Stress Management
The never ending to-do list feels overwhelming. It seems everybody always wants something from you. You would love to tell them all to leave you alone, close your door and put an end to the barrage of emails, texts, and calls. But of course that is not really practical, so the hamster wheel continues. And you are exhausted.
Relaxing Feels Lazy
Relaxing does not feel like an option because that feels lazy. If you take time for yourself all you can think about is all the things you “should” be doing instead. Plus if you take time for yourself the to –do list is still there when you are done. So what’s the point?
Usually you do a great job masking the stress that you feel. You’ve been doing it for so long it’s almost easy. When you get to the boiling point you may work up the courage to talk to a friend or a family member. You talk to them only to be met with piffy responses like “hang in there” or “it will get better". It doesn’t feel like they get it.
Other People Manage Stress Better Than You
You see other people taking stress in stride. So you have started to tell yourself that you must not be good at handling stress. You wonder what you are doing wrong, you see other people juggling even more than you but keeping so calm. What is their secret??
For a long time you did a really great job ignoring all the stress and just kept things moving. But now you have started to realize the toll the stress is taking on you and your body. You have been having troubles sleeping. You have been gaining weight. And your blood pressure is rising. All signs telling you that it is time to get the stress under control.
Ignoring it is not working anymore.
Seeing others taking it in stride gives you some hope that there must be another way to do this life thing! But when you try Googeling ways to manage stress it tells you to work out, go for a walk, or play an instrument. Working out takes time and does not completely seem to help. And you have never had an interest in playing an instrument. Not really what you were hoping to find.
Therapy as Stress Relief
You are hoping that therapy may be the thing that makes the difference. But how?
In therapy you will learn that all of those “musts” or “have to’s” on your to do list may not actually be musts or have to's at all. You can choose what you make a priority in your life and learn how to set healthy boundaries around the rest. You will learn to recognize when you are taking on more than you need to.
Also in counseling you will learn how stress works in the brain and how to use that to your advantage. With this information in hand, you can learn more effective ways of managing stress. Ways that leave you feeling ready to tackle that to do list without it feeling quite so overwhelming. And of course starting to see taking time for yourself as a priority, not a luxury. Because at the end of the day, if you do not take care of yourself, the things on your to-do list won’t matter if you are not around to do them.
Counseling for Stress Management in Charlotte
Life does not have to feel out of control. If you are ready to take the next step to managing stress and once again feeling in control, contact me today. As a therapist, I love using counseling to equip individuals with proven ways to manage stress.