These days I hear from many people how much stress they have in their life. The stresses come from so many places; political tension (no matter your views, both sides of the view have angst), fear for your livelihood, providing for family, loss of identity, well the list of concerns I hear is endless. All these concerns are legitimate and real. When they are your concerns they are real. Trying to ignore concerns seldom helps. Rather look at the concerns and think about how or where each came to be. And especially how much of this concern needs to be held?
Often we treat each concern as though it has to be an all encompassing thing in our life. Concerns, when yours, deserve attentytion. But does it need all the attention its receiving? Is it all encompassing? Holding concerns to such an extent for long periods of time is physically, emotionally, and spiritually harmful.
Though in reality these concerns are real and draining and to be resolved need attention, is the concern an appropriate fair amount based on its level of concern, intensity, current need, and so on? Look at your concern to determine how much and how soon this concern needs attention. Often, even current intense concerns can be better evaluated and managed when they do not receive all-encompassing attention. Balance is important for spiritual, mental, and physical well-being. Does this concern really need attention every waking moment to the point it is also taking over sleep? Can you find ways to balance this concern by also being attentive to other life activities? If you can find ways to hold your concerns less intensity then you can release a part of the taxing energy you are holding and often find more energy to work on the more intense concerns.
Take time to think of your energy and how you hold the concern of a particular energy, how much energy does it deserve? How soon does it need more energy? What else in your life also needs attention? Can the concern be put to the side to give your energy a spiritual, emotional, and physical respite?
One technique is to imagine you are able to put your concern in a container for a period of time. Let it be there for what is an appropriate amount of time, while you go do other things. Then go back and get your concern and have refreshed anergy to use to care for it. But if you think you can put it in a container and leave it, just know, it will come back to you and sometimes demand more of your energy draining what you just allowed to be replenished.
And even better, when you don’t drain yourself, you are less likely to drain those around you. When life stresses and concerns are present, balance the attention they need with what it needs in relation to other life things and the people in your life. Be kind to yourself and others.