Can We Say, "Stressed"?

The theme in our world these days seems to be stress! Everyday news  headlines bring tragic news we never thought possible, yet they keep on coming with what feels like no end in sight. Needless to say, our own family’s stress levels have risen. We worry about our black friends. We worry about our law enforcement friends. We worry about our Muslim friends. We worry about our black Muslim friends. We worry about our friends studying overseas. We worry about sending Cyrus to college and the list goes on. This cycle of stress and worry is getting heavy and the time arrived for our family to look at how we tackle tough times.
The reality is that life is choked full of challenge, smooth sailing and just eh moments. We seem to be in a time of emotional turmoil. A few months ago, a family therapist spoke to our local food allergy support group about managing anxiety. Her words of wisdom are our family’s theme song right now, “lean into your anxiety”.  As I started to respond to a request for anaphylaxis educational materials for my son’s college, my anxiety started to rise. I worried about finding the perfect materials. I stopped in my tracks and leaned into the stress. Why was I stressing? I should be feeling grateful they have asked me to help them find materials, right? I am fortunate to know of many resources, how can I be confused?  As I kept asking myself questions, it became clear.  Even though I am committed to finding materials, I also was feeling the stress from the recent headlines and my worry for my community during this time of turmoil. I was not addressing those concerns enough to avoid carrying that stressed out energy into my work with the college.
Basically, I was allowing other non-directly related stresses impact me. Once I sat back and realized this, I came up with my own plan for addressing all of my worry and concerns. One by one, hubby and I talked about our roles and how we can impact our little slice of the world. We chatted about what actions we can take to create improvement.  As soon as we put the world on pause to lean in, the stress began to melt and our ability to take action emerged. Suddenly, I was able to easily and happy find the right materials, we called friends that we worried about to say hello and to remind them that we care. We committed to having uncomfortable conversations with family and friends if needed, as we stand with our beliefs.
Stepping back, I can see how I was aligned to blow a great opportunity to support my son’s life-threatening food allergies and his new school community as a result of not addressing my stress. Stress addressed doesn’t mean it goes away, but it does mean I now have the power to find resolve and choose great materials for Pitzer College!