When you’re in a dark place, sometimes you feel you’ve been buried. Maybe you’ve been planted. Bloom.” – Author Unknown
It’s a time of year when a lot of us feel buried, snowed in and completely overwhelmed with the amount we have going on. Am I right?
Whether you’re teaching this semester, working in another field, or simply trying to gather up everything you need for the holidays around the corner, it can be stressful!
What To Do When You’re In A Dark Place
If you’re an avid reader, you’ll have noticed my slight absence the last couple of weeks on social media (especially Insta) and on the blog. Well, I can tell you now that I was in a bit of a buried, dark place. Sometimes being a foreigner in the country you live in can get complicated, and the stress takes more of a physical, mental and emotional toll than I thought possible.
How To Stop Being Buried in Stress
First of all, this is a tough question to answer!
Personally, I believe it’s all about priorities. When we know what we want, it’s easier to prioritize. So really think about it:
What do you truly want, and which of your stressors are working towards your goals? If there is some work you’re doing or stress you’re handling that’s counterproductive, cut it!
Also, a friend once mentioned that she heard a podcast referring to OPP – other people’s problems, or other people’s priorities. (I’ll get back to you on a source for that!) Too many people devote their lives to counterproductive actions for others.
Don’t get me wrong – I love to help people. Sometimes, though, we have be sure that we’re guiding them, and not doing work for them.
5 Ways to Get Your Energy Back
Sounds tough, right? How can you possibly have enough energy, and manage to recuperate when you feel so drained all the time?
Well, impossible is a word I don’t really like,
Here’s what has started to work for me:
1. Get Some Rest
Generally, I fight this one with all my might! I simply prefer to do as much as possible to control what I can when I’m buried in stress. Organize, make lists, update my calendars, and take action at every point I can.
2. Focus on the Positive
Hang on a second:
How can dark places be positive? I start small – with what I’ve learned. What I could have done better, or could avoid to stop myself getting in this place again.
You’ll be surprised how many positives come to you once you start to focus on just one. For example, one time when I was a rejected for a job I thought I would get, I focused on what I gained instead.
Soon, I realized that there were actually more pros thancons to not getting the job. In fact, one of those pros is being able to work much harder on my 2019 goals for this blog – and actually deliver on that TpT store that’s always in the works.
3. Drink Water, Not (More) Coffee
If you know me, I just heard you gasp.
What? You know how much of a caffeine fiend I am! Well, okay, coffee specifically. Eat poke, not pizza, too. When you’re stressed, it’s way too easy to derail from our normal, health-friendly, beautiful eating habits. Stay healthy!
4. Work Out – Even if You Are Drained
Exercise! It’s one of my favourite stress-burners. Every time I meet my trainer, jump into the swimming pool, or even schedule a swimming technique lesson, I feel better, not more drained.
Often, people ask me how I can work out when I have so much going on. Well, that’s exactly the reason I’m motivated to do it! The rush of energy after a good weight training, running, or even swimming session are enough to drag myself to training even when I’m in the darkest of places.
*Quick tip!: We can’t expect our bodies to perform as well as they do when we’re not buried in stress. It can be so discouraging when we can’t perform as well on our workouts as previous weeks, but remember that the body has ups and downs. You’ll get there again!
5. Be Okay With the Dark Place (& Talk It Out)
This one sounds like it’s giving up, doesn’t it? Actually, I think in order to complete #2 (and be in a positive place), we often need to be okay with the dark place.
Sometimes, the dark places are really like being buried in soil and allowed to start afresh, like being planted. I wish I knew the author of today’s quote, as it really makes me smile.
Bloom.
From the dark places.
How do you get rid of your stress and get out of those dark places? I’d love for you to share your stress management techniques with us in the comments below 🙂 I read and respond to every comment!
Have a lovely and productive week!
P.S. Photography lovers, the photo for today’s post (and poster!) is one I took when visiting a winery and garden in Bordeaux, France
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