Just Another Day's Journey

I have been a chronic “stuffer” for most of my life. My definition of being a stuffer is a person who ignores their feelings, concerns, and challenges and stuffs food, work, and other activities in its place than deal with it. I came face to face with my stuffing after my car accident in January and had no choice but to deal with it. If I wanted to regain my confidence and my life I had to learn how to unpack my feelings and deal with them.

Admittedly learning to undo years of stuffing is challenging but it is something that I must over come. I suppose that is why I write. Years before I identified myself as stuffer I wrote poetry that embodied my feelings of where I was in the moment. I am glad that I chose to use that outlet back then but I don’t believe that I have poetry in me anymore.

I write about my stuffing because I have hit another roadblock in my life that would normally cause me to stuff but I refuse to do it. Lately I have desired to stuff myself with food to comfort me or numb my stress. Fortunately because of my health I cannot stuff the food that I am craving down my throat. No. I lied. I can but there are consequences to doing that. I choose not to do that this time. I will not throw food, work, and anything but the issue in place of my true feelings. I have to live the words that I share with my clients and do something different. I must have a plan so that when these moments hit me I will be ready.

To survive this challenge I must acknowledge my hurt, anger, frustration, or disappointment. Ignoring them will only cause me further stress. I must express the truth behind those thoughts that honor my feelings and not downsize them or make myself feel bad for having them. God gave them to me for a reason and ignoring it would be ignoring a gift. Finally I must remember a time when God gave me strength to overcome something similar and a scripture that matches the situation. This plan is not full proof but it’s more than what I had in the past to deal with my stress.

How do you deal with your stress?

Just another day’s journey of honoring my feelings instead of stuffing them. Peace.