Does it ever feel like life is almost too much to handle? At times, everyone feels pressures that they have to deal with in the normal scheme of life. Some people find simply sitting in traffic can be a huge problem, so what affects each person has to be put into perspective. So what happens when you get to the point where even the smallest things get you ticked off?
This can happen when life starts to dump things on you in what seems like a continual stream of negative events culminating in a series of serious events. These events may have taken place over a matter of weeks, months or even years. But, one thing has built up on top of another and brought you to the place of being so highly stressed that you can hardly stand it.
If you are in this situation, it not something to take lightly. Reaching this point can lead to developing depressive symptoms that range from being lethargic to wondering if there is no way out and want relief right now.
However, there is another way.
The key word here is culmination. One situation alone won’t often bring you to the conclusion that you are taking on too much. But, facing a series of ongoing challenges that haven’t been dealt with becomes the problem. Burying your head in the sand hoping the problem will just go way is not the answer. Instead, a culmination of unresolved problems lead to issues of stress management.
Stress is a part of everyday life. There is good stress and bad stress. Good stress can be a challenge to the mind and body. You view the situation as a way to better yourself and grow, in relationships and as a person. Bad stress, on the other hand, has negative effects on the mind leading to manifestations in your body like ulcers, headaches and weight gain.
Coping with stress is the first step to stop the pile-up. How can you combat stress? These are some of the best ways:
* Exercise – It increases blood flow and lowers blood pressure. Your body gets stronger and can fight against the stress that attacks it. Also, you increase your focus and clarity so you can see your problems in a new light.
* Eating healthy – Choosing foods that enhance health goes a long way to making you stronger in the body and mind. You are not weighed down by toxins and excess fat.
* Therapy – Talk to someone. They can help you put your problems into perspective and develop a plan for overcoming them one step at a time. Changing your thinking is a big part of that and cognitive therapy can help.
* Finding ways to relax – Take a break from work and the screaming kids to do something that you like. Life isn’t all about working and paying bills. When you are engrossed in a fun task, everything else melts away.
* Learning your self-worth – Surround yourself with life-affirming people who don’t have to put you down to lift themselves up. Find the good in you and remind yourself of it often.
* Get organized – There is peace in scheduling. Place bills in a rack according to due date so you don’t miss anything. Limit kids to one regular activity so you don’t get overwhelmed (and neither do they). Prioritize your work to get it all done in a timely manner instead of at the last minute.
Life compounds daily when we don’t face it head on. When it gets to be too much, go back to the beginning and start again.