While listening to my morning meditation on Wake Up, Wind Down, the narrator Niall Breslin asked everyone to think of things that trigger stress. I wondered what good that could possibly do, but realized it is beneficial to understand what things can negatively impact us. This isn’t so we can avoid stress per se, but more so we learn to recognize it and work through it.
So, here is a sad/inspiring list of things that trigger my anxiety and stress.
1. Spending a lot of money– Oh the irony. I carefully save money for specific trips and things I would like. Normally this involves getting a massage or going to the Spa on a trip. However, it is quite the endeavor NOT to feel the anxiety rise when I spend a lot of money on seemingly “frivolous” things.
2. Being in really crowded means of transport– I don’t have this happen to me often because I live in the SouthWest, but I did live in Russia for about two years. My companions and I (for my church mission) would have to take transport ALL THE TIME. I never told anyone about it, but riding on those crowded, quiet buses and subways was horrible for me. My poor introverted, empathetic self got overwhelmed quite often.
3. Getting lost on foot- This doesn’t happen often NOW, but when I was a young child I would often wander off on nature hikes and explore everything within three miles of my house. Sometimes, this would lead me to be stuck alone, and lost. That was a TERRIBLE feeling.
4. Having to be on computers/ technology for a long time– I have a technology limit and yet I work in a job that requires me to use it all the time. I often throw my phone in my room at night because I don’t want to deal with technology anymore.
5. Weighing myself– I haven’t weighed myself for maybe. . . seven years. I find no logical reason why I should. This is partly because it causes me INCREDIBLE anxiety. If I put my worth on something like my weight I won’t be able to escape it. It will take over most parts of my life.
6. Being around people with a lot of anxiety and stress– I am an empath and will soak up other people’s emotions LIKE A SPONGE. There are some days where I am feeling perfectly fine and BAM I suddenly feel incredibly depressed or anxious. I look around me and notice a person next to me or near me and it makes sense. A lot of times they talk to me and tell me everything going on with them in their life. They walk away feeling better and I lay down bogged down with a flood of negativity.
7. Sleeping in a really dirty space– like my sleeping space to be clean and open. If I don’t clean before I sleep I notice I feel really stressed because I notice all the little things I have to pick up or clean up.
8. Driving– Those who know me won’t be surprised when I say I HATE DRIVING. But I live where somewhere without a lot of transport so I have no choice. Every time I get into my car I have to work through a lot of stress.
9. Working on Saturday– I am a very busy person. I leave my house at about 6:30 AM every day and come home on average at 5:30-6. That is most of my day. Saturday is my destress day away from people and obligations. When I’m forced to work or do important things on Saturday my brain can freak out.
10. People talking to me when I go into stores– Clerks talking to me while I browse or people asking me questions while I shop are STRESS triggers. I often make a point to put in music or ignore anyone I don’t want to talk to just so this doesn’t happen. I always know what I want so having someone trying to force me to buy or look at something makes the experience bad for me.
Maybe you can relate to some of these triggers in your life. What I’d love to do in the future is not ignore these stressful things but learn to grow from them.
Hope you are all having a wonderful day! May we all learn from negative experiences and grow towards a better, more fulfilling future.
From the Perspective of an Old Soul 