Throughout all of the challenges I’ve faced recently, two things that have remained in-tact are my positive, sunny disposition and my can-do attitude.

These qualities are part of what define me at my core and are just some of the reasons why it’s been so “easy” for me to bounce back during these struggles.

Of course it hasn’t been easy to face all of this, but I’m committed to making changes. I’m also more than willing to put in the hard work necessary to ensure the changes I make are permanent.

Taking Action

A quick trip through my archives on this site makes it easy to see that I’m a woman of action. When I’m faced with struggles or need to make changes, I don’t skip a beat when springing into action. I’m not sure how I’ve honed this ability over the years, but I’ve become someone who can roll with the proverbial punches and come out stronger on the other side. It’s sort of like the idea that I’ve done it before, and I’ll certainly do it again when it comes to making positive, healthy changes in my life.

Right now, a lot of the need has been to focus on taking care of myself. I’m a selfless giver, and I’ve finally recognized that I sometimes tend to give more to others at the expense of myself.

While this is a great quality in terms of being compassionate, helpful, and caring, it doesn’t do me any good if I’m not ensuring my own health and happiness before I concentrate my efforts on other people.

This has been a great realization during this turbulent time of self-awakening and I’m so thankful to have the incredible insight and awareness I have now. Some of the new ways I’m taking action include the following:

Yoga and Meditation

The largest reason for the recent arguments was stress. Just like alcohol, stress is a poison for our bodies. I’ve learned the hard way that if you don’t pay attention to your stress levels and do everything in your power to alleviate any tension, you’re potentially setting yourself up for your own perfect storm.

For me, the solution to this problem is to find a combination of being active and gaining insight and awareness. This is best done through yoga and meditation.

So far, I’ve purchased an Amazon pack of Bikram classes (I was cleared by my cardiologist last week to attend and I went on Friday), I’ve negotiated a permanent volunteer position with another studio that will give me at least three free classes each month in exchange for 4 hours spent helping the business (which begins tomorrow), and I’m attending community meditation classes weekly at yet another studio.

While it’s only been a month, I can honestly say that I’ve never felt more whole and alive before. I’m excited about the growth I’m achieving daily, and I know that it’s already having an amazing impact on my life. It also helps that as soon as I’m cleared to run, these things will certainly help round me out as an athlete and will help prevent future injuries.

Building a Support Network

Another side of personal growth is pushing myself out of my comfort zone when it comes to meeting new people and cultivating a strong support network. It’s a bit ironic because when people meet me, they usually remark about what a down-to-Earth, likable person I am. If they don’t comment on that in some way, they definitely comment on the insane amount of energy I have. 

On the surface, this makes me sound like a gregarious, Type A person. The reality is that while I’m super Type A in terms of hard work and setting/achieving my goals, I’m pretty shy and reserved when in big groups. Once I get to know people and feel comfortable with them, it’s game on but that warm up period can take some time for me.

I can instantly bond over common interests (especially active, outdoor activities), but I do need to work on developing deeper friendships with people here in Boston because my closest friends are scattered around the country. Phone calls and emails and texts are great, but I am a huge fan of face-to-face communication, and I can see the tremendous value in having a network here given all these recent challenges I’m facing.

Loosening the Purse Strings

Finally, something related to PF in this post…ha! 

Actually, I share all of this to inspire but to also show that money is connected to every part of our lives. Stress not only wreaks havoc on your body and relationships, but it can destroy your budget and finances if you don’t keep things in check with your spending, tracking, and goals.

On the flip side, for someone like me who’s always so in tune with every penny and goal, I’ve needed to actually loosen up a bit. It was a hard pill to swallow to realize that it’s OK to allow myself to spend a bit more right now, but it was definitely helpful to give myself a $500 “Treat Yo Self” fund for this month.

With that money I’ve had my first ever massage, have gone out to eat with friends, and even allowed myself the ridiculous luxury of parking my car in the garage in the city. Small, frivolous luxuries that have been great for my stress level are certainly worth the extra spending at this point. Of course this isn’t padded into next month’s budget, so I’ll need to rely on other outlets such as what I’ve listed above to ensure I’m staying healthy while also responsibly managing my finances.

How do you cope with difficult challenges and struggles?