partner or spouse.
- Keep a running list of one good thing that has happened to you each day.
Organizational
- List daily, weekly and monthly to-dos.
- List your monthly and yearly bills.
- Create shopping lists for groceries and household items.
- List projects and repairs for the house and car.
- List important dates and birthdays.
- Create daily, weekly or yearly cleaning schedules.
- Create monthly and yearly household budgets
- List all of your debt that needs to be taken care of.
Productive
- List your short and long term goals
- List healthy habits you want to start
- List new or old hobbies you want to start
- List recipes you want to try
- List courses that you can take to be more skilled at your current job or a job you hope to get in the future.
- List self help and inspirational books you want to read.
- List gifts you want to buy for loved ones
- List traditions you would like to start or continue for yourself and your family.
Entertaining
- List movies and shows to watch
- List books to read
- List podcasts you want to try
- Create wish list of products you want to buy for yourself.
- List local attractions you want to check out.
- List place you want to travel to.
- Make playlists of songs for different moods and situations.
- List date night ideas.
For Fun
- List your favorite books you’ve ever read.
- List your favorite movies and shows you’ve ever seen.
- List your favorite songs.
- List your favorite singers or bands.
- List your favorite YouTubers or social media influencers.
- List your favorite places you’ve lived or traveled to.
- List your all time favorite food and drinks
- List all the important things that has happened to you in your lifetime.
If journaling or writing down lists isn’t your thing because you are a more visual person then I would suggest making lists or “boards” on Pinterest. I’ve found that Pinterest really scratches that creative itch for me and helps me to visually organize my thoughts and wishes for certain projects and lists. Come check out my Pinterest boards for some inspiration and ideas.
How are you doing? What have you found that helps get you through this stressful year? Let me know in the comments below.
Darla G. Denton 