Over the summer there were two water-related issues in the house. 1) A room flooded. All the carpet had to come out. My life was in disarray for a little over a month until the room was fixed and everything was back to normal. 2) A few weeks later there was a tiny leak the size of a pin-prick in my closet. The carpet in my closet had to come out. I stayed with friends for a few days until the room was fixed.
This post is about the tiny leak. Sometimes it’s the smallest issues that throw you for a loop.
This is how it started: after showers, I noticed water pooling in the middle of the bathroom floor. There was a wet patch on the rug and every time I stepped on it I felt like I found a new wet patch I hadn’t noticed before. I dried the spot, put a new rug down, and that was that. It happened again a few days later. There was a wet patch in the middle of the bathroom floor and I could have sworn I knew how to dry off after taking a shower, but considered the possibility it was a basic life skill I abruptly lost. I dried the spot and replaced the rug.
As I started to get ready I noticed a spot on the floor of my closet. Little One doesn’t go to the bathroom inside of the house, but maybe I ticked her off and she decided to show me, or maybe I missed an outing and she couldn’t hold it any longer. I cleaned the spot.
A friend came over. We were going out and thought it would be fun to get ready together. I realized I must not have dried the spot well, because the corner of the rug was wet. I pointed it out and we started to get ready, but the more we walked over that rug the bigger the wet spot became. Just to make sure I wasn’t crazy I mentioned it to my friend and she agreed. Definitely growing.
And then I saw wet footprints on the carpet in my closet. That’s right. I had a to-do list a mile long, a weekend that was supposed to be quiet in which to complete it, and the motivation to do all the things. But this happened…
I caught it early. Nothing was ruined except for part of the carpet and we that carpet is due to be replaced soon anyway. But still. It was the second water issue in two months and I had just finished living in a construction zone for a month and a half. For two weeks after that I rearranged/reorganized the rest of my living space and it was pretty much done. I was SO. EXCITED. to be done with “house stuff” and just focus on other things… like work, the blog, and my writing. So I was a little frustrated.
As soon as the leak was fixed I thought about tackling that to-do list, but I knew I was not in the right mindset to take care of that. I needed to take care of myself instead. If you are frustrated by whatever life has thrown at you recently, here’s the perfect recipe to soothe a frustrated soul.
1 // Give yourself permission feel your feelings.
Often we’re told, “Life isn’t that bad!” “You have a GREAT life!” “Think of how much worse it could have been.” And all of that is so, so true. I can/did acknowledge that and I’m sure you can, too. But it doesn’t mean you don’t feel the impact these inconveniences have on your life. I can’t remember the last time my anxiety has been as high as it was throughout those months of water damage. My living space was in disarray, I had work to do, and things I wanted to get to, and I was so overwhelmed as I tried to juggle it down. I felt like I was letting people at home down when I focused on work and letting people at work down when I focused on the house. I was so ready to put the things that caused it behind me. This water leak wasn’t as bad as the first one, but I was still unsettled.
And it’s okay to feel those things. Give yourself some time to sit with your feelings, process them, and even express them. Pushing them away and pasting a fake smile on your face isn’t going to deal with them. Don’t dwell on them, but give yourself time to feel them, and then move on.
[Tweet “Give yourself permission to feel your feelings. You can’t deal with them if you push them away.”]
2 // Take care of yourself.
Chances are, you need a little TLC. So take care of yourself. Take the time to cook a nice meal–or order something in, if cooking stresses you out. Get some cardio in and sweat out the frustration, or calm yourself down with some slow yoga. I had been a little lax with my skincare routine and I felt like my skin needed some attention, so I took the time to give myself a facial. After being on the go for a while, it felt so great to take some time and take care of myself. My skin thanked me for it, too!
3 // Create a relaxing environment.
Whether that means dimming the lights, covering your couch in pillows, or creating a fort, do whatever will help you relax. For me, it looks like: just enough light to do whatever I plan to do, diffusing essential oils, and a pup by my side. Specifically my pup. She’s the sweetest.
4 // Do something fun.
Make sure you continue to take a break from your to-do list and do something fun. We all need breaks; this is the perfect time for one. I’ve found that my “fun” activity varies based on what I need a break from. If it’s just an endless to-do list, losing myself in a book is exactly what I need. If I feel harried, painting slows me down. If life is just a little too much, writing makes me feel at peace. If I don’t want to think anymore, a movie or a TV show marathon it is.
5 // Go to bed early.
Sometimes I think it’s true: a good night of sleep can fix anything. Obviously, I don’t think that’s true ALL the time. But sleep can help with so many of the little things in our day-to-day life. Have a headache? Get some sleep. Having trouble working something out? Get some sleep. Have an upset stomach from eating too many Twizzlers? Get some sleep.
I don’t get enough sleep on a day-to-day basis and I know I’m not the only one who can say that. When you’re frustrated, do yourself a favor and get some sleep. After you’ve processed your feelings, taken care of yourself, relaxed, and done something you enjoy, go to bed and let sleep work its magic. You might not feel 100% yourself the next day, but you will feel better.
I’d love to know, how do YOU soothe a frustrated soul?
[Tweet “Overwhelmed by life? Here’s the perfect recipe to soothe a frustrated soul.”]
Learning to feel my feelings is one of my most important things for me. I used to hide it or immediately try to not be sat, upset, etc because I just wanted to show I’m happy. But just dealing with how I really feel just helps mentally!
It really does! I think we’re often told we should let ourselves feel certain things, but really need to so that we can process them. I believe we do, at least. 🙂
I love using my diffuser after a long hard day. It really helps with my mood and creating a more calming environment. I’ve always wanted to try out yoga as a way of healing and de-stressing.
Yes! Diffusing oils always picks me up when I’m feeling down or cranky. I hope yoga is helpful for you if you decide to try it out. It always has been for me. I need to get back into it.
Great ideas. I just recently shared similar ideas that help me when I feel like I am in a funk, here https://eclecticallykandl.com/2018/08/22/trying-to-get-out-of-a-funk/.
Learning to accept the way your feelings is key. Yoga really helps me focus on my whole body and mind on a daily basis.
I loved your post! Yes, learning to accept our feelings is so important. I’ve always found yoga to be helpful, too. I need to get back into it.
Oh man, I get SO frustrated with leaks and other household disasters! I love your idea of a facial and I will watch a TV marathon while it is on my face! perfect!
It’s so frustrating to have to deal with all of that! I hope the facial and TV marathon is helpful for you the next time you feel frustrated… or if you just need a way to unwind at the end of a day! 🙂
Ugh, household disasters are the worst! Especially water in the house, we just dealt with a wet basement due to the rain. I wish I had read this then to help with my frustration, it’s really helpful!
Yes they are! It’s so frustrating to deal with that kind of stuff. Especially when it’s water, since it can create so many problems. I hope your basement recovered well from the wetness! And thank you! I”m glad to hear this was helpful.
I soothe my frustration with a soak in the bathtub reading a good book. I see an oil in your hand. Which one is it?
That sounds like a great way to soothe your frustration! I don’t have a bathtub, otherwise that probably would have been on my list, too. 🙂 Yes! It’s Release, which is a Young Living blend of some floral and citrus oils along with sandalwood. It’s supposed to help release frustration and I’ve found it to be helpful with that.
This is a good list! It does throw everything off when something unexpectedly bad happens. I would add that it’s ok to ask for help in these times if you need it. You can pay back the help whenever your friends and family need it!
Yes, definitely! That’s a good one. I actually did have a family friend come in and he’s the one who found the leak and was able to patch it up. So helpful!
House stuff is pretty frustrating.., totally feel ya girl. I always take a walk and try and clear my head! IT’s totally okay to have all these feelings. its okay to feel upset its human!
It so is! A walk is a good thing to do to help with those negative feelings. It helps to get some exercise in. 🙂 And yes, I definitely agree that it’s okay to feel everything. It’s part of life.
It’s understandable to feel so overwhelmed and anxious when things like that happen. I felt that way when our house was in disarray during the move, and you’re right, you have to take care of yourself.
Yes! Moves can be so stressful. It’s hard to live in a space that is out of order.
Love this! So needed today. My soul has been overwhelmed with stress and the tips you shared help! THANK YOU!
I’m so glad to hear this was you needed and that it was helpful!
I have been dealing with annoying household repairs myself so i know how frustrating it can be. These are great ideas for dealing with the stress. I like to go for long walks. Sometimes just getti g outside helps.
Yes! Get outside, get some fresh air, and get some exercise in! I hope your household repairs are over.
I’m so sorry you had the water issues but this is a great post. I love your retweetable about giving yourself permission to feel your feelings. As a life coach of many years, I totally agree. xx
Thank you! I’ve always believed that I need to be able to feel everything to help process them. If I don’t, I just stuff them away and that’s not helpful in the long run. 🙂
This is so annoying! But I love the post that came from it! Going to bed early is always the best when possible!
Thank you, Chelsea! Yes! It’s always helpful to end the day when you can and get that extra sleep.
I’m so sorry that you had to go through another leak so soon! I think you’re spot on that you need to be able to verbalize how you feel during stressful times. My dogs are great at comforting me when I’m sad or upset.
Dogs really are the best in situations like that. My pup is definitely my comfort dog!
Thanks for sharing! My dogs and horse are definitely a great way to get my mind off of life. For a while I worry about something other than what is causing me stress. I also read books and have TV marathons as a way to simply decompress.
Yes! Those are great ways to decompress. My dog is so helpful for me, too. And horses! I don’t have any, but a good friend of mine does and when I can spend time with them it always takes my mind off of whatever is stressing me out. She calls them her therapy and they definitely are!
Sometimes just sitting and doing nothing helps when I’m frustrated
Yes! That’s so true! Just sit back, do nothing, and relax, if you can. 🙂