Stress isn’t necessarily a bad thing for us. It keeps us alert, gives our day a sense of purpose and energy. It can drive us to do wonderful things in our lives. How much stress we have and how well we are reacting to it will affect us, however. For our purposes here at The Warm Milk Journal , we will focus on the kinds of stress that could put our minds into overdrive and keep us up at night.

So here goes:

1. Feeling disorganized: closet a mess, stacks of magazines in home, untidy desk, an “e-mess” of emails in inbox, sites bookmarked in particular order, photos, ideas and dreams and goals in the brain with no plans on how to make them happen,  etc.  Any of this sound familiar? This is a lot to tackle, but I guarantee you the more organized we are the more calm we will feel. I get stressed looking at magazines or books that aren’t put away for instance. Start off small. Perhaps tackle one organizational project a day or week. Do it at a pace that feels right for you. When you complete one task (such as setting up a system for your photos), reward yourself.
2. Too many commitments: Many of us get caught up in this one. We “nice people” have a hard time saying no. Well, it is okay to say no. I finally learned that some years ago. We don’t do our families, our communities, or ourselves any good if we are spread too thin and just get plain worn out and used up. It is better to get clear on what we really value. Then commit to the few things, projects, friends, hobbies, volunteer opportunities, etc. that we feel we really can and want to take on. Then give those few commitments our all and feel good about saying yes to those things.
3. Work: job too demanding, not demanding enough and you are bored too death, not enough pay, too long a commute, sick of your complaining colleagues, endless meetings, travel that takes you away from home, etc. Our work lives can be a major source of stress for us if we let it. This is where our journals can come in handy. Really meditate and write down what is important to you in your work life. Give the process some time but some ideas will surface on how to create work or manifest a job that really serves you and the greater good. Our work and what we do for a living is such a huge thing in our lives, I will write posts in the future that will explore that issue in more depth.

Related Posts:

• Today’s challenge: look at a “problem” with a different perspective
• Being in balance: a journal writing exercise
• What are you committed to? A journal writing exercise.
• We are bigger than our anxiety
• What were your dreams when you were a child? A journal writing exercise.