Coping With Life - Tumblr Posts
Understanding and How to Cope with Stress
A lot of the time, our lives are bombarded by obstacles. Some bringing new challenges to the table which is healthy for a fulfilling life but some may be a little more to deal with that can cause unforeseen troubles like sleeplessness, losing control of any given situation, irritability, and so much more.
Understanding your stressors is one way you could learn how to cope with them in the time it takes for the objective to be met. Think of it like a short term goal with a mountain in the way of you meeting that goal. You have the stress of climbing that mountain but what can make the journey over this mountain easier? Bottled water, rope, good hiking shoes maybe? Finding something to make the journey easier or to take your mind away from how difficult it may seem are good ways of coping with stress until you meet that much deserved prize at the end of the trek.
Some Ways I Found To Help Cope:
I work a very stressful job. One of the smallest mistakes could cost me my job or I could even get hurt doing it if I'm not careful. Sometimes, without meaning to, I bring work home with me and I will sit there and think about the day constantly like a broken record. Wondering how I could've handled a situation better, what words that I should've used. Here are some ways I have learned to cope with stress physically and spiritually.
Write in a Journal - I know this one is a little bit more on the obvious side of the spectrum but something as simple as writing your thoughts about the day in a daily journal or diary helps to relieve pressure from the day's stressors. I think of it as having weights on your chest that you want to get off but don't necessarily want the behaviour that comes from the words spoken to go onto someone else when said aloud. I've found that writing about a stressful day really helps manifest the emotions onto paper so by the time you are done writing all the anger and sadness are now on the paper and out of your body. You'll think about how silly you were in the moment and remember that day is now on the paper and out of your hair. Some days, especially if nothing really happened, you can write a poem about something you felt or write a short story. I personally like to place pictures and scrapbook alongside my writing, the possibilities are endless.
Painting on Canvas - This isn't for most people but for the more artistically inclined I have found that painting on canvas has proven to lift my spirits after a long, hard day. Something about how smoothly the paint (oil or acrylic) glides on the canvas makes it as if the paint brush is a bridge for all my feelings to melt into the paint. Once the paint dries upon the canvas it's like the emotions of that day are locked inside. Could be happy, sad, or angry emotions and you'll remember that the piece of artwork was a product of that emotion now locked away in the past. The moral is to focus on the now and leave the past in the past but in a more materialistic way. Sometimes looking at something helps you remember to leave something where it was.
Creating a Meditation and/or Ritual - On the more spiritual side, there are ways of practicing devotional meditation or rituals. Completely a meditation every day after work, school, or activities is a wonderful way of clearing the mind and getting ready to end the day with much needed rest. I personally practice yoga and breathing exercises as a form of meditation and usually at the end of each session I feel completely relaxed and ready for bed. If you like to spice up your meditation routine with a bit of spirituality, help from deities, use incense to cleanse the negativity from yourself and objects around you you can create a daily ritual to conduct before going to bed. It doesn't have to be a crazy complicated ritual, just something that will help you let loose and forget the daily struggles that have occurred. Say a small prayer or blessing and relax.