How do you manage stress?
Give me one small problem, and I’ll give you a full-blown personal crisis, three imaginary bankruptcies, and a funeral for my peace of mind.
Some people meditate. Some people take deep breaths.
I catastrophic. Professionally. Without a salary.
My brain doesn’t solve problems. It takes one tiny inconvenience, adds background music, and produces a seven-season Netflix thriller in which I am somehow the victim, the villain, and the unpaid production manager.
Suppose my husband says, “The electricity bill is a little high this month.”
A normal person checks the bill.
Me? I immediately calculate how many kidneys we can sell, which relative might lend us money, and whether moving to a Himalayan cave would reduce our expenses.
Within ten minutes, I planned our financial downfall, cancelled three imaginary holidays, and mentally auctioned off the sofa.
Then my husband adds, “Actually, I was looking at last month’s bill.”
EXCUSE ME, SIR! I’VE ALREADY BECOME A HOMELESS WOMAN IN MY HEAD.
And that’s the beauty of my stress management technique. Why deal with one problem when you can manufacture twenty-five more, completely free of charge?
My brain doesn’t have an OFF button. It has a BREAKING NEWS channel, broadcasting disasters that haven’t happened and probably never will.
At bedtime, when sensible people count sheep, I replay a conversation from 2014 and invent five better replies. Naturally, I win every argument at 2 a.m.
I wake up exhausted, but victorious.
A tiny survival tip: When your brain starts producing a disaster movie, ask yourself one question: “Is this actually happening, or am I just auditioning for a tragedy?”
Then take a slow breath and deal with the problem you actually have , not the seventeen imaginary sequels.
Your brain may complain. It was enjoying the drama. 😂
Moral of the story: Life will give you problems. Don’t let your imagination provide the director’s cut, a sequel, and a behind-the-scenes documentary.
I’m trying to manage stress one day at a time. Unfortunately, my brain has already scheduled a crisis for next Thursday.
At this point, I don’t need stress management. I need to fire my brain, evict it from my head, and change the locks. The tenant has been creating problems, paying zero rent, and disturbing my sleep for years. 😂
One response to “Stress Management: How to Ruin Your Own Life Before Breakfast😂”
Thanks for sharing. I also live under a quite unpredictable daily budget, incomparable to a typical household though. I see moneyissues as follows; money flows, like water, especially without complying to the 5 Sociocratic principles for a token. Just take 30 min extra to shower, no other input and think a bit longer, wait a bit longer, before firing up that brain in the morning. Unpredictable ‘fitness landscapes’ in a fluctuating world economy requires a flexible psyche as well Unfortunetaly.
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