There are times that we have a LOT going on in our lives. From things like health issues, mounting medical bills or bills in general, cost of living, increasing rent prices, to school work, relationships, family squabbles or taking care of family, job stress…you get the idea. So how do we deal with it all? How do we cope when it seems like the hits keep coming from all directions? I’ve learned a lot recently with my wellness coaching, but there is always room for improvement.
Anxiety is significantly low compared to last year. I don’t fall to pieces when I get hit with news of something new in regards to my health as I did during Christmas which I’m still trying to sort out, but with a lot of effort on my part and my family’s support, I was able to put it aside to enjoy the day. The days that followed were hard because like a tape that keeps playing over and over, my mind kept going back to one thought: “I wouldn’t be like this if the doctor’s I went to took action and listened to my pleas for help.” Even then, those thoughts didn’t dominate my entire day or lead me to shut the lights off and go to bed which is progress in my book.
Fast forward to today and as I write this, my stomach is a mess. I stepped outside after work, fully committed to walking a mile and a familiar stabbing pain took over in my stomach. This past Sunday was the first time since I started taking Voquezna two months ago that I have had stabbing pains like this. I was outside that day as well ready to walk the mile and immediately had to turn back, rush to the supermarket to get some groceries and run home to that oh soo familiar cold seat.
So you can imagine my worry when I felt the same thing today. I only walked 3 blocks and turned back not only because of those crampy horrible stomach pains, but because of the icy cold wind which made me feel even worse. So when I got home I sulked a bit. I wanted to walk outside, get that blood moving but couldn’t. My mind started to flood with fears of going back to how I was, a prisoner to the toilet and my home and then I felt my heart beat hard at the thought of drinking the colon prep tomorrow before my colonoscopy on Friday. Then my inner coach kicked in and here I am, writing down my thoughts and working through it to calm that monkey mind.
Which brings me to how the things you can do to calm the chaos.
JOURNALING- is a great way to get those thoughts out. It can help you organize your thoughts, help you identify triggers, track your progress and ease a bit of that stress by venting on paper or online. The website Positive Psychology goes into detail on why journaling is good for you such as ‘breaking away from a nonstop cycle of obsessive thinking and brooding’, along with some journal prompts that may help you get started. Healthline.com also give prompts such as ‘If you wake up tomorrow having everything you want, what does this look like? Where are you? Who are you with? What are you doing with your time?’
I know for me so far writing my thoughts has helped me work things out better, and has helped me end my posts on a positive note. It’s helped me identify what works and what hasn’t.
MUSIC – Music of any kind can be helpful. It all depends on what you like. Jazz for me has been my go to since the pandemic forced us to work from home. And when I feel even more restless as I did the past few days, Christmas Jazz has helped me to relax. Who cares if Christmas is over. As long as it helps, I’m here for it.
TV – Watching your favorite shows can be comforting. FRIENDS, Big Bang Theory, Golden Girls, Everybody Loves Raymond, 227, The Neighborhood, Good Witch (movies and TV series), Great British Baking Show, to name a few have been my go tos when I just want to unwind and when those aren’t enough, I have been turning to Christmas movies as well even though we are in the middle of January.
BOOKS – Archie books, coffee murder mystery books, comic books etc. are also a great way to de-stress. A way to close off the world and dive into a fantasy world filled with adventure, magic, mystery or romance. I mean if you are on the edge of your seat wondering what happens to Dobby in Harry Potter, or who killed the stranger at the coffee house, you’re not going to be thinking about that test you have tomorrow, or that appointment you’ve been dreading because you’re fully immersed in the characters and what’s going to happen in the next chapter.
MEDITATION – Meditation is a great way to calm the mind. Transcendental Meditation is a big one for me. This is something that, if practiced twice a day every day you will see the difference in your temperament, and how you handle things. I have honestly fallen off on this one in the past few months. While I had started to do some 5 minute meditations, I have fully stopped my 20 minute twice daily TM. I know I will get back to that soon but for now I’m at least carving time again for my 5 minute meditations, even if those 5 minutes are in the shower. There are other sites/apps where you can meditate for a fee. Headspace is $69.99 a year and $12 a month and they have plenty of meditations to choose from. Calm.com right now looks to have a discount for new members but normally it’s $79.99 a year and $16.99 a month. Insight Timer which my friend Mary who does meditations on this app as well, offers free meditations on their site. You can also go to YouTube that has plenty of meditation videos you can access for free. I have even a Barbie meditation doll that today I started using for at least 1 minute to switch off and breathe. I had Barbies when I was young but they didn’t have anything like the ones they have now. I don’t give a hoot if I’m 48. If it works and makes me happy who cares! I don’t see this doll anywhere online but they do have other cute ones available if you want them for yourself or your little ones.
Barbie Breathe w/Me Meditation
Barbie Mindful Movement Doll Black Hair
Barbie Mindful Movement Doll Blonde Hair
WALKING – Taking a walk is free and can be very beneficial in clearing your head. It can lower cortisol and adrenaline, release endorphins and boost your mood. For me, there is nothing like brisk cold air to boost my mood and make me feel alive. Walking around in the park on a snowy day like this past Saturday was just what I needed to feel energized and give me that happy high.
PAINTING/Drawing Arts and crafts are always a fun thing to do. I have always loved to pain and draw so when I get a chance to do so, I get lost in the coloring and painting and lose track of time which is a good thing when you have trouble focusing or feel restless and anxious. And if you don’t have a sketch book and rather do your art online, you can sketch or doodle on onemotion.com or go on canva.com
No matter what you choose, make sure you at least try to do it once a week to start. As with anything it’s repetition that turns your actions into a routine and once you have that routine, you will start to feel a difference and those methods of unwinding will be like a little security blanket you can snuggle up with when you are feeling out of sorts.
Comment below what you do to unwind. Is it any of the activities I mentioned in this post? Or is it something else?
Until next time my Phoenixes, don’t forget to take some time for yourself to unwind.
Mind Body Synergylia 
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