Adjustments **

I begin the last online class for an associate’s degree in less than two weeks, and it means that life will be different because my focus will be different. Once upon a time, it would have sent me into a panic or at the least an undercurrent of anxiety for the entire five weeks of the class. Anymore, I just roll with the punches and kicks life throws at me mainly because life has thrown so many of them at me that I just bob and weave my way through them now. Every now and then, one connects and sends me reeling, but mostly, I have a good cry or shout — whichever is most comforting, sing some worship music, get a good night’s sleep, and get up to take on the world again. Please don’t think I’m trying to tell everyone to take the hard knocks of life lightly because that is most definitely not always possible. I’m simply observing that dealing with so many things in my own life has helped me deal with new issues as they arrive.

The class isn’t a problem. It’s just something to which I have to adjust. For instance, recently, I’ve been on a big decluttering run, looking for a new job, and trying to improve my blog. This class means I’ll need to adjust my focus for a bit, but it’s just a handful of weeks. Then I can continue to focus on the other things. I can work with that because rolling with the breaks is what I’ve learned to do.

I visited the dentist today for a temporary crown, and I haven’t been in a while for any major “repair” work. I’d forgotten that I don’t like it when they put a mouth pillow in to hold my jaw open. I would much rather just do that myself because I can control my jaw muscles better than with the mouth pillow. I nearly panicked when they put the mouth pillow in, and the dentist was concerned I might need more medication. Instead, he decided to try the work without the mouth pillow, and in my head, I just went to my peaceful place. I hummed hymns and worship music and ran the words through my head and prayed because that’s what I do when I get anxious, and for me, it works to calm me. By the time the dentist was finished with his work, he patted me on the shoulder and said in a bit of surprise that I was a really good patient.

Yes, I still have days when something triggers anxiety or depression, but I’m much better at whipping out my coping mechanisms because when it happens, I remember that I’ve been there before and know what to do to combat it. I can’t speak to anyone else’s situation, but I know what I have to do in my own battles. I hope when periods of adjustment arise for others that they can find what helps them deal with the struggles that come their way.

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Inspirational verse for the day:

“And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.” Deuteronomy 6:5 (NLT)