My Stress Story
by Tracy Oh
(Memphis, TN USA)
Stress in the Kitchen
I am a mom with a busy family, and have to deal with stress all the time. Many times things get out of control during the evening hours, especially around the time I need to make dinner. Often, my mind starts racing with all of the things I have to have done, and I grow increasingly frustrated when the kids do not seem to want to cooperate and are constantly asking me for things.
The thing that has helped the most is - I've tried to make it a point to focus on what is going on at that moment, and concentrate on how best to solve the problem; rather than letting myself worry about all the possible things that could happen, and all the things that I need to get done.
When I concentrate on the moment, it doesn't seem like an earth shattering thing if a kid asks for another glass of water while I'm trying to chop vegetables, or I spill flour and oil on the floor.
It takes some practice to take things one step at a time, but once you start, the difference in how you cope with things is incredible.
When you worry too much about things that might happen in the future, you are making your right now a lot more difficult and stressful than it really needs to be.
