Life is hard. I know, quite a mind-blowing statement. But in all seriousness, many people don’t recognize how much blood, sweat, and tears people release just to get by. Juggling work, relationships, health, hobbies and leisure can at times be quite a difficult task, even if some of us are able to take such tasks for granted.
For the people who can’t handle said juggling, and even some people who can, they are often faced with challenging a troubling and difficult emotion: stress. Of course, stress isn’t always a bad thing. Stress can help when you’re under pressure and can be a potentially decent motivator to get things done. However, such a feeling is really only helpful in small doses. When the feeling becomes common in day-to-day life, it definitely wears down on someone’s health. From heart disease to insomnia to depression, feeling stress can often be a huge hindrance rather than a blessing. And in many cases, it makes people wonder why they still continue to work and get up when things feel hectic and crazy, losing their own sense of purpose.
In the case of myself, while I thankfully don’t have any major health issues, I have stress, from mild to extreme, almost daily. Having to face feelings of anxiety every single day can be grueling and mind-numbing, and often times it’s hard to find a good reason to continue going through each day when it causes such massive strife. How can I find purpose to keep going when I just end up afraid and uncomfortable? How exactly do I find the reason to keep on going when things get hectic or frustrating?
To preface my personal explanation, it’s important to recognize that what works for one person doesn’t always work for another. So do take caution upon my advice.
Of course, there are plenty of great cooldown tactics that have been used by many people. Sleep, exercise, talking with friends and healthy diets, among others, are all wonderful tools to use and there’s a good reason why they are so common to use for stress relief. It allows the mind and body to feel happier as well as not make things feel so fearful or lonely. But not everyone can take advantage of these tools. Whether it be insomnia, a lack of money or valuable resources, a disability or some other sort of hindrance; it isn’t always easy to just relax.
In the case of those who just don’t have such an ability, the best way to combat stress is to put things into perspective. Somewhere in the world there’s someone in a far worse situation than yours. And while the idea sounds morbid, there’s an odd comfort and catharsis that comes with knowing such a disturbing fact. You recognize there’s far worse out there and you are most definitely not at your lowest, so what you’re going through isn’t as bad as it seems and you can definitely fight through the next few days.
While stress is definitely a heavy burden, there are plenty of great ways to handle the conflicting and confusing emotions such a state brings, from the usual to the bizarre.
