Waiting for test results pertaining to my masters, flights cancelled to my wedding and redirected without my consent, cracked windshield, and a pile of paper work to deal with my job that had mandatory deadlines; Suffice it to say, the last week has been an incredibly stressful one for me. In the past, when I was in times of stress food was my comfort and something that I turned to when I was in times of stress and nervousness. While I could still munch down on some Southwestern Cheese Curls when it came time for my packet, I found myself really being aware of not using food as my crutch. I am a Marriage and Family Therapist Trainee and work with client surrounding mindfulness, anxiety and helping them slow down; why was I struggling to take my own guidance?

So, I took a deep breath and looked at the pieces that work so well for my clients and applied a few to myself. I reminded myself to ground and breath deeply. Sometimes taking a deep breath or 10 can be the best thing for ourselves. often times when we are anxious we forget to breath almost completely. Second, go for a walk, read a good book, free write thoughts, drink a big glass of water or whatever it is that can slow you down is what I turned to next. Finally, realizing that everything will inevitably work out one way or another is what kept me focused and moving through. It is easier said than done and now that I am on the other side of things (yes, I passed) I am much more calm, but these are a few tools to start the process. I leave you with this quote that is my current mantra: