Coping Skills

 

There are days and there are those days. You know what I mean. May be time to go back to bed & get out of the other side, sprinkle holy water around the house, and various pleas to the saints too.

My year is not as horrible as other people with serious illnesses, dangerous diseases or kids selling something or other at the door. But 2016 has started off on the wrong foot and keep stumbling downhill.

One cure I will rely on today - CHOCOLATE!!! Thank the Lord today is not a fasting day in Lent. Started off the morning with trail mix and plan to break out the reserves this afternoon. Tonight, comfort food and Java Chip ice cream.

"When I can laugh at it, it can't be that bad" is a big coping truth. You can see it in my warped and amused musings. There are always going to be bad days, horrible days, and worse days to cope with.

It helps to have little ways to cope. Take a short walk. A deep breathe. Stretching. Going outside. Cup of coffee. Cursing under your breath. A favorite memory or place in your mind to visit. You need to center yourself and stay in control to help others (and yourself).

Truthfully if you look at the big picture, you have gotten through much more trouble in your life. It is amazing we survived some days, and mom did let us live in spite of being teenagers. The trick is to remember there will be days after today and we carry on best we can.

Emotional Intelligence is often the best indicator of success. Likely because that is how we handle setbacks and failure. Successful people have many setback and failures in their career. We need to prepare for ours.

Develop a little humor, good health habits, good friends, an occasional stiff drink, and become balanced. Oh yes, prayer has been invaluable.