This will be my last post about stress for a while as I have forced myself to change my perspective and be more positive. I become consumed with things that are out of my control and this is one of those times. I just submitted an article about it today and it should be posted in a couple weeks.
It is funny how the gym and working out provides a therapeutic "break" from whatever in the world is going on at that time. I have said before that I am lucky to have lived a relatively charmed life (so far) in that, yes, I have worked for what I have but I have not had anything of the trials and tribulations that a lot of other people have had to deal with - very little tragedy, I have healthy kids, I have never not paid my bills or been hungry, etc.. Still, I deal with stress just like everyone else in the world and I worry about these things happening whether they have or not - or even ever will.
When I am in the gym I don't have outside thoughts or anything negative (or anything positive for that matter). I am, essentially, apathetic or indifferent to the world when I am in the gym. If I am being honest, almost nothing exists outside of what I am doing in the gym at that moment. That may seem strange or odd to someone that doesn't do what we do but to you guys/gals reading this, I am sure you can relate. It isn't that I don't deal with issues or my problems but at least for that couple of hours, I get a reprieve and they simply do not exist.
As much as I need my workouts and my therapy time during stressful times, I admit that just GETTING to the gym is daunting and I sometimes feel it takes away from the time that I could be figuring out an answer or "fixing" the stressful problem. Essentially, I struggle with going to the gym where I can get a break from stress so that I can focus more on stress by staying home. Makes complete sense, right? 🙂
This week I figured out that a lot of the stress really is perspective because all of my worrying and planning has done NOTHING to change the outcome of my situation. The outcome of my situation changed this last week for the better but ... it was going to, anyway, because nothing I did contributed to the change.
I did get my therapy this week but I can't tell you much, if anything about the workouts as far as weights, exercises, sets, etc.. I CAN tell you that I am in a different place right now than I was earlier in the week and those workouts were life savers.
Even those that don't workout have their ways to cope with life. Working out is not my only escape. I love to ride my motorcycle and find very little to be more relaxing or therapeutic. Sitting at the ballpark watching a baseball game is another thing that destresses and relaxes me. It isn't that working out is the only way to destress and cope but for those of us that train regularly, it is typically our "go to" on an almost daily basis.
I am rambling but my point is that perspective is everything. It is very easy to find the negative in a situation but it is also draining both physically and psychologically. It takes more effort to see things in a positive light but it shouldn't. Almost everyone that deals with stressful situations comes out of it in a better position and better for it. I have no doubt this will be the case for me, as well.