Worry, Stress, and Anxiety are all Soul Depletors. They also threaten health.
All efforts to simplify ones life such as, reducing obligations, penciling less onto ones calendar, learning to say "No", getting enough sleep, exercise, meditation, accepting those things that cannot be changed, and putting some energy into what can be changed helps to minimize life's tensions.
One huge worry that causes both stress and anxiety is financial concerns. Too many bills. Spending more than one earns. Credit card debt.
Noise. We all have particular noises we find annoying. Dogs barking, screaming kids, other people's loud music, car alarms, honking horns...
Urban living is rife with a multitude of noises occuring all hours of the day.
Rural living, too, has its racket such as hay balers, cows, roosters, dogs barking...
Few places of human habitation are without racket of some type.
Few of the urban or rural sounds can be controlled or eliminated. Sometimes the of barking of dogs can be diminished, however, complaining about dogs can also damage neighborly relations.
I've discovered that many sounds can be adapted to and eventually cease to be bothersome by changing how you think about them.
White noise machines, music, and earplugs can help to stifle or mask sounds coming from busy avenues or through thin walls.
Overcrowding. Too many people occupying too little space over a long period of time causes stress and anxiety. Time to oneself is essential.
An early morning walk means fewer people out and about.
Setting aside a spot at home that's just yours for reading, sitting, thinking. Even a spot that must be shared by taking turns gives everyone a bit of self time. A bathroom fits the bill here - a soak in the tub is a great destressor. You might have to lock the door, tell everyone to leave you alone unless its an absolute emergency, or ask someone to watch the kids for 20 minutes or so...
Clutter. Too much stuff. If you have to pay for offsite storage because you have too much stuff stored at home - the basement, attic, garage, and house are crammed full to overflowing - you probably have too much stuff.
Clutter is a "disease" of affluent societies. Most of us have stuff we don't use and don't really need. Too much stuff can be oppressive. Cleaning around and under excess stuff makes that job take longer. Each thing we own increases our responsibility to take care of it, repair, clean, and insure it.
Simplifying by reducing the amount of stuff we own can create actual and psychological breathing space.
* * * *
Of course, there are many more things than those mentioned over the last several weeks that deplete our Souls, but the most common of those have been addressed.
In the days to come we'll get on to the simple, fun, free, and easy things we can all do to Restore our Souls!
Comments