I've had / have a lot of stress in my life. I don't always cope with it very well, but even breaking down sometimes can be helpful rather than
harmful. Just let it out.
Anyway, coping strategies:
One thing at a time - the right thing at the right time. Yes, I have sleepless nights, but it's important to understand that you can't deal with
everything at once. You can't make important phone calls in the middle of the night, for instance, so best to make a plan for the morning and make
sure you act on it.
Trust yourself. You've got this far in life and, presumably, you've nurtured the habit of looking after yourself properly? Keeping out of mischief,
surviving mishaps? Seeing the funny side when the dust has settled? Well, keep on doing that
Handy trick I read somewhere. Think back to a year ago and try and remember what was stressing you then. Two years ago. Can't remember? Well, this
time next year (or the next), how much are you likely to remember about what's stressing you now?
Baby steps. Don't try and tackle it all at once. As long as the steps are going in the right direction, see every little success as habit-forming. The
more small victories you accomplish, the more you'll expect to succeed.
Come to ATS and find an entertaining thread. cough: monster stalking cough: Moths to a flame, innit?
My forms of escapism are computer games and long walks in the countryside. Being out in the fresh air and taking in the great and small works of
Nature is very healing. You get a sense of your own insignificance on the one hand, and your part in everything on the other. If you're not near to
any open country, try and find a place to watch a sunset.
Anyway, I'm typing this against a background of some lousy comedian yacking away on the TV. Now there's stress
I'm just off to remedy the
situation. Where did I put that axe?
Oh, outside intervention. If you can't manage to resolve an issue, get help. If it's the plumbing or something you need advice on, hire the right
person for the job. It's easier to call in a handyman or go the the CAB than stay stressed because you've run up against something you can't cope
with. That could well keep you away form the sort of intervention I think you were referring to.
Also, there's no shame in 'giving up' if a situation is so bad you can't handle it. Sometimes it's best to admit defeat and move on.
'You' for the purposes of this post means anyone other than me, not 'you' personally
edit on 6-7-2011 by berenike because: Final point