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Effective ways to manage stressors?

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Posted 4/11/2012 12:24 AM (GMT 0)
Hi all:

I am reaching out today because I am having trouble with extreme avoidance. For about a year now, I have been in a (seemingly) constant state of stress and upheaval. I do well for sometimes a month or so at a time, keeping up with everything I am trying to do then seem to hit a wall where I can tell if I don't give myself a break (sleep, avoid) that I'm going to fall into destructive patterns.

the problem is, I notice that the avoiding and sleeping are a destructive pattern, themselves. I have been unable to find work, am in the process of trying to find a place to live (will not have one shortly), applying for public assistance, trying to figure out how to finance the last 4 credits of my college degree-- basically, it feels like there is a never-ending list of "to-dos" so telling myself I just need to get through x, y, and z so things can calm down is no longer an effective option. But if I start avoiding, again, I know I am going to make my situation more stressful and aggravated.

Have any of you had this issue? What did you do to try and manage the situation of peaked stress while also maintaining your mental health? Would really appreciate some feedback/ideas :)
Posted 4/11/2012 12:56 AM (GMT 0)
One of the main reasons we feel stress is that we feel overwhelmed and that things are out of control.

Given that a good way to help manage that stress is to organize.

Just as a cluttered room or desk can cause stress, especially when you try to find something, a "cluttered" life can cause stress and make it feel like we can't possibly get it all done.

Make yourself a schedule to organize your tasks. Allow time to work on everything that needs doing everyday. Determine how much time to work on something by its importance but do not, if at all possible, work on just one thing all day long. Too often when we focus on a single task all day or longer we end up becoming counter productive and the issue ends up seeming larger than it is.

While making your schedule be sure to schedule time for yourself everyday. Schedule yourself some breaks in between your various tasks and schedule yourself at least 1 consecutive hour....non meal times... that is for you to do something that is only for you. This can be whatever it is your enjoy. Exercise, watching tv or a movie, reading a book, working on a hobby, whatever.

The important thing is to forget about everything else that is not on your schedule and focus only on the scheduled task.

Because life can be unpredictable at times do not become extremely rigid in the time slots you assign to tasks. Be flexible when needed and be willing to swap slots as needed.
Posted 4/11/2012 1:05 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks-- I think that is some solid advice. I do tend to focus on overdoing one thing instead of working on a variety of tasks, like you said. I'm thinking of finding a way, too, to make "to-do" lists without making them seem endless and daunting!

Thank you for the help :)
Posted 4/11/2012 1:12 AM (GMT 0)
I personally do not like making basic "to-do" lists where you just list out the things you need to get done that day, week, whatever as they can seem quite overwhelming. Even if each task is actually only a 5-10 minute affair when you end up with 10 or 20 items on the list it seems impossible, but when you take that list and schedule a time block for each task things tend to seem more manageable.

It is not uncommon when first getting into this for it to seem easier said than done. Just do your best with the scheduling and learn as you go. Before you know it you will become a real pro at it and probably end up wondering how you managed to get through a day of kindergarten without it.
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