3 ways to keep it cool when life is heating up

No one ever told me that “adulting" would be so hard. When you’re a kid, being an adult seems like the ultimate prize. ​Who didn’t say, “I can’t wait to grow up, move out and make my own rules!” 

I mean think about it. All many of us were focused on was being able to do what we wanted WITHOUT having to get permission, staying up as long as we wanted, and eating as many bags of Doritos as possible in a single night. Sounds good right? Well fast forward to to adulthood. Boom! It hits you like a ton of bricks and your left sitting there thinking to yourself, why the heck were we never taught how to be an adult in high school?! I know they can't really teach how to be an adult, but man...they could've at leave peeped us with how how to deal with the stressors of life...and in a healthy way. Forget history class! Where is the “Adulting 101” class? I know some of you may be thinking that we have parents and that is what they're for. But lets be real. A lot of the parents I know where trying to figure out how to deal with their own stress' in life while trying to raise the best children as possible. Okay, so what do you do when you finally realize that being an adult is not all rainbows and sunshine all the time? That being an adult is actually HARD. Real hard. With having bills, kids, relationships, jobs, school, and everything in between…what do you do when it seems like one or more of these things are falling apart? Or when you feel like everything is just out of sync and the whole vibration is off.

Well I’ve been there. Probably more times than I’d like to admit to sharing, but along the way I’ve learned a few things that keeps me from going off the deep in and cool things down with like is getting a little too spicy. 


Here’s 3 ways to keep your cool when LIFE is heating things up:

1. Breath.     This is probably one of the most important things you can do. When you are in the center of this tornado called life, everything seems to be failing and the feeling of being overwhelmed is literally taking over you like a plague…it is very easy to feel trapped. All you can think about is running away from life by any means. During times like these (or any time really) it is so important to take just a few breaths. Deep breaths. Try shutting your eyes and really feeling the breath go in and out your nose or mouth. In between the tears, you will find a sense of calm. These breaths will help ground and center you, even if it is only for just a moment.
2. Appreciate.     Once you have a moment where you can get a thought in. Take a break and appreciate. Find anything that you can be thankful for. When I say anything, I mean ANYTHING. If you are alive and breathing then perfect, you can be thankful for that. You can even be thankful that you are able to be upset and have a really ugly cry. It sounds crazy, but yes, be thankful that you have something to be upset about. It's ok to go through these different emotions. Be thankful that you have a home to give you protection, even if all the bills are past due and the lights are about to get cut off. If all you have is a loaf of bread in the cabinet and a jug of water, be thankful that you have something to eat. If your kids are nagging you nonstop, all day EVERYDAY…be thankful for that as well because it’s showing you that they love you enough to bother you. I know this sounds silly, but in the time where your world is crumbling, taking time to appreciate and think about even the small things...may be the only thing that will keeps you pushing through to another day or better yet, through the next 5 minutes. Remember that crying is not a bad thing. It's actually good to get that release. Just remember that as your releasing and going through theses motions, you try to appreciate.
3. Encourage.     This is the final step. Encourage yourself to push through whatever trial or tribulation that you’re going though. A simple, “I can do this” or “ it will be fine” can make all the difference in the world. I believe that everything in life (good or bad) happens for a reason we don't understand. So, I make sure I remind myself of this. IT is very easy to get ahead of yourself and think about ever negative outcome, but you have to remember that these are just thoughts-events that may have not event taken place yet. Just remember to be your own number one fan. 

So yes, adulting is tough, but you can get through your tough times. Just breath, appreciate and encourage yourself. Slowly you'll start seeing the rainbows and sunshine again like you did when you were a kid. You will be able to go through the motions of difficult and intense times. Yes, it may be hard and painful, but you CAN get through it.