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Again, today, I am dealing with outright discrimination. Usually it is more subtle, masked and harder to spot. But sometimes it just comes right out and stares me in the face, completely undeniable. Which is actually helpful, and preferable, because they I can name it, and try not to internalize something I am not responsible for. Life is challenging for everyone. Why do some choose to make it even harder for others, simply because of one characteristic? Why is it so common for us, as a society, to marginalize minority groups? We are all just trying to get by, take care of ourselves and our families, make the world a better place, and live our own lives. Why do so many insist on making that harder? Oppression is as old as the human race. It seems that each generation we evolve a bit, taking strides to make discrimination a less acceptable practice. But yet it is still so prevalent for so many people. When will we finally decide enough is enough? That we all have better things to do than to push other people down?
On the site today I found the Daily Stress Relief Tip: Prioritization is the first step of stress management. This speaks directly to my biggest struggles of late. Figuring out where to focus my energy and what to let go of is an essential piece to my personal stress management. Daily I face responsibilities related to school, work, my internship, personal care, relationships, family and housekeeping. I cannot do everything asked of me at all times. I have to care for myself by prioritizing my responsibilities and balancing my own needs and interests with those of others. This includes defining my own expectations and letting go of others’. The best way to prioritize these responsibilities is constantly shifting and I am continuously evaluating my strengths and needs and how to balance them.
Late on Saturday, my grandmother fell and broke her hip. She is old, frail and in poor health. At 91, she has had an amazing life. She is not healthy enough for surgery. But at the same time, she must have surgery in order to relieve the pain and to ever be able to move. There is a good chance she may not pull through as she was already in such poor health before the fall. I went to visit her yesterday, to tell her I love her and to make sure I had a few moments with her in case they were my last. Now I wait for word on when (and if?) she will have surgery and if she makes it through.
While there never seems to be enough time to get to everything, I really appreciate days, such as today, when I feel that I am able to find a bit of a balance. Today included a slow, easy, restful morning followed by a short spurt of cleaning. Then I made it to the farmers’ market by 1pm and afterward met up with a classmate for a study date. Though I get less done when I study with others, it was nice to be semi-productive and semi-social. I came home and had a little down time before heading out for dinner and a walk around the city with a good friend visiting from out of town. I was not able to cross much off my to-do list and I anticpate tomorrow being a bit crammed with homework, but it was well worth it. Finding a balance makes a huge difference in my overall stress level. Tonight I feel rested and also nourished from a good meal, a walk and time with a good friend. My house is less of a disaster from my quick clean and I was able to make a small dent in my school work. I don’t think I could ask for much more than that!
After recovering from a bad stomach bug, I am finally feeling like a human again. Now I need to get myself back on track! I had been working so hard to eat better, exercise more and stay on top of my responsibilities, all in an effort to stay healthy and lower my overall stress level. But of course, being sick threw all of that off. So now I need to focus on getting back into the habits I had been establishing. First I need to spend a lot of time this weekend catching up on work and continuing to take time to give my body extra rest. Then in the next few days I need to get back into my exercise routine. Finally, I need to move back into more healthy eating habits. It’s amazing how hard it is to eat healthy when sick! I have been eating simple carbs because they are easier to digest, no fruits or veggies, no dairy and very little protein overall. Now that my stomach is mostly back to normal I am starting to eat healthier again and I can already feel the difference physically. Being sick set me back, increasing my stress level considerably. Now I need to balance taking care of myself and getting back into healthy habits so I can keep building my immune system!
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Daily Stress Relief TipPrioritization is the first step of stress management. |
