Dealing With It

In the past, I've been asked whether or not I go to a therapist or a counselor and I say no. When I am feeling really down, I do one of two things: write in my journal or turn to Disney.

I used to draw, but that hasn't been enough for a while. I can't express or flush out my feelings in a drawing of a figure or a landscape, but I can verbalize it in a journal entry.

Photo by Alex Perez on Unsplash

And, when my life is really getting heavy, I escape to the Wide World of Disney and forget about my issues and sympathize with a princess who never knew her parents until she escaped from her captor or one that has an unpredictable power that injured her sister or one that works 20+ hours a day to achieve her dream of entrepreneurship. Those are "real" problems, so I forget about me for a minute and dive into the heartfelt stories of mostly fictional characters. You may think this is ignorant or silly, but it is my way to stop my brain from constantly shifting from one idea to the next and just relax, and maybe even sing.

Lately, I have felt a lot of stress and pressure, which comes with the territory of interviewing for a job 1,200 miles away and then getting said job and uprooting my family of four to move an hour away from that job where there are 496 new people to meet and figure out how I can make their job easier while also boosting the reputation of my employer. Then, there was figuring out how to buy a house and support a family of four on one income and enroll my child in an appropriate school knowing that he has had specific needs in the past.

I did not invite you to my pity party, but I have been internalizing a lot of things lately and they make my stomach hurt and keep me awake some nights. So, instead of making myself completely sick or getting super fat by drowning in pints of Rocky Road, I have decided to turn to happiness. I figure that's the healthiest way to deal with things.

After reading one of my countless magazines, I started a journal entry that lists all of the things in my life that I am grateful for. This has helped me realize that my life is rich and I need to stop focusing on what I lack. I smile a little bit more with every list item.

After a meeting with my colleagues, I have also decided to watch TED Talks and read books about what inspires others to get my creative juices flowing. Americans are reading far less books than they have in the past and I personally refuse to be one of the reasons that libraries and bookstores are struggling. Reading is another escape that I enjoy, but variety is the key. Non-fiction for self-motivation. Fantasy for imagination, and romance to urge me to sit up a little straighter.

The escape is key. When I leave work, I don't talk about work unless someone specifically asks. I have to keep that work-life balance and the best way for me to do that is to make sure I leave home at home and work at work, unless there is an emergency that overlaps the two.

My tactics may not work for everyone, but so far, they work for me and I needed something to help me cope with all of the stress and developments occurring in my life. Let me know what you do to chill out or deal with the stress in your life. 

We are moved in!

It took an entire week and we still have a few items left in our apartment, but we are all moved into my parents' house. I didn't realize how much stuff we accumulated over 5 years. We filled the POD and there are boxes all over my parents' house. We have clothes in every closet of the house and instead of looking through every closet to find outfits for work, I have decided to wear my mother's clothes. All of her clothes are in one closet, so it is just easier.

While we were trying to move our bed to the upstairs bedroom, the box spring wouldn't fit up the steps. So, my parents were willing to get a saw and chop off the post of the bannister. I actually had to talk them out of it. I appreciate the thought, but there was no need for them to ruin their bannister for a one month stay. It eventually fit upstairs anyway.

So far, so good. TK is ecstatic that he had pancakes for breakfast, pizza for lunch and macaroni for dinner today. It doesn't take much to please us.

Is it weird that I'm excited?

As we make moves to buy a house, our next move is to abandon the apartment we've been living in for 5 years and take all of our stuff to my parents' house for about a month and a half. A large amount of our stuff is currently sitting in a 16-foot POD on my parents' driveway. TK and I are going to stay with my parents' while we take the necessary steps to buy a house and save some money in the process.

But, is it weird that I am excited to move in with my parents again? I have fun with them and TK is preparing for movie nights and take out Fridays. It seems like he is more excited than I am, and they aren't even his parents.

My mother decided that, when we move in, I have to cook one dinner a week. TK is convinced that it has to be something that I have never cooked before, so I have decided that they are all in for a world of hurt and nausea. We will see how this goes. I may have to blog about this entire experience because it is not every day that a 30-year-old woman and her 35-year-old husband move in with her parents and cohabitate for a month or more. Stay tuned for the madness that might ensue. I am just hoping to not get kicked out for suggesting too many pajama nights watching "Country Strong" or "Green Lantern." Who am I kidding? On a regular Saturday afternoon, I might find my dad watching "Mean Girls" or "First Daughter" on Showtime. We might be the breath of fresh air that their household needs...or not. Like I said, we'll see.