Hi everyone,
I mentioned it in a few blog posts that I have been overdoing it since the COVID-19 pandemic. I believe it’s my way of coping with stress. Lately, it has been coming back at me as I am now feeling anxious, stressed and tired. Even my stomach is getting very upset. I don’t really know why? I eat healthy, taking my vitamins, drinking my water like a camel. I had to stop exercising after my back injury but I am trying to start a new routine that I can handle. I lost an additional 3lbs. (did not plan for that – but I rather lose than gain). All my projects are moving along smoothly and some unexpectedly well however, I think I’m getting sick every time I step outside of the house. I did some research on how I can better cope with that stress that is eating me up. And while, I am still trying to figure things out for myself, I am sharing my findings with you.
So here’s how my stress pattern manifests itself:
- Fear and worry about my health and the health of my kids, husband, my personal and all my loved ones
- .Changes in my eating patterns: I eat less, I don’t feel the need to take my healthy snacks. I recently experienced a major food intoxication that nobody can explain how and why it happened and since then I am afraid to eat and worry after each meal I take.
- Difficulty sleeping: I barely sleep unless I am feeling extremely tired or sick.
And the only way I have been coping with it is by keeping myself busy. I feel that I now overworked myself and it is time for me to either do something or seek help. So here’s a few tips that I will do my best to practice :
Identify what you can control. When we encounter stress, any stress, it is important that we ask ourselves if we can do anything about it. If there is some action we can take, then taking that action will help reduce our anxiety. For now, it would be to keep washing my hands, wear my mask, gloves and face shield :-), stay home as much as I can, etc.
Accept what you can’t control. Focus on what you can do, not what you can’t. There are always going to be variables that are out of your control, and that is part of what makes viruses so frightening. This one is very difficult for me not to think about when you think of the precarity of the health system in my country. This is definitely the biggest challenge for me and that one thing that have been eating me up since this whole pandemic thing started.
Actively changing negative thoughts. Did you know that the only part of your brain you have direct, voluntary control over is the part you think with? If you didn’t, that should be really great news, because it is those very thoughts that are contributing to the anxiety you may be feeling during this pandemic.
Positive thinking. Another thing worth noting is that you can only hold a few thoughts in mind at any given time. So, if you are having positive, optimistic thoughts, there isn’t much room left for dwelling on negativity.
Humor. Laughter relieves anxiety, lowers stress hormones, and helps us to calm down. I can’t tell you how to find humor in your situation, but as much as we can, we need to laugh and just take it easy.
Other things that you can do is to eat healthy and stay active which I am already doing. I also try to practice the tips above but I need to put on some more work on some of them.
Outfit details:
Dress @Champagneboutique
everything else @shoppingmycloset
(Don’t come for my hair- I didn’t had the courage to comb it)
A lot of those advice are easier said than done. I personally try my best to stay focused and keep my morale up but I must come to the conclusion that this sh&%*t (excuse my language) affects me more than I let it transpire. Anyway, if you make it to the end of the post, please share your thoughts and what has worked for you in fighting anxiety and stress. I would love to have some new perspectives. In the meantime, wake up, dress up, stay active, stay hydrated, work from home if you can, avoid crowds, wash your hands, and try to keep your mind off of the negativity as we all wait this one out.
Thanks for stopping by.
XoXo,
Moumous
Linking up with those wonderful ladies here
My name is Iris, and I am a Certified Style Coach™. I am here to assist you in building confidence, enabling you to achieve and consistently enhance the best version of yourself every day.
Thank you for sharing and wishing you the best. Fortunately, I seem to be able to distract myself and stay focused on what is at hand and not dwell on the negative. Try not to overthink things and just enjoy the positives in you life.
THank you Dawn. I am really putting a lot of efforts into it but lately I have so many people in my surroundings who died from this pandemic or had it that I worry more.
I have suffered from anxiety all my life. I kept thinking, I could handle it myself. I knew I’d be fine if life ever calmed down (and this was all several years before Covid-19). When I was 51, life finally did calm down, and it did not affect the anxiety at all. It was still bad. I finally sought pharmaceutical help. I was put on a low dose SSRI. It kicked my butt while I was adjusting to it. But when I did adjust, I couldn’t believe I’d allowed myself to suffer so long. I don’t know if you were prone to anxiety before Covid-19, but if you’re not eating properly and not sleeping, I would recommend discussing this with your family doctor. You may need assistance during this especially stressful time. Hugs.
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
Thank you so much Michelle for sharing. I am getting back on track at eating well. Working on getting better sleep now. I will seek assistance if I see no progress. I am not an anxious person but that COVID thing is starting to get the upper hand on me.
Great post! It's all about getting your conscious brain more in control I suppose. Our subconscious brain seems to take over our lives when we're driving home from work without much thought or coming back from shopping. Our subconscious brain is useful but if we can become more conscious of our own mind then we can be in control and stop negative thoughts from seeping in.
Never thought of this – Make perfect sense. Thank you for sharing – some new ground to explore…
Great post Moumouss!
Stress during this pandemic is normal but we should not let it dictate or control ourlives.
I would not welcome you to my world of difficulty sleeping especially knowing the impact on our health. Since the pandemic it get worse for me and I try to be there for everyone. Hope that we will get through this soon…..
you! you need to treat yourself!!! Insomnia can be fixed. I'm getting better and coming for you…
Moumous, this dress is absolutely amazing. And you look amazing in it! I struggled for years with stress and anxiety that were causing me so many physical health problems as well. My stomach was never right either no matter how healthy I was…because stress does that…it destroys you from the inside out. The one thing I learned to do that was super helpful was giving up the worry about all the things out of my control and accepting that we very often don’t have any control over so many things in life. It is not an easy task to be able to release those things easily, but I did finally train myself where it isn’t that difficult to let myself off the hook when it comes to the things out of my control. What really helped me get there were the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. I learned them in an addictions course that I was taking for my mental health counseling degree and once I started applying them to literally everything in my life, my stress levels have decreased exponentially. I hope you can find something to ease your anxiety. I feel for you. It is a serious struggle but you will get there!
Shelbee
http://www.shelbeeontheedge.com
Thank you Shelbee, I would love to know more about those 12 steps of Alcoholics anonymous. Maybe I can find a thing or 2 that can help me. I am poorly training myself not to worry about what I can't control…
You should just be able to Google search for them and it will pop right up…"12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous." Not all 12 steps may be applicable, but definitely a few of them are!
Another beautiful maxi! Thankfully, I have been sleeping well apart from my 2 year old waking me up by coming to my bed at 4 am several times a week. I tend to eat more when I am stressed. Hopefully you will feel better stress wise soon.
http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
lol- My kids are my clock. they are always up before sunrise and all over my bed -lmao 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing this. I wrote a while back how my mental health took a significant hit amidst all the isolation of COVID-19. While I was grateful for the time with my family, there was this panic surrounding lack of control, I think, which I feel has been a theme for 2020 thus far. That said, I love how you identified organizing a pattern of mindset. AND you look gorgeous!
Thank you Melissa- Things are smoothly getting better. I can't wait for this pandemic to go!
What an awesome tie dye dress! Great tips too! 🙂
Thanks so much for joining the #WeekdayWearLinkup!
Away From Blue
Oh!? Didn't notice that the dress print was tie-dye. I guess I can appreciate a well-done tie-dye clothing piece 🙂
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