This one is a little harder to write, but I think many people can relate in many ways. This blog in no way is medical advice and I do not wish anyone to use it in that way. It is personal experiences and advice from years of research and those life experiences. Being fully transparent and completely honest isn’t easy. I am social and outgoing, but that’s just the side that the majority sees. Those close to me know differently. Maybe this is where you can relate.
Do you ever feel that “the struggle is real?” Trying to keep up with busy schedules, tight budgets, unruly kids, ungrateful bosses, the cooking, the cleaning, the chauffeuring children, on and on and on?! Do you feel stuck? I know I do. I look at my life and constantly think I am blessed beyond measure and grateful for what I have, but wonder why I feel so defeated and down?
I fight anxiety, bouts of depression and self-doubt almost daily. I get frustrated and angry with myself (which only makes it worse) because I look at my life and think “why would I have any reason to feel this way?" Sometimes it is so many little factors that add up to create these intense feelings. But if you really sit back and look and think about it, most outcomes in your life are created by your own choices. Sure, it is true you can still feel stuck even when you think you are making all the right choices in life, but people usually blame it on anything and everyone else. And most of the time we let others control our actions and emotions when it’s no one else’s responsibility to have a say in our lives and we need to put a stop to it!
And if you’re reading this and are one of those people who think you need to speak about others when it has NOTHING to do with you (definition: gossiper), you really need to sit back and think about how the same actions from someone toward you would affect your life. Mind your own damn business. It’s really not that hard to ONLY worry about yourself. You may find peace in just focusing on your own life. Nobody is perfect; remember that!
Okay, back on track now. So...choices. What do I mean when I refer to choices that affect every aspect of your life? Are you struggling financially? I think we’ve all been there. I am guilty of making purchases or spending money on unnecessary needs and wants when money was tight. Think about how even the smallest of things can add up into bigger financial issues which lead into life stressors. That pair of leggings you just had to have because they were on sale and $3 cheaper than the last time you looked at them. Eating out instead of making food at home when you can’t buy groceries for the week but could have purchased twice as much by spending that $35 on groceries instead of eating out. Or, that $10 6-pack of beer or $7 pack of cigarettes you had to buy when you only had $20 until next pay day. There are multiple ways that you can make better choices to help you financially. Small steps lead to big goals.
Do you make poor food and drink choices? This can have a big impact on your depression, heck, financially too. A majority of those who suffer from depression blame everything else when it truly can come down to what they are putting in their bodies. This is also me. I don’t blame my bouts of depression on others. It is from my personal choices. When I eat and drink bad, I feel bad. I’ve struggled with this and know it all too well. I’ve battled back and forth for years with it. Things are finally starting to change. It’s a very slow start to the change, but I at least can acknowledge it and am taking the first steps to making better choices. Two things I remind myself to help with this change is first, that sugar is a drug and creates the desperate need for more sugar and very hard on the body. Second, alcohol is a huge depressant. It makes you feel happy and forget all the stressors going on in your life for a very short period, but the lasting effects can hurt you in a much worse way. Neither are worth it when you break it down, so just make better choices.
Are you starting to notice a trend here? I think about these things and how if I would just make better choices it could change my life in a much more positive way. As I’ve reflected on other ways to make better choices and improve my life, a big one is to not procrastinate. I procrastinate much too often. I love to make lists when life gets extremely busy, but then I always put off the hardest things until the very last minute or even sometimes too late. I need to make better choices by tackling the hardest and working my way to the easiest items on that list. I know this would give me a sense of accomplishment and ease any anxiety from having so much to accomplish. I hope these suggestions that may help you relate and maybe you can try doing it this way as well.
Life may never be easy for me and I know that I am constantly going to be faced with unexplained heartache, health obstacles, and unexpected circumstances that are unavoidable throughout life, but I can do my very best to make life somewhat easier in other aspects by just making better choices! For my family, for my friends, but most of all for MYSELF! You can do it too!
XOXO – Britney
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