This picture was taken back in June of 2022. I am driving. I might look sad to some. I was processing a multitude of overwhelming emotions. Stressful ones. See, as a -mostly- introverted thinker, yes I have taken the MBTI test more than 15 times by now, emotions are things I used to put under a rug while I focused on doing something else. Only to discover, years later, that the healthy thing to do would have been to digest them on the spot, or as soon as possible, and to move on. Because once that rug grows to be as high as a mountain, its explosion can be quite a spectacle. Not a pleasant one though. And being a private person means retreating into my cave to process whatever mess is at hand...

How did I deal with stress over the years?

First, having a structured mind, I needed to determine what kind of stress it was: was it due to a situation at work, a financial issue, a relationship concern, or something else?

Second, I would take a deep breath, and focus on isolating myself from any surrounding noise. In my head. I would later learn that some of my intuitive behavior to deal with devastating news is taught as NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) tools to help oneself. And others. For instance, watching myself being in the scene and reliving it was just a trick to detach my mind from the emotion associated with that particular event. Getting in touch with nature, especially barefoot, was another stress reliever that energized me. Meditating by emptying my mind while listening to soothing music or praying was another means to tame my mental demons. Getting physically active was another practical way of letting steam out and feeling good in my body.

Third, and this is as important as the previous steps, learn from what had happened and direct my attention to the positive to be perceived. And be committed to feeling good. Happy. Content. No matter what life might bring up. It's ok to kneel. But most important is to stand back up. And keep moving forward.

Some quotes I loved on stress:

Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this too, was a gift - Mary Oliver

Many a calm river begins as a turbulent waterfall, yet none hurtles and foams all the way to the sea - Mikhail Lermontov

Even too much sunshine can be devastating, while only with rain can growth occur. Accept both as part of the growing process in the garden of life - Donald S. Neviaser

Rule number one, don't sweat the small stuff. Rule number two, it's all small stuff - Robert Eliot

It is not a daily increase but a daily decrease. Hack away at the inessentials - Bruce Lee

Writing this post I just remembered an example our NLP coaches reminded us of more than once: how do you eat an elephant? One piece at a time. Because we are human and we have limitations, our way to circumvent them is by finding smarter ways to get what we want. And it is pretty much feasible. One thing at a time...

What do you think?