Good Ways to Deal With Stress

Hey guys! Lately I've been going through a very high stress and intense time, that I'm not quite ready to talk about on here, but I've been trying to deal with it in a mature and healthy way. Otherwise, I would probably just say fuck you to the world, shut down completely, and become a hermit so I don't have to deal with people, and I can chill. Being a hermit sounds so good though. But we’re not doing that! We're not, okay we are grown ass adults with grown ass adult problems, and we have to deal with them the best that we can. So here are a couple tips on avoiding hermithood no matter how tempting that shit is.

The first thing is to talk about it. Go see your family, friends, coworkers, counsellors, whoever just talk about it.  This one has been hard for me because I like having people in person to talk to and right now, I don't feel like I have that option. So, I have to use apps to communicate with my people. Which is still helping but it's not the same as going out for a coffee or driving with your friends to the beach to yell at the ocean and curse people. Having someone there to just hold your hand and say this shit is fucked, but you're okay, and you're going to be okay. I've been talking to my mom and my close friends to try and get through what I'm going through, and I will always be grateful for my people. Even if were not together in person to yell at the ocean together, they still always make me feel better.

The second would be to write down your thoughts and feelings. This blog kind of does that for me. You could write a blog, write in a journal, write a poem, write down everything that's pissing you off right now on a glass plate and then smash the hell out of it. It really doesn't matter what way you want to do it. Just write it down because sometimes you don't know how you're feeling, or what to do in certain situations. Once you're done you can go back and read it and sometimes, you'll find that what you wrote gives you inspiration for change or helps you to figure out your feelings.

Do some self-care, go get your hair done, or your nails done or buy yourself something you want. Take a bath or order your favorite food. If you're a guy (I don't really know what guys do for themselves so I'm going to be a little stereotypical here, these are just suggestions just do something that makes you feel good) you can play your favorite video game, go golfing, or drive around in your truck and do donuts or something. Maybe not the last one I think that's illegal. Regardless, do something for yourself, make time for you. To get through something and heal you need to put yourself first. If you're struggling, if you feel like you’re drowning and suffocating from life overload, take a step back and hit the pause button. Make sure that you’re okay first and then continue climbing the mountain.

Once you're okay then you can hit play again and come up with a plan that helps you through this. If you’re struggling financially you can work on a budget, organize your spending and debts. While it can be overwhelming to see all your debts put together it can help you to create a plan on how to pay them off and gain control over them again.

If your problem right now is with other people in your life, try to find the root of the problem. Are you the problem, are you holding back, did you make a mistake, are you in a place right now that you don't have the energy for people? All of that is okay. We are all human, we have thoughts, feelings, and emotions, we make mistakes and all of that is okay. We need to learn from those, and grow, and build ourselves up to be the person that we want to be. Just remember that even your ideal version of yourself is going to have bad days. That's just life. If the problem is someone else then you need to figure out if that is someone who benefits your life in general, not just right now at this moment. We need to remember that other people go through things and have bad days too but that doesn't always mean that they aren't a good addition to your life. If the answer is that they are then talk to them and see what needs to be done to fix the issue at hand and move on. If the answer is no, then that person isn't meant for you. Some people only come into our lives to teach us things and show us that the world has two sides. One side is beautiful and full of people you are genuine and happy for you and want you to succeed in life. Unfortunately, the other isn't quite as pretty. The skies are black, and the people are less welcoming. Sometimes life takes you on a path through that darkness so you can gain an appreciation for the flowers on the other side.

If you're stressed or worrying in general, try to focus on the things that are in your control and only the days you need to do today. Don't worry about all that extra bullshit, tomorrow is tomorrow and that's when you can worry about whatever the next day brings. Don't worry about the things that you can't control, don't let those things dim your light and steal your energy, it's just not worth it.

Don't participate in the fake it until you make it crap, don't invalidate your own feelings to ensure that everyone thinks you're okay. If you're not okay, don't just say I'm fine. Say "You know, I'm not right now and I'll talk to you about it when I'm ready."  If you don't feel like smiling, then don't, if you're not in the mood to laugh, fuck it. Who gives a shit? Honestly, only you know how you're feeling and if you need to step away from people for a day or so to figure it out, do it. If anyone has a problem with that then they aren't meant for you. You need to do what's best for you. Everyone else can either support that or get lost.

Whatever you're going through right now just know that you are loved, cared for, you're enough, and the world isn't against you. It might feel like it at times, but if we didn't have feelings of stress and sadness and anger then maybe happiness wouldn't feel as good because there's nothing to compare it to.

Those are the things that I've been doing, and they seem to help me so hopefully it can help you too. I'm sure there's a ton of other things you could do, just try to make sure they're legal, okay? I hope you get through it; life is hard. It's a fucking bitch actually but find your people and find some peace and let go of what you can't control. Also don't become a hermit, the world needs your smile when you get it back.

Thanks for reading!