I don’t handle stress well. I eat food like doughnuts, ice cream and pizza in enormous quantities. My coffee becomes clouded with sugar. My breathing becomes shallow and raspy. I stop exercising. I lose my willpower. I forget my reasonings for the choices I make. I panic. I get depressed. I buy stuff I don’t need. I beat myself up.
Not an effective way to handle stress.
Now that I am out of an extended period of stress, I recognize that I must learn to better manage anxiety and stress. The moment by moment bouts of stress are manageable, but what about those times when the stress isn’t going away? When it hangs around my neck like an unwanted albatross? What do I do then?
I need to realize that stress is caused by giving away control of my emotions to others.
I need to recognize that my thoughts can breed destructive actions if I am not mindful.
I need to not forget the things that matter most to me: faith, hope, health, love, stability, art and creativity, and freedom.
Stress will always be there, but it is up to me to learn how to manage it and not let it control my attitude and actions.
How do you handle stress? Is it effective for you?