Life can be so stressful. Even with social functions shut down, things at home can be crazy. Maybe it’s an over-scheduled work life, maybe it’s having the kids home more than usual, or maybe it’s just those internal struggles that won’t leave you alone. But wouldn’t we all like a little more rest?

Last month we welcomed a new baby into our family. With two toddlers needing our attention, this has made us amp up our game to a new level. There have been some very stressful moments. Sometimes that stress has come from too much activity, and other times it’s from being held back from doing work because someone else needs our attention. Both are stressful.

How can we cope when life is crazy?

• Take help—Friends have offered meals, family members have offered babysitting.. YES! The answer is yes. We rely on our social network when times are challenging--we aren't made to live life alone.

• Stay disciplined on routine things—Our motto this month has been ‘we can do anything as long as we do it fast’. We can make a nice dinner but we need to clean as we go or the mess will get buried by our evening routine with the kids. We can keep the place tidy, but it means having set times before meals to collectively pick up. We work at work time and play at play time--it can be hard not to blur those lines when we’re home all the time.  

• Change your expectations—In some seasons, such as a pandemic, we don’t get to live our best life. We might have more on our plate than we would like. But we can learn to anticipate and enjoy simple things. We can enjoy the good enough life. Maybe you don’t have time to journal like you did when you were younger—but maybe you can have a 5min tea in the afternoon and mentally reflect on your day.

• Make big picture choices that benefit your mental health—Maybe a bigger house would be nice, but how will it affect your daily life—will you need to work a higher stress job? Will you be worrying about finances all the time? Will the move add 6 months of craziness to your life? Often choosing simplicity has long term benefits on reducing stress in our lives.

• Get help from a Professional Counsellor —When things are overwhelming, it’s important to get help. It’s okay to say that things are overwhelming, or that they aren’t going the way you expected. Sometimes it’s just nice having someone to talk to who can offer some perspective.

If life is overwhelming, we’re here to help you tackle stress.

You can book a session with one of our Stress Management therapists to talk about your concerns. You can book online at www.lindsaytsang.janeapp.com

Photo by Andriyko Podilnyk on Unsplash