What do you do when you’re stressed? How do you feel? Does it affect the way you think about and handle things, or does it target your body in odd ways? This is something I deal with a lot as a human being, and if you’re a human being you know what I mean. Today I’m going to talk about what’s been stressing me, how it affects me, and what I’ve tried to do to mitigate it. After you read, I want you to share what you do to mitigate stress. I’d love to hear what you have to say.
So, what’s been stressing me? Lots of things. For one, I started a new job last week. The week before that, my dad was in the hospital with a severe infection (he’s doing better by the way). And all summer I’ve been trying to get back into writing and building a business from it. That’s not even to mention trying to maintain a social life, family dynamics, self-care; the list goes on. Some of these are wonderful things (like writing), and some not so nice things, but that doesn’t mean they don’t all cause stress.
The funny thing is, they each stress me differently. When my dad was in the hospital, I couldn’t focus, on almost anything. I mostly played computer games that week because I couldn’t formulate my own words for writing, I couldn’t comprehend words for reading, and what little mental capacity I had I needed to use it to talk to doctors and nurses. Ever since then, I’ve had to catch up on everything.
Sometimes the stress manifests itself physically. I can have ankle cramps, trouble speaking, or drop things randomly. Having Cerebral Palsy makes these problems worse, and can even disguise the stress as simple CP flare-ups. It can be hard to identify a headache as being related to stress if you already have them because of your disability. Sometimes stress can manifest as a stomach ache. That’s especially hard to identify. Anything can cause your stomach to be unhappy. Usually, I figure these things out when they go on for a while, and I experiment with different remedies, or when the stressor disappears and my physical problem goes with it.
So, what do I do when I realize I’m stressed? Well, I kind of experiment. The situation with my dad couldn’t be changed, and I had to learn to be patient with myself. My body was more than happy to remind me I needed naps as much as my dad. I had to tell myself my writing would still be there when I was ready for it, and that I would be able to catch up. I had to remember why I was stressing, and that anyone would struggle with the situation.
There are times I can do nothing to change or help a stressful situation, and I have to first identify that I can do nothing, then I have to let go of it. When I was in school and living away from home, one of our family cats got sick. I could do nothing about it except pray. I felt far away and helpless. I had to realize that my parents were doing everything they could to help our kitty⸺they took him to the vet, gave him medicine, etc. I had to release the worry and give it to God, which is easier said than done. It’s a test of faith and trust, being okay with the outcome He might allow, which is stressful in itself. Deep breathing and praying, while visualizing the stress leaving my body, are all ways I do this. I admit, I don’t do it as often as I should, but it does help.
Then there are the few things in life that I can control, like my author’s business. When I feel overwhelmed by all the things I need to do and the time I have to do them in, I have to back up, take a deep breath, and get out my tools. For me, these tools are my notebooks, which I use to brainstorm ideas, action steps, timelines, etc.; my whiteboard, where I’m free to visually sketch outlines and calendars without worrying about using up precious paper or being unable to erase something (I don’t like pencils for writing because I feel like I have to press them harder on the paper, which causes hand cramps. Markers glide easily, and my brain can’t jive with computers as easily); and the internet, where I can look up answers to questions, look at my stories or website and see what I’m missing. When I slow down and work on what I can control, the stress turns to anticipation for the execution of the plan.
Speaking of plans, I have exciting news! I am launching a monthly newsletter on August 24th! I will continue to use WordPress, Instagram, and Facebook, but with a newsletter, I won’t have to rely on social algorithms to get all my latest writing updates into your newsfeed. I can deliver everything straight to your inbox where you can look at it anytime you want and know it’s there. But that’s not the only benefit you’ll get from signing up for my newsletter. You’ll also get exclusive updates and special offers on my published books. And, on October 21st, you will get a free download of A Week In Galerod! If you would like these benefits, sign up for my newsletter here!
Because of the newsletter, I’m changing up my WordPress schedule a little bit. You’ll still get a blog post on the second Thursday of the month, but short stories will be posted the third Thursday, and the newsletter will be sent out the fourth Thursday to recap the month and preview the next one. I’m so excited to be expanding my business like this. It has been a little stressful, but I think it will be worth it. Did I mention it’s free to subscribe?
That’s all I have for you today. I’m so glad you stopped by. Please, leave a comment about the kind of stress you’re dealing with and how you’re working through it. I’d love to learn from you!
Until next time,
-Beth
Beth Freemont 