Well hey there friend! I'm glad you found your way to this post. I have a lot to say (and some venting), I hope you don't mind listing for a moment. And I hope you can relate to this post.
So here it goes!
This week has been one compounding ball of stress and anxiety. I wont go into to much detail, but my husband had to have a medical procedure done at the beginning of the week. I think he was feeling stressed about it, but didn't want to talk about it and found his own ways to coupe, which were less then ideal. Anyways, we found our self's at the hospital for most of the day. Meanwhile my kids, who are perfectly capable of staying home by them self's, were left at home. This in it's self was stressful on me. My husband ended up needing to stay in the hospital for a few days due to some complications, (he's ok) but then I needed to navigate needing to work, keep an eye on my youngest (who is 11) and help my husband from losing his mind from boredom. We got past that and I found out my 11 year old had some less then ideal behavior at a friends house during a sleep over. Which didn't help my stress level. Later my 11 year old was having issues with some bullies at the park he hangs out at. To top it all off my husband was in his stuff after his procedure and needed to vent him self. I want to be a good wife and listen, so I did very patiently. Needless to say, my stress level was through the roof by the end of the week and I found my self stuck in the noise. Even the TV was giving me anxiety!
Phew!!😌 That feels better. Thanks for listening!
But this post isn't all about me and my stress, although I could probably go on. I don't think that's what you came here for though.
This post is about how to navigate that chaos and anxiety when life happens and if feels unmanageable. To find peace amidst the chaos, and to silence the noise so you can get back to your self and your goals and dreams without all that STUFF blocking your way.
So if your still reading, first I want to say Thank you! And second, lets explore some practical strategies I used to reclaim my sanity and control in my life, even when the world around me feels overwhelmingly chaotic. My hope is that, some of the things I found helpful, will also help you.
Experiencing overwhelming chaos and anxiety is a common struggle, especially for women who feel the pressure to handle everything in their lives. (Like ME! 🙋) It can lead us to spiral into a cycle of worrying about everything that could go wrong. But, to find that inner peace amidst this chaos, it's important to first recognize the root causes of our anxiety.
For me this week, it was the feeling that I needed to control everything because everything seemed out of control.
But what I found, after a nice brain dump journal session, was the feeling that I needed to be the primary caregiver for the family. Can you Relate? But that constant demand to provide and support everyone left me feeling helpless when I was unable to meet those expectations.
Another trigger I found for my anxiety through out the week was beginning the week with stress, then having additional stressors pile on top of it before I could tackle the first stressor. It was like a domino effect, where each new worry added to the sense of overwhelm. Eventually, it become too much to bear, and everything seemed chaotic and uncontrollable.
Even a minor thing, like hearing a TV, contributed to the stress when I'm in this state of mind. The external noise and disorder made it feel daunting and intensified my anxiety.
But by understanding the source of the chaos and anxiety in my live, I was able take steps to address them and find peace amidst the chaos.
When things start to feel overwhelming and chaotic, it's important to find ways to ground yourself and bring your focus back to the present moment. One effective method that I found helpful was mindfulness.
Mindfulness involves being fully present and aware of your thoughts, feelings, and sensations without judgment. It allows you to observe your thoughts and emotions without getting tangled up in them, helping you break free from the cycle of worry and anxiety.
There are various techniques you can try to embrace mindfulness and center yourself. But for me, I found deep breathing for be helpful. Deep breathing involves focusing on your breath and taking slow, deliberate breaths to calm your nervous system and bring a sense of peace. I don't know about you, but I noticed that when I'm feeling a lot of anxiety, my heart starts beating irregularly and feels like it's going to beat out of my chest. My head and chest starts to hurt. When that happens, this breathing technique helped that calm down.
But when that doesn't work, I found that EFT Tapping worked like a charm. EFT Tapping involves the gentle tapping of fingers on certain points of the head, which are known as acupressure points. These points are located along the body's meridians, which are considered the pathways through which energy flows. This was the first time I had tried this, but I needed SOMETHING to work. And boy did it!
By incorporating mindfulness practices into my routine, I was able find a greater sense of calm and control in my life, even amidst the chaos.
Establishing a routine can bring structure and stability to our lives, helping to cultivate a sense of peace amidst the chaos. When things get overwhelming, having a routine can offer a sense of control and steadiness.
I began by pinpointing the activities and tasks that hold the most significance for me and prioritized them in my daily routine. This allowed me to focus on what truly matters and let go of things that are not essential.
It's also important to incorporate regular self-care activities into your routine. Whether it's taking a relaxing bath, going for a leisurely walk, or engaging in a favorite hobby, making time for self-care can rejuvenate your energy and alleviate stress.
But, remember to remain adaptable with your routine and make adjustments as needed. Life is full of surprises, and it's perfectly fine to make changes when necessary. The key is to establish a routine that nurtures our well-being and assists us in finding peace amidst the chaos.
Our minds can often become cluttered with worries, anxieties, and negative thoughts. To find peace amidst chaos, it's important to declutter our mind and let go of these mental burdens.
I mentioned earlier that I did some journaling to find the source of my anxiety. This was a very effective way I found to declutter my mind. At the end of the week, my mind was RACING. If I was driving a car, I would have won the race! LOL!
But writing down my thoughts, fears, and worries on paper helped me gain perspective and release them from my mind. Also through journaling, I was able to identify the person I wanted to be when this happens again, a Peaceful Women. Because, Lord knows, chaos and anxiety was surely going to happen again.
Another technique I found was practicing mindfulness meditation. Setting aside a few minutes each day to sit in silence and just rest, focusing on a particular sound in the room then bringing to mind positive thoughts about the situation. This helped me become more aware of the mental clutter and letting go of it.
I also highly suggest seeking support from a therapist or counselor. They can provide guidance and strategies to help us manage and let go of mental burdens.
By decluttering our mind and letting go of mental burdens, we can create space for peace and serenity to enter our lives.
Amidst the chaos and anxiety, it's important to reconnect with joy and build resilience for future times. Finding moments of joy can help counterbalance the stress and bring a sense of peace.
We can start by identifying the activities, hobbies, or interests that bring us joy. Make time for these activities in our lives, even if it's just a few minutes each day. Engaging in activities that bring us joy can help uplift our mood and reduce stress. For example, I played Minecraft with my daughter and found laughter in my son, who loves to make people laugh.
I also found that it's important to focus on a positive mindset and practice gratitude. By focusing on the things I'm are grateful for and expressing my appreciation it helped shift my perspective towards more positive thoughts and will help build resilience for next time.
We as Women can also benefit from building a support system of friends, family, or a community which can also contribute to our resilience. Surrounding ourselves with people who uplift and support us. They can provide encouragement and help us navigate through challenging times.
By reconnecting with joy and building resilience, we can find peace amidst the chaos and anxiety, and emerge as the person we want to be.
So there you have it. A little about my story, the anxiety I face, and ways I am fighting back.
If your still reading this, again I want to give you a BIG Thank YOU! It is for you that I will continue to provide valuable content that will help impower you and fight through the anxiety some seasons can bring. It is my goal to provide help, support, and community to those of us, that feel the burden of being the family care giver and the family supporter all while trying to find our own path in life and learning how to be the women we want and dream of being.
If you found this article helpful, please help me spread the love, and share with your friends and please leave a comment below, I would love to you if this helped you in any way.
Lastly, I created a free cheat sheet, I like to call it my Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for Panic and Anxiety Attacks. You can download it below, by clicking on the link, providing your email, and I will send it straight to your email. No strings attached.
Until next time my friend, Stay Strong!