There is the old adage, “when it rain, it pours.” Every one of us goes through those moments in life where it is one storm after another and we get our feet on the ground only to quickly get knocked down again.
Frustrations of ongoing health problems, financial pressures or relationship strains can leave us feeling as though we just can’t catch a break and can trigger increased anxiety and depression. Unfortunately, this way of thinking is an easy habit for many to fall into when we are not mindful of our thoughts and situations.
During this stormy weather, we become overwhelmed by our emotions and lump one unfortunate incident with another. We may begin to dread the future, neglect the happy times and get caught up in unrealistic thoughts and fears, creating a sense of endless stress and anxiety that triggers the thought “it’s always something.”
Mindfulness is one of the four dialectical behavior therapy skills that can help women regulate their thoughts, decisions and emotions. When we are mindful we are able to think rationally and without emotional influence or judgment. In this case, mindfulness allows us be present in the moment and view each problem separately so that we avoid drowning.
Occasionally we all have a tough season where our life starts to read like Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events novel. However, if we are aware of this habitual thinking pattern we can stop the mind from feeling overwhelmed and comparing what happened in the past to what is happening now, and instead refresh our mind and focus solely on the issue at hand with full understanding that it has to stop raining eventually.
