Un*Stuck

We’ve all experienced times in our lives where we feel less confident in what we are going through, second-guessing ourselves, wanting that crystal ball of an answer, and that never comes, so we doubt ourselves and in moves regret. This feeling can happen in many areas of our lives:

At work: “Do I take the promotion and see my family less, but be more financially stable…?”

At home: “I want the house tidied…clean space, clean mind. Why doesn’t anyone else see this?”

With family: “Why do I always fight with my 12-year-old? Why aren’t we connecting right now?”

In relationships: “I feel drained when I talk with Maggie…why is that? Do I want to be friends with her anymore?”

In grief: “I should’ve seen my dad more before he died….”

With Yourself: 

• I’m not doing enough. 
• Where did the time go today?
• Why am I so tired? 
• Why did I stop going to that cardio class I loved so much?
• When was the last time I tried a new recipe?
• What was the last book I read?
• Why are my pants so tight?
• How is it already bedtime? What did I do today?!

All of these questions on top of the unknown caused by Covid-19. How are we taking care of ourselves?

If you’ve had or are currently experiencing anything from above, you’re not alone. According to the American Psychological Association’s Stress in America 2020 Volume One report: 

“The average reported stress level for U.S. adults related to the coronavirus pandemic is 5.9. When asked to rate their stress level in general, the average reported stress for U.S. adults is 5.4. This is significantly higher than the average stress level reported in the 2019 Annual Stress in AmericaTM1 survey, which was 4.9, and marks the first significant increase in average reported stress since the survey began in 2007.

The average reported stress level over the past month related to the coronavirus pandemic for parents of children under 18 is 6.7, compared with 5.5 for adults without children, with nearly half of parents (46%) saying their stress level is high (between 8 and 10 on a 10-point scale where 1 means “little or no stress” and 10 means “a great deal of stress”), compared with 28% of adults without children who say the same.*“