Facing our Stressterdays

Earlier this week, my dogs had their semi-annual trip to the vet. They like their vet, but they don’t always have fun there. (Needles and nail trims, oh my!) Alas, it was a day of no drama and lots of pets and treats, so all was well.

However, the stress had been real. And the next day, it was evident that their stress had manifested in their bodies. Their eating habits had been off, their sleep was a bit disturbed. Stress is real, and you just can’t logic with a dog.

I always plan for extra treats for the day-after-vet day. A little extra love, a little extra patience, a little extra time. A little bit of extra care can go a long way, after all, when recovering from yester-stress. In very short order, the effects of Stressterday are gone and forgotten (until the next trip!)

For us humans, we’ve been living in a time of high-stress for a while. The persistent stress of COVID, the ancillary concerns of economics and relationships, the reality that we don’t have the security we once believed: these stresses have been with us and affecting us in mind, body, and spirit. Add the anxiety-inducing headlines and it’s no wonder we too are feeling the stresses of today. Further to this, we seem as a society to have decreasing coping mechanisms and basic interactions and communications. This can only worsen our stress-o-meter.

So what do we do? First, we can focus on the reality of what IS rather than the perception of what IF. If we react to a created doom we are feeding our fears, but if we respond to the challenges at hand, we are likely to be in a better space. Also, if we remember to exercise the basics of interconnections, we can alleviate problems –such as speaking to one another instead of about one another, bringing tensions to the people best equipped to seek solutions (not gossiping or posting on social media), committing to collaborative efforts that build community.

And most of all: we can pray. Not because prayer will make everything better; but when we connect with the divine, our souls ground in the source of love. And love, we know, showers us with the gentle care and compassion we desire.

Today’s worry is enough for today, scripture tells us. Let’s respond to today’s worries appropriately, so that tomorrow we can face the day fresh and unaffected by stressterday.