Problem
I have been feeling overwhelmed lately and I think it is just me. My husband and I get along well, and our children seem to be doing okay too. I just have this down feeling a few times a week. I work and I can get through the day pretty well. Sometimes when I’m watching the news I could just cry. I feel overwhelmed with the way people are treating each other. I watched the supreme court justice proceedings and I felt so bad that it looked so ugly.
I have decided that I can’t watch the news, because it upsets me. My husband says just ignore it and move on. I guess that is what he thinks but it does not help much. I work with people all day and they seem to reflect what I see on the news. Maybe I’m just being sensitive, but it wears me out. Sometimes I just have to go out the door of my office and shake myself in a manner of speaking, so I can finish the day.
Is there something I can do about this?
Discussion
Not everyone is affected badly by day-to-day life, but I have a sense that people want some peace. It probably is a good thing to stay off the news. It seems that the media only tells about the bad things that go on, but rest assured there are good things going on as well. If we hear something over and over again it does begin to affect us in a way that promotes overwhelm.
I believe it would be great to take a vacation from the day to day and put something more positive in your mind. We are responsible for ourselves and if we know that something that we cannot help is affecting us badly: like the bad news, take a step back. I think that starting the day with some reminder of good things cannot hurt us. The more we focus on the not so good, the more we will be affected by it.
There are so many daily devotional books, that you could read from. Decide what you would like to read. Read daily for your health. We cannot help all that is going on in the world, but personally it helps me to pray for all of us. One of my favorite prayers is the St. Frances Prayer. It keeps me focused on what I can do. If you are a prayerful person: pray. A nice simple vacation would not hurt. The self-care that we choose keeps us on point. Ask: What am I doing for my peace of mind? Do something that helps. Repeat this small phrase: I choose peace.
To submit problems, contact Juanita Sanchez, psychotherapist, by email at [email protected] or through High Plains Journal.
