STRESS
"After all, the wrong roads always lead to somewhere."
George Bernard Shaw
I just don't see the point
You're sitting in bed. It's 2:45pm, and you're picturing other people up and doing things. You wake up to the same routine, feeling like a passenger in your own life. The world around you bustles with purpose, but you struggle to find any meaning in it. Tomorrow will come, but the question remains: why bother?
I'm stuck in the middle
Your parents are divorced, and it left them bitter. They don't talk - they scrap when they see each other. Each parent has their issues, but their your parents. You want to respect them, but their actions creates this uncomfortable tension. Every decision is a weight to carry, knowing one or both will be upset with you.
I don't know what to do
Your working for the 10th day straight. You're drowning, but what else is there? You have to get it done, that's just what you do, so you keep going even though you know you can't. The thought of taking a break is almost admitting defeat - like if you don't work 24/7, you're somehow not worthy or something.
I don't like rocking the boat
You're in limbo. You just got a new job that requires overtime, and the chores are falling to your partner. You see that you're partner is struggling. You know you need to discuss this imbalance, but the thought of bringing it up creates a knot in your stomach. You tell yourself "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."
HERE'S THE THING
Feeling anxious is normal - it is actually what pushes you to do things. The problem is it now has taken over and is making you feel out of control. Many guys feel embarrassed, thinking it means they're not strong, but that's not true.
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Maybe what's most stressful - and scary - is being seen as a failure than actually doing something. It could be that feeling like you're not making a difference stresses you out because then life seems pointless. Having too much to do might leave you stuck, too scared to stop because if you stop now it means you gave up and are not trying hard enough. Or maybe you're steering clear of those hard chats because facing them head-on is paralyzing, even though you know waiting will lead to a fight eventually.
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Just because you realize high stress levels are not helpful does not mean you fixed the issue. Most times, you gotta actually deal with what's making you anxious to start feeling better. The longer you wait, the more it builds up.
