Coping Skills

I have been working on how I manage the rough hills. The rocky places. The dark corners you didn’t ask to fall into but somehow did.

I have tried the following:

Alcohol. This is a fun one when you’re up and when you’re down. Except, as I have learned, it doesn’t actually work super well as a coping mechanism. A depressant to lift you up? Nope, doesn’t work.

Food. Cookies, ice cream, popcorn! Yippee! But again, when is enough food enough? When does the joy remain longer than the last morsel you pop into your mouth?

Getting active. Now this one is a good one. Running worked really well, until my feet were attacked with plantar fasciitis.

Then, we moved on to antidepressants. Especially because the plantar hit just as the pandemic came screeching into view. Take away my running and isolate me at the same time? Impending doom results.

This winter I became proactive and added in a sun lamp. Sun lamp therapy before 9am for 30 minutes while raising three boys nine and under is…a challenge in itself.

Last night my mood was attacked again and I scrambled through my list of coping tools.

Alcohol. Nope. Food. Nope. Go for a run/walk? Not unless it’s me chasing my boys into their bed over and over again.

Finally, I turned to my spouse, miles away but still able to listen as I rambled about all the misadventures of the night. The boys grew quiet, my husband and I grew more kind in our conversation and eventually I saw the mood lift. I fell asleep early and discovered these are the two coping tools that work best for me – connecting with someone I love and calling an end to the day with sleep.

Tomorrow is a new fresh start.