Facing difficult times

Hello all! I have been M.I.A. for a bit. Thank you for being patient and awaiting my next blog post! Life got in the way, and for that I apologize! LOL!

We all have struggles we go through in life. Some are major, some minor. When we are having troubles, it is often hard to see a solution, an ending, or a ‘bright side’ ! We often have to find it in ourselves to get through whatever the difficulty is. Some people run, exercise or  turn to meditation. Others turn to religion/spirituality and even others turn to more dangerous and damaging ways to get through difficult situations. We learn as children, teens and young adults, what works and return to that when needed.

But what do we do if our go to method no longer works? How do we find another way? We have to create a new habit. We need to reprogram ourselves. Our brains are full of circuitry, electrical connections. So, reprogramming should be easily done. Not necessarily! Habits are hard to form when we are in a peaceful state of mind.

The body, when stressed, goes into the ‘Fight or Flight’ mode. You are either going to fight (stay and face the stressor) or run away (leave the situation and ignore the problem) from the stressful situation. When stressed, we do not pay attention to detail, become disorganized and feel overwhelmed. We become increasingly irritable, defensive, frustrated and annoyed with small, petty concerns. Physically, stressors can have a positive and negative effect on our bodies. Acute stress can heighten our sense of awareness, improves memory and increases immune function.

When stress becomes chronic is when it has dangerous effects on our health, both mentally and physically. We have heard of the effects to the heart and GI system. We have headaches, fatigue, decreased and non-restful sleep, anxiety, increased alcohol use, drug and tobacco abuse. We often exercise less often and become socially withdrawn.

So, how then are we supposed to find a new way to deal with stress when we most need it. The key is to work on your coping before you need it! Start journaling, reading, praying or running while you are feeling good and not under stress. Find a group to join that enjoys the same things you do and form bonds with people that can help you when you nee it most. Reach out to others that may be stressed, so that when you are stressed, you can reach out as well.

There is a saying…”Find you Tribe and love them hard!” It can be family, friends, co-workers or anyone that will be the support you need…when you need it!