Feeling "stuff" .... bad stuff, negative stuff!
You and I are probably a lot alike; we both are feeling a lot of “stuff” right now. Negative “stuff!!” Frustration, fear, impatience, and a general sense of “will this EVER be over?” meaning, the Covid-19 virus, the effects of it on our family, friends, livelihood and life. Where is normal?
Combined with the turmoil and chaos going on in some areas of the country, the rising prices of food, housing and medical and dental care…… back some years ago we used to express frustration and irritation by yelling “AARRGGHH!!!” (out loud this sounds like something between a bear with a sore toe and a swashbuckling pirate yelling “Ahoy matey”)
When we lift something heavy, most of us grunt or make a guttural noise of some kind. When we are agitated, we may go to the gym and lift a few more pounds, run a few more feet, kick the bag more forcefully as we cry out, howl, grunt or exhale deeply. For me, cleaning is my emotional clearing house. The more frustrated and irritated I am, the cleaner the baseboards may be and the thinner the paint covering them.
Anything like cleaning, dancing, running or other forms of physical activity that is healthy and appropriate is great to help clear out some of the pent-up emotion and frustration. Nathaniel Thom, a physiologist who deals with stress and its effects on the body writes, "exercise, even a single bout of it, can have a robust prophylactic effect" against the buildup of anger. Physical activity can even help make us happy.1
Sometimes it is hard to deal with the anger, fear, frustration and other deeper and darker emotions some of us may feel. The Insider website reports:
- 11% of American adults reported seriously considering suicide in June, about double the percentage who did so last summer, a new CDC report finds.
- Rates of suicide ideation were highest among 18- to 24-year-olds (25%) and unpaid caregivers for adults (30%).
- The report also found that the prevalence of symptoms of depression and anxiety quadrupled and tripled, respectively, compared to last year.
- In total, 40% of Americans reported some mental health issue or substance abuse related to the pandemic.2
Call immediately if you or someone you know is in need of talking, counseling, assistance or call 911 if it is a medical emergency. Don't wait and don't hesitate!
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1-800-273-8255
Hours: Available 24 hours.
Languages: English, Spanish.
Remember God loves you. He made you and values your feelings, your life, your dreams and your hopes. Deuteronomy 30:19-20 – “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life.”
Choose life and call for help!
1Reynolds, Gretchen. New York Times. “Well: Phys Ed: Can Exercise Moderate Anger?” 15 Aug 2010. https://archive.nytimes.com/query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage-9B02EED61539F936A2575BC0A9669D8B63.html
2 Miller, Anna Medaris. The Insider. CDC: 11% of US adults seriously considered suicide in June. 13 Aug 2020. https://www.insider.com/cdc-11-percent-us-adults-seriously-considered-suicide-in-june-2020-8