Overwhelmedness – fighting depression and anxiety.

Do you ever feel like you have too much going on? I have been feeling that “overwhelmedness” lately. I realize, if I were to compare “My Stuff” to anyone else, I would probably feel ashamed. “My Stuff”, can barely hold a candle to a lot of people’s “Stuff”.

Did you notice the negative thing I did in the introduction paragraph? One of the most frequent and harmful things I tend to do is, minimize the importance of… Me. I tend to say things to myself like, “My Stuff” can barely hold a candle to other people’s “Stuff”. Effectively, minimizing the significance of “My Stuff”. “My Stuff” are pieces of the whole. Without which, I would not be who I am. I have emotional “Stuff”. Mental “Stuff”. Physical “Stuff”. Last but not least, the “Stuff” that falls into the category of daily life. All of this “Stuff”, has an effect upon each individual aspect of the happenings in my life. Whether it is taken in the daily aspect or in a greater length of time. None of which is easy to manage on a singular plain. Of course, we all know, all of these “parts” must be dealt with together. The magic pill is finding a method or path to “handle all the “Stuff“” at the same time.

I acknowledge, that each individual person, must find their own “magic pill”. All I can offer is the manner in which I am approaching the juggling act, that is my life. I will also make the statement; NO ONE wants to feel the way that anxiety/depression makes them feel!

None of the following is easy.

First step, acceptance. I am built differently than every other person… in the world. My “normal”, the ability I have to juggle the “Stuff” is… okay. I don’t mean “okay”, as in “so-so”. I mean there is absolutely nothing wrong with my juggling. When I am able to feel great about the methods I am using, on a day by day, all the balls are in the air. Life is Great.

If I feel things are “good” not “great”, I have trained myself to recognize that there may be an impending decrease in my self-worth. I take a look into my bag of tricks – the coping methods I have learned throughout the many stages of my “Self-healing”. I start with “Grounding”, a minute by minute. I literally stop what I am doing. Recognize that my feet are solid on the ground. I can feel the air moving through my nose to my chest and back out through my mouth. I tell myself, “I am safe”. I can pick up the dropped ball, and move through re-incorporating it into my routine.

I use my faith as an opportunity. I pray. I ask God to take the “stuff” I am struggling with from my plate. Enter the phrase – “Give it to God.” (This should be the first thing I do.) I try to “hear” what God wants me to learn. Sometimes, it is obvious. Sometimes, it takes a while until I figure it out. Sometimes, I never get it figured out. I have “given” God my problem(s), then turned around and taken it back. I’m still working on that. It is hard to leave what has been a “piece” of me behind. Even if it is negatively affecting me.

I take medication. Not a viable option for some, but it works for me. I go to a therapist. I have recently been able to begin easing into exercise (Ugh). I have modified my outlook toward food, setting myself on a nutritionally healthier path. I’m learning to meditate. Quieting my mind is proving to be very difficult. I look at the anxiety, and I purposely do things that stretch the limits it has set for me. I practice self-care.

What is self-care? When this was introduced to me, I associated it with, “What I would want a person who was beginning to date me to do.” “Little” things… like a twix bar, flowers, go to a movie (by myself), other cute things like that. I sometimes blare my music, and dance around my house. (Even if there are other people home.) I also do “big” things for myself. I write this blog. Pushing the boundary the anxiety has set for me. The vulnerability pressing “publish” on each and every post brings, helps me grow into “The Better ME” that I am striving for. I stopped labeling the anxiety and depression as “Mine”. It is “the” anxiety, “the” depression. Not My anxiety/depression. Reducing the debilitating hold it can create.

I have also turned to logic. Example: I make a new recipe for dinner. No one likes it. I let myself feel like they don’t like me or the effort I put into making it. As Mr. Spock would say, “That is highly illogical”. Nah, they love me. They acknowledge the energy it took to prepare it. When I am able to take a step back. It is easier to not be offended and hurt. So what if they don’t like the food. Who cares?

If there is ever a time in your life, that you feel less than _________ (fill in the blank) or the balls you are juggling are dropping like flies. Please take a moment. Put your feet on the floor. Take a breath – in through your nose – out through your mouth. Look at your issue from a different angle. Realize you can get through it. What can you learn? Figure out the “magic pill” that makes all the “stuff” manageable for you.