Stress: Can you control it?

The day before my wedding, I was worrying about the fact that it was calling for rain. A friend could see I was stressed and she came and said to me, “Why are you worrying about something that you have no control over?”.

I immediately felt better. There was nothing that I could do. If it rained - it rained. Could I turn it off? Nope. Could I plan for it? Yes! SO… We made sure to have large umbrellas available and to pack extra hair spray! Day after day, hour after hour, life is filled with things that trigger stress. And those sources of stress are different for everyone. Some folks thrive when faced with a deadline, some prefer to have things organized and done in advance. We all have different systems and methods to control our chaos. I do not have a method. I have yet to find what works for me. Just when I think I have made progress, BOOM! (insert chaos) One day, I’ll feel like I have it all together (hilarious, right?).

The kids do all their school work, everyone gets along, the kids actually brush their teeth, I make a wonderful dinner, and everyone goes to bed on time.

Then the next morning when we wake, somehow, in the same house, with the same people and everything is different. No one wants to cooperate or get along, no one wants to eat anything that I make, no one cares about their hygiene and they stay awake - what feels like all night!! Is there a balance? Do we have to have some days that make no sense and some days that run so smoothly you think you’re in a movie? Probably. The “bad” days help us appreciate the good days I guess, but I sure do wish they were all as easy as the good days.

As I sit here typing this, I have a dog scratching at my left arm (I have tried everything, I don’t know what she wants). The kids are arguing with each other about cleaning up the basement. I actually just had to get up and help one of them start a load of blankets in the washer and as I walk by the laundry room, I see the dryer is full of clothes needing folding. Honestly, it never stops. You can make a schedule and try to plan everything and there will still be hiccups. What I’m trying to say is, stop spending so much time stressing about the things you can’t control. And maybe try to stop stressing about the things you feel like you should be able to control. Life has a way of happening, and it will continue to happen whether you are stressed or not. Since I am talking about ways to control stress, I should take this time to recommend using a virtual assistant. (nudge, nudge) You don’t have to run a business to benefit from using a VA. For example, some people just do NOT have the time to organize their email inbox (I know a few of these people personally - yes, I mean you M!) and that’s fine as long as it isn’t becoming something that stresses you out. One thing I hate doing myself is research when I am planning a trip. From flights to hotels, restaurants to attractions - I am not a fan. Lucky for me, I know a virtual assistant who would LOVE to do that research for me. Do you ever feel daunted by a large document you need to review? Let a VA do the reading and paraphrase the important parts! So there are solutions to manage some stressors!