Are you seething a little bit? Feel a low (or high) level burning as you get through your day? Find yourself numbing out or snapping at whoever is convenient? I just snapped at my cat. I feel you.
This is hard. The stress is real.
Frustration and anger is not bad. You are not bad for feeling those things. Those emotions are trying to get your attention. Here’s 4 ways to demystify the beast within:
1. Get it out of your head Journal, vent to a good friend or a safe virtual group, paint it out.
2. Peel it back What exactly is annoying the crap out of you? What is hurting you or leaving you feeling anxious? No judgement. But keep digging so that you can be as specific as possible.
3. Decide what’s right for you, right now Should you address it now, should you cool off first, or can you just let it go? What’s the right timing? You are in charge. Make the decision that is right for you.
4. MOST IMPORTANT – Notice it. Stop ignoring what you are trying to tell yourself. Things that were already a burr under your saddle are now Big Freaking Problems. (Thanks quarantine!) Instead of pretending that’s not true and will just go away, notice these pain points. What can you learn from them? What are they trying to tell you about your life and the sources of your unhappiness and anxiety?
No judgments or shame. What we are feeling makes sense – and can spur us to greater creativity and positive action in our own lives.