”A distraction is not a solution.” I read that statement earlier today in regards to self care and the varying approaches we take to fulfill that need. When people think of self care they tend to gravitate towards thoughts of bubble baths and shopping excursions. But as soon as the activity is over, the stressor remains. This is true of all aspects – work related, relational, monetary – no matter the stressor, a distraction doesn’t offer a solution. We often spend more energy worried about the stressor, than it would take to come up with a solution. We need to practice solution based stress relief, rather than distraction based stress relief.
The past few months have been the most stressful of my life, change is not something I crave, and my life feels like one big change all at once. But I have not allowed the stress to consume me. I have not allowed it to drive me or my choices. I have steadily continued to choose the things that work well for me. I still get up at 5 am, on purpose, so that I can have quiet time to myself to read, write, drink coffee and spend time with sweet Sam. I still drink a lot of water. I still try to exercise and go for morning walks. I still go to bed ridiculously early. I believe it’s very valuable to establish and maintain routines that keep you grounded in good things, rather than distracting us from hard things.
My point is, stress will drive you if you allow it to. If you continue to seek out comforts rather than solutions, the stress will drive your life. It will drive your attitude, your mood, your choices and your way of life. You will either be driven by stress or you will learn ways to feel it, acknowledge it, and not be driven by it. In my opinion, the most important thing we can do with stress is face it. If you need to have a tough conversation with someone, have it. Stop stressing about the activity and go do it. Often, it’s not nearly as bad as we have it built up in our head. Do what you can to alleviate stress by acknowledging it and taking action when you can.
Today, take one step and one task at a time. Return to the things that keep you stable. If you do not know what those are, take time to learn. Acknowledge when you feel most at peace and make time for those things. Stress is a part of life, but it does not have to be a way of life. Face the stressors, rather than avoid them. We spend far too much energy in distraction, and way too little in solution. Much love and managed stress sweet friends.
