Staying With The Current

Just a warning, in the beginning this may sound like a bit of a sad post, but really it's all inspiration in the end. A bit of reality and real life adventures if you will. Yesterday a very tired me had to do some hard things. The past 24 hours were particularly challenging and saddening. Frustrating news, little sleep, bumps in the road, travel, delayed travel and more.

I started feeling a little hopeless and bummed out about life. Hard challenges were wearing on me, situations I have no control over were frustrating me. This is and will continue to be an incredibly challenging year. I'm honestly not sure how I'm going to get through it. But I've been told in no uncertain but very loving terms from dear ones that I can and will do it.

While I live for a positive outlook, a cheerful countenance and a true belief that we are watched out for, protected and guided, it's still easy to feel that you are adrift at the mercies of the wild sea. I do not like that feeling.

To snap me out of it, I started thinking, gee maybe I need to talk to someone about all this stress and get some help. I am not opposed to that. But I realized the first step might be to see what I can do for myself first. Here are a few things I came up with. These are personal to me, but might spark ideas for you when you feel you are teetering overboard and looking for that bright orange life preserver.

• Read inspiration every morning: scripture, self-help books, magazine articles, blogposts, etc.
• Make a list every day of what I want to accomplish
• Focus on one thing at a time, in small bites and get things done
• Make regular plans with friends
• Seek advice from people who have walked my paths
• Stay in close touch with family
• Find new and inspiring places to visit, venture out more
• Pray every day as many times as necessary
• Serve others more
• Find ways to minimize my emotional reactions to stress
• Workout, workout, workout
• Spend time outside as often as possible
• Get plenty of sleep
• Eat good basic natural foods

Yep these are all "Well, duh." basics but they are so easy to forget. I think I've written about the basic so many times. I am refocusing as we so often need to do starting this morning. Trying in spite of all the constant changes and irregularities in life right now to get into a routine and find some solace in that.

And once I've given these things a good, solid effort, I'm still opening to getting some professional guidance as needed. But I think I can make great strides by my own efforts first. That thought puts a smile on my face and makes me feel lighter already! I am sure I am the only person who ever feels this way...har..dee...har..har. Can you relate? What do you do to snap yourself out of that feeling of being overwhelmed or maybe not up to the task?