The Alchemy of Stress
As accountants and moms, we are all under a good deal of stress these days.
Whether it’s due to work deadlines, health concerns, children’s schedules or a host of many other reasons, stress seems to be a daily companion for a lot of us.
Right now, it feels like there’s not much that we can do, about a lot of things.
As moms, that lack of a sense of control can be so overwhelming that it often seems that we are like pots of bubbling stress, about to boil over.
But what if, instead of judging ourselves for the amount of stress we are experiencing or trying to remove our stress, we use it, instead of it using us?
What if we chose to use the energy of stress, instead of being at the mercy of it?
Just like a pot of boiling water on the stove can scald you and hurt you, or it can make pasta and feed you, stress can be used for good as well.
As the term alchemy often refers to the process of turning base metals into gold, we also can turn stress into productivity.
Instead of adding self-judgement on top of our stress, or trying to escape with food, alcohol or Netflix, it might be time to use the energy of stress to take some action.
Instead of curling up into a ball on the couch, maybe it’s time to dust off that bike and burn off that stress energy.
If you’re anything like me, there’s probably quite a few kitchen cabinets and drawers whose contents could be cut in half.
Maybe you’ve also got a large bag of paper in your home office just waiting to be shredded.
I’ve got two dogs that would love to help me burn off some stress with some long walks.
The best part is that the “gold” after you’ve processed stress, will pay dividends in the form of cardio exercise, less clutter, and a better sense of control over what’s controllable.
Now it’s your turn – what could you do this week to use stress, instead of it using you? What actions could you take that will pay dividends in the weeks to come?
If you just can’t decrease your stress right now, then the next best thing is to put it to good use.