Did I tell you that I am terrible at handling stress?  Perhaps it is my propensity towards anxiety but I really suck at it.  I try everything best case scenario, venting, exercise, whatever, and yet I seem to always let life overwhelm me.  I get upset and wound up and want to scream.  Thank goodness for kickboxing and I can tell you days like today every punch was meant and delivered.  I’m not good at relaxing either.  I have a lot of fun.  I love to learn, spend time with my friends and develop my talents, but relaxing not so good at.

Sometimes I wish I could take 6 months off? Hibernate if you will.  I wish I could be like that Eat Pray Love lady and jump away from life and examine it in a relaxing way.  I wish I could work on loving people more, healing wounds and figuring out what, if anything, I want to do in my life (or if I’m happy with the way it is.  I don’t know). As it is, a full weekend would be nice.

I’m thinking about going to the Homestead in Utah for Thanksgiving.  The prices are super reasonable and they have natural hot springs which if anyone knows me knows I LOVE a good hot tub (water in general is just my friend)!  They even have a full Thanksgiving dinner.  I can’t decide if it would be better to be alone in my normal surroundings or alone in some place special.  Both could feel lonely, both could be relaxing?

But day to day stresses I’m just not great at  dealing with.  I just get overwhelmed and feel pressure, mostly self-induced.  I wish I could be like my Dad who seems to never get unglued or blow a fuze.  I guess in a way its the life of an accountant (I still kind of shudder inside when I say sentences like that).  In the middle of the month things are easy and breezy but the beginning gets really stressful all at once.  Like a roller coaster.  I think every job is like that in its own way- have cycles of stress.

How do you deal with the cycles of stress? What are your strategies?  How do you deal with anxiety?  I have a lot of strategies but what I am most curious is at that initial moment of panic or at least frustration what is the first thing you tell yourself?

I really want to know because the next few months are going to be deluxe stress between the new house, moving, and end of the year etc. I am overwhelmed just thinking of it.

I’m reading Feeling Good by David Burns once again to help me prepare for this stressful time.  Best book ever besides scripture.  I will buy you a copy if you don’t have one.   It is a life changer.

I like the term stress management because I don’t think it can really go away but how do we manage it.  My Dad is great at that.  I want to learn.  Please help!