The past few weeks have been rough. I don't want to go into extreme detail, but I've gone through an incredible change in my life and the shift has left me feeling disoriented and slightly worried. Worried about what the future will hold and if I'm making the right decision. But who can really know that, right? At times it can feel like I'm walking a tightrope, eager to make it to the other end but knowing that if I rush I'll fall off. So, for today's post, I wanted to discuss this existential crisis I've found myself in and offer some tips on how I've been trying to cope with all these life changes.
Take It Easy
I have to constantly remind myself to just relax. It seems like an innate skill for most, but I just can't quite achieve real relaxation, especially during big life transitions. I'd love to be the kind of person that can just zone out and take life as it comes, but I struggle with this every day and hope to somehow reach an equilibrium. However, I have learned that stressing about things you can't change isn't doing you any good. If anything, you are forcing yourself to suffer twice; once through the expectation of a bad outcome, and again if that outcome ends up happening. Why not just cut out the initial fear and just experience the situation?
And, I know, that's much easier said than done, but it couldn't hurt to try. My problem is finding the most effective way to go about this. I'm hoping to book a few therapy sessions in the next few months and hopefully getting a professional to look over my mentality and decision will help show me the bigger picture. Find what works for you and go for it, but don't stress yourself to exhaustion in the process.
Journal
I've talked about journalling so much on this blog and I just can't express enough how much it has helped me handle stressful situations. There's something incredibly therapeutic about being able to get all your feelings and emotions out of your head and onto a piece of paper. It's especially helpful to be able to look back at old entries, at the person you once were, and see how you've progressed or what's has helped you change for the better/worse.
Get Out Of The House
Working from home has been a goal of mine since I left my full-time office job about a year ago. And, now that I've achieved it, I've realized that there are still factors about that I could change to work better for me and my personality. Since I don't have to leave the house anymore, I've taken to doing the same things, day in, day out. This has taken an incredible toll on my motivation and inspiration, as you would expect it to, because I'm not being inspired by anything other than what's going on in my small bedroom. While on some days, working from home is much more appropriate and realistic for the level of work I need to get done, there are others where I could go to a local coffee shop and work from there for a bit before moving on to another.
Staying stagnant can affect your mental health dramatically, and I've begun to realize that. Especially with the cold, Toronto weather, the last thing I want to do is get dressed and leave the house, but even a short walk around the neighbourhood would be enough to invigorate me with the motivation I've been desperately lacking.
Remember that everyone adjusts to change in their own way, so there's no point in forcing yourself to do it at someone else's pace. Take your time, work at your level, and let life take you down the path you need, but didn't always expect, to be on.
How do you deal with tough times?