I’m having a little bit of a downer on myself today. I seem to have to deal with something every day. I talked in one of my previous journals about the support network we build around us. The last few days of stress, have tested me resolve greatly.

In an ideal world we would have no stress, but the majority of my stress comes from extended family stuff. It never seems to be one particular problem, but problems that somehow come from nowhere. But through all issues, I always try and look for lessons.

The lessons that help me grow emotionally and teach me how to do things better. It doesn’t matter how negative the situation is that I’m looking at, I will always try and find the hidden message, the lessons I’m supposed to learn.

I have always taken the view that it's important to have people in our lives who are positive. Over the years I have cut friends down to size, particularly the ones who chose not to support me when my mother was terminally ill, or those who abandoned me when they fell out with someone I was close to.

I think that has been one of the biggest issue I've had to deal with and cutting out those people in my life has in effect given me more peace, but every now and again reality sets in and I wonder how life got me to this place.

What I deal with rests heavily sometimes.

Ilana Estelle is a mental health and wellbeing advocate who combines educational insight with her personal experience of living with physical, mental, and emotional disabilities. She holds diplomas in Counselling, Diet and Nutrition, Nutritional Therapy, Psychotherapy and Counselling, and Stress Management. Through her writing, Ilana supports others in navigating their emotional, mental, and physical health challenges. In addition to writing for The CP Diary, her work has appeared in healthy lifestyle magazines. Ilana is also the author of three books: Cerebral Palsy: A Story – Finding the Calm After the Storm, Spirituality, Healing and Me, and Survival: The Covid Years – Time for Change.

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4 comments on “Dealing with stress again”

  1. Sometimes it would be nice if the stress would just go away, then we are left with developing some new coping mechanisms for stress.

    Have you looked into meditation? It helps me a lot of the time. When in the middle of a stressful situation, sometimes we need to call time out for ourselves and just have a cup of tea and try to decompress.

    1. You are absolutely right Brian. I have tried meditation, but find that really difficult to do. I do have other coping strategies in place that help me.

      Just working through a problem to bring a conclusion helps me, or speaking helps. I do take time out during my day to decompress and that tends to work too.

      Stress is an inevitable part of life, we cannot escape it, but we can deal with it productively and that's what I try to do. Thanks for caring.

  2. I'm sorry you're having a stressful time. Wish I could do something to help you, but you know how I handle stress myself. I agree with you though on all points. Hang in there. If I can help somehow, let me know. Lisa

    1. I know Lisa. I have various strategies that help me work through my stress, so I deal with what I have to deal with. I just think it helps me to journal. I alleviate some of my stress that way, just writing about it. Thanks.

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