This Too Shall Pass

The older I get the more anxiety I have about a lot of things. I have fear about not being able to do everything I want to do in life, about losing someone or something close to me, about missing out on other things people my age are doing or succeeding at. It's true, I have self-diagnosed anxiety with a swallow of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).

Last week was certainly a test on my anxiety. Not necessarily what I'd call 'a walk in the park', last week was full of frustration and disappointment. It had absolute highs followed by absolute lows. It had moments when I really questioned how other people make it through this world successfully with the way they do things and to never take for granted good moments because bad ones are right around the corner. I know, this is a very pessimistic observation, but it's true. You got to take the good with the bad because there will always be both.

By no means am I a professional or know exactly what each person should do to feel better, but the list below highlights some things that have worked best for me over the years.

Take a Walk

If you read "My Week Day At a Glance" post a couple of weeks ago, you know walks are a part of my daily routine. That's because, not only does exercise make your body look good, but it makes your body feel good, too! Exercise pumps endorphins through your blood that contribute to that "happy feeling". Therefore, the happier you are the less stressed you are. It's that simple.

“Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands, they just don’t.”

— Elle Woods, Legally Blonde

Take a Bath

I LU-HUV taking baths. They are such an easy way for me to relax. I've tried to make my bath tub area a little spa oasis. It looks out over our bedroom and, if I open the bedroom blinds, I get the wonderful view of the TX Hill Country. I pour in either some bath bombs, bath salts or bath bubbles and sit in there for a while just drinking wine and reading my book. I lose track of time! It really gets my mind off of everything.

Cook

I used to hate cooking, but, obviously, I don't anymore. (Lucky J :P) Since my mind runs full-speed during most hours of the day, cooking gives me a task to focus on 100%. If you're not paying attention to the recipe, your meal could come out nasty. I hate wasting food because I ruined a recipe, so I'm extra-focused on producing a great meal.

Cry

I'm not afraid to admit it, but I cry. Not often, but when things are especially overwhelming, busting out a good ol' ugly cry helps me get everything out and begin to re-focus. Now, don't let this fool you in to thinking this is one of those new-age, millennial tactics to get what I want. Not the case. Crying helps me release all the pent-up tension I don't know how to express in other ways. Heck, I know I'm not the only one who does it. Even Sia wrote a song about it!