The stress in your life can be from many different things. You may be struggling financially, which many of us are, juggling the kids, your job, taking care of your home, health, and several other reasons. But whatever the reason, you may find yourself feeling defeated. Trying everything and anything to get ahead, stopping the quicksand from pulling you under.
Some of us may have family and friends to help and offer support, but there are others that do not have that option. You may feel alone in this, which can be quite scary. Navigating this thing called life is never easy. Exhaustion sets in at some point. Even if you possess the strength and determination to be better and do better, at some point the burden may get too heavy. When that happens, it is important to dig deep down and find the strength needed to continue on.
I have been there. Sleeping my days away, watching movie after movie, even obsessively having my nose in a book. All because it feels better to consume yourself with someone else’s story, life and happily ever after. Drowning out the noise, the stress, the depression can seem like a great idea. Who wants to be overwhelmed and on edge from the moment you open your eyes, until the time you close them? Stopping your mind from running wild with constant chaos has its benefits. Using a distraction like books and movies to calm yourself at night, is a good way to relax at bedtime, but letting it consume your day, your life, and using it as an escape can be very harmful.
It is important to avoid falling into bad habits that can manifest causing even more problems that you need to overcome. Diving into a depression, will only further delay your fight against stress. Staying positive is essential. Don’t waste time ignoring the issues at hand by creating another one, exhaust every option that can help you get back on top.
Identify Why You Are Stressed
Identifying your stressor or stressors is the first step in conquering them. Knowing what is causing your nerves to be on edge is the best way to help you find a solution, a direction, a plan of attack.
Financial Instability
If you know right off hand that the issue is financial, then you are one step ahead of the game. The only problem with a financial stress is that it can have a domino effect and seep into other areas that involve money, payment, or even your credit score.
Financial instability is a broad term. It can mean anything from a lack in income coming in to an abundance of money going out. Maybe you have student loans that are weighing you down, or have maxed out your credit cards, causing a high minimum payment with a balance that never goes down. As I said, this type of financial problem can have a domino affect on your credit score, eliminating any type of help from a traditional bank setting. Once your debt is over 30% of your available credit, your score starts to decline.
When this happens, you can certainly feel like the world is weighing you down. It is your job to lessen the burden. Try reaching out to your student loan advisor, or a consolidating firm to release some of your stress. With any luck, you may be able to claim a hardship, or defer payments on your accounts. It is worth a shot.
Stressed Out With the Kids
If the kids are causing some of your stress, then you need to make more time for yourself. Whether that means getting them to bed earlier, or planning play dates at someone else’s house, or involving them in an activity that does not cause more stress on your already tight schedule. There are several after school programs that provide bus service.
If that isn’t the issue, but children fighting in the house or being disrespectful, then you need to find a way to gain control. Check out the free forums they have online, or therapy, if you can afford it. Sometimes it is about bringing everyone together to form more of a family unit. If you create more structure in your family dynamic that can sometimes calm some of the chaos. Enjoying each other by eating dinner together without any cell phones present, or organizing a game night to bring everyone together may help. It can be hard to get children to conform to something new, so there may be issues in the beginning, but children thrive off of schedules and structure, even if they fight it. Eventually you might see a shift in behavior.
Employment and Income
Most people today live from paycheck to paycheck. This can cause a strain in the home. When you live from one paycheck to another it can seem like a balancing act that leaves no room for error. So, what do you do when you get a higher than normal utility bill, or you need to make a repair or buy a new appliance? Do you pull out the credit cards, save up, have your water, gas or electric shut off due to non-payment? There is often not a solution when you are in a race against time. Should you not pay one bill to pay another? That only causes you to pay late fees or worse, turn on fees. Trying to avoid this is your best bet. You want to be as prepared as possible.
Take the time to call each utility to see if you can be put on a budget. They all have plans or programs to assist in lowering your monthly bills. Next, take a look at your income. Do your bills exceed your pay? If so, try to figure out a budget that will leave you with some extra savings at the end of the month. Cut out any expenses that are not necessary, right down to the coffee you buy every morning on the way to work. Just think about the money you can save if you made coffee at home. It may only be $2.00 a day, but if you look at the savings per month, or even per year, it adds up.
If you find that you are stressed at work because of lack of pay or even more work than you can handle, take a good look at the situation. Don’t be scared to make a move. If you think you deserve a raise for all the extra work you do, then ask for one. If you think you are well suited in another area of employment, then put yourself out there and move on. Take a chance on yourself. Don’t stay somewhere that you are being taken advantage of, or that you have no room to grow. There are always other opportunities out. You may find one even better!
Finding a Solution That Can Help
If all of this seems like just too much and you need help, then look at your options. If it is money that you need, but your credit will not allow it, and you have no family or friends that you can rely on, look elsewhere. There are several alternative funding solutions that may be able to bail you out of a jam. Maybe a quick payday loan if you need money today, or even a title loan if you need more than a cash advance can provide. The interest rate is higher than a traditional loan, but it may be your only option if your credit is not in good standing. Take a breath, and the time to consider all of your options.