Life is Kicking My Butt

I’ve been having a rough go of it for the past few weeks. I’ve heard some devastating news from family, seen huge loss, had recurring health struggles, and had to deal with anxieties that resulted. Yet, I’m still thoroughly enjoying life. I’m actually quite proud of myself because I have been able to find silver linings and regain a cheerful outlook because of all the sweet moments that I do have.

However, it is still frustrating. What I mostly hope for myself and my family is that we are healthy and happy. That is not the case for a few people that I love. For the sake of privacy, I won’t disclose the issues but they’re not great.

It sucks to see people you love in pain and sad and scared. You try to keep your chin up and carry on, and you don’t always know how to help. I’m in a weird spot right now. I want to do something to help the people I love but I can’t do anything to help them. It takes a huge toll on my mental health.

In my own life, I’ve been experiencing really mild but persistent symptoms that are mostly pissing me off and frustrating me. The worst thing is that I can really only wait it out and see if the discomfort goes away. It’s been a month of constant symptoms and it’s wearing me down.

While there have been dozens of things daily that tie my stomach in knots, the positive that I’m taking out of this is that I have a pretty good way of coping with these intense emotions I’ve been feeling. I figured that instead of whining about my life any further, I’d share with you how I cope.

When I’m Overwhelmed

I make lists! Mostly when I am overwhelmed, it is because I have a lot to do or a lot on my mind. I make lists constantly. I make them about fun stuff, stressful stuff, and work stuff. I find it extremely soothing, especially if I really need to sort my life out.

When I’m Stressed

Nothing calms me more than ASMR. I discovered it on YouTube about five years ago and I’m obsessed. I turned my sister onto it and we both like to put on an ASMR video to fall asleep to. When we shared a room in England, we put on a video and conked every night. I watch ASMR during the day too. After work, it’s a great way to unwind. I find that it puts my mind in a meditative state. It’s a great stress reliever.

When I’m Sad

I cry my face off, honestly. Sometimes you really need to. Last week at work, I was in a bad state of mind, had a pounding headache, and had just gotten a text with terrible news. I felt tears in my eyes and decided I needed a moment. I went to the bathroom and cried and cried. Just last night when I had had it with crap going on, I laid in bed and cried for half an hour. It’s such an emotional release and it’s often times, frankly, necessary.

When I’m Happy!

I’m including this because we should acknowledge strong positive emotions as well. I love driving in my car and singing when I’m in a great mood. I also like exercising when I’m happy. I find that I have a better workout if I’m happy. I’ not the type of person who gets their anger out during exercise, I find anger distracting. Happiness is the most motivating emotion in my humble opinion.

I hope you find this helpful, or commiserating, or entertaining. Do you have any amazing coping methods? Let me know in a comment!

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