Stress level is high as of late

I only know to do one thing when my brain starts taking over with stress and worry.....get into action.

The last month my brain has been processing a lot of information. Without going into a lot of detail non of it is life threatening stress, but, it is stress none the less.  Worries about things that might not even come to fruition. Our next few months could be great, or, they could be tough financially. Really, even with planning and strategizing, only time will tell. 

I know myself enough to know financial stress is my toughest one to cope with in life. Having lived on both ends of the spectrum, with no money at all, and with enough money to pay the bills and have some extra, naturally, when I can pay the bills and have a couple bucks extra is when I am the least stressed. The only thing I know to do is plan, get into action, and try not to future trip much and know that it all works out in the end.  One way or the other, it will work out if I am doing what I need to do to help the situation and not make it worse.

Family stuff is also an area I carry a lot of stress. I, like I know everyone else does, would like for things to be ok in our family. A nice ride of just being alright.  Well, life isn't like that. With the good comes the bad, and sometimes you just have to ride the waves and know that things will calm eventually.  For me this is another area where I believe I need to stay in the moment, do the next right thing, and, allow others to do what they need to take care of themselves. I remember well that my mom carried this same type of stress.  We would talk and she would worry about one of us kids and whatever it was we were going through.  I think for the most part it is normal.  I try to balance focusing on helping where I can, where I should, and staying out of where I shouldn't.  It's a delicate balancing act. 

I don't talk about it much but I do worry about the world. I know I shouldn't, I know I can have the most effect doing things in the community, but, I do worry about our world as a whole.  I remember years ago when I was in the military and I, for the first time in my life, saw the massive scale the military goes through food to feed people and I worried we were going to run out of food.  Might sound crazy, but I will never forget it. I say I don't watch the news, and for the most part I don't. I do peek in on the news on my phone and I always end up having to step away. I know, I know, don't watch the news.....I give that advice. I DO like to stay informed and am careful to remember that we have a plethora of sources of information that are inaccurate. What's funny....is THAT causes me worry and stress.....argh.  I only peek in on the news about once a day.  It's usually the same stuff repeated again and again and is mostly not useful. I should just step away completely.

Worry is something that I carry with me always. I know that about myself and it is mostly something I manage and have skills that help keep it in check. I use gratitude, talking to people, getting outside, monitoring my caffeine/sugar intake, and making sure I am getting enough rest (and sometimes not to much). The one overriding skill that helps the most is putting one foot in front of the other in each day. Talk to people I trust when it gets a bit overwhelming, keep in mind while I might think I don't have much, I actually have a lot, and find ways to smile and see the good in the world.