It's Okay If You Don't Feel Like Celebrating
Many people are more stressed than happy right now
If you’re feeling stressed out and in no mood to celebrate this holiday season, you’re in good company. A recent poll of U.S. adults found that “around a third of adults (34%) reported that stress is completely overwhelming most days.” 68 percent “said this is the lowest point in our nation’s history that they can remember.”
There are many other alarming findings I won’t mention here. My point is not to give you more reasons to feel bad. I just want to emphasize that you’re not alone if you’re struggling to cope with life these days. I certainly am.
Many of the stressors the poll listed, like inflation, crime, and the political climate, are things beyond our control. That makes it all the more important to control what we can: how we react to them. The American Psychological Association recommends steps to “build your resilience in uncertain times. They include:
Envision the best possible scenarios and ways you can help make them happen.
Try something new to prove to yourself you can handle the unknown.
Volunteer or take another action that helps you feel connected and empowered.
Don’t beat yourself up if others seem to deal with uncertainty better than you do.
Ask yourself what you’d tell a friend worried about the same things you are.
Take responsibility for your life instead of looking for someone to rescue you.
Which of these ideas seem most likely to help you? Have you tried any of them? If so, did it reduce your anxiety about the present or help you worry less about the future? Do you do other things that calm you down when you’re stressed?
As I’ve shared before, nature walks work wonders for me. Unfortunately, it’s usually too cold for me to want to spend much time outside this time of year.
I’d love to know what works for you!
I’m doing a lot of work on this topic with my clients too. It’s important to honor. For me, focusing on what I can control-myself-is pivotal. It doesn’t mean ignoring what’s going on in the wider world; it means making the day to day impact I can. Affirming others existence. Coaching such a mindset. And, like you, getting out for hikes or walks (with my pup) truly does ground me!
Yes, I'm feeling it too.
Thanks for sharing those suggestions from the American Psychological Association. It's really good to be reminded that we can take steps toward feeling more empowered.
This made me feel not so alone, so thank you for that.
It also makes me sad that so many of us are feeling this way. Part of me doesn't even want to acknowledge that because I don't want to multiply that feeling.
But we should acknowledge it. Life is hard, and we're exposed to so much more than we were built to handle. So big props to all of us for getting through it.
Now let's get through it with more intention—taking responsibility for what is ours; remembering to take care of ourselves (self-care is crucial); envision the best possible scenarios and see what we can do to make them happen.
Thanks, Wendi. I needed that. :)