The extra events and to-do list items can be tough for anyone. Those who have challenging family dynamics, grief, and/or an adjustment to some kind of new “normal” can find the holidays to be extra difficult. Anxiety ramps up, and the holidays offer a smorgasbord of unhealthy coping strategies: obligations to shop and advertising that talks you into spending more, freely-flowing alcohol and high sugar/high fat foods, endless events that can keep you from slowing down to feel your feelings, and that false reassurance that if you do enough you can make Christmas magical for everyone around you.

Just like a diamond, our experiences are made up of different facets. Often, when they are negative, they look like a jumbled mess. We need to consider each facet to make sense of what we are experiencing. Then we can figure out what we can do about it – or if we want to do anything at all about it. Sometimes just separating the thoughts from the feelings from the facts, etc. helps shrink the issue down to a more manageable size

The hard truth is that there are many things in life that we just cannot control. And yet, that doesn’t stop us from trying. We often don’t realize that we are trying to control as much as we are. Subsequently, we don’t recognize that we beat ourselves up for failing to control something that wasn’t ours to control in the first place.

Our thoughts during times of big emotions turn into future catastrophizing. We anticipate all kinds of terrible future outcomes and react as if they are all happening right now. We become emotionally flooded and the rational part of our brain checks out temporarily. We are in survival mode. Bringing ourselves back to the present time reminds us that we are safe. Right here, right now, nothing terrible is happening.

When life hits you with overwhelming circumstances, sometimes you just do not know where to start. It’s all so incredibly overwhelming, especially when you feel like you are fighting multiple battles at once. Maybe there are many different directions you could take to deal with your circumstances (which feels overwhelming). Maybe it seems like there are none. But there is always at least one “next thing.”

Jennie Sheffe describes 10 ways journaling can help bring relief for anxious thoughts and feelings and highlights some common obstacles to giving journaling a try.

Christian women can feel painfully alone in our struggles. We assume that if we are not happy, put-together, optimistic, we must lack faith. If we share this struggle, then everyone will know we are not trusting God the way we are supposed to.

Somewhere along the way, these thoughts took form and our brains practiced them until they became beliefs. Our brains believed these lies, and then looked for evidence that they are true. We expect them to be true, and it all happens automatically. Intentional thought morphs into a backdrop of negative messages. We develop a filter through which we look at life; this filter shows us that we are not enough.

These negative thoughts do not feel optional.

We can be overwhelmed by those "Murphy's Law" kind-of days, where everything that can go wrong, does. But when we have multiple stressors that are deeper than daily events going wrong, we can feel long-term overwhelm.

Just like a diamond is one thing with many facets, when we experience emotional distress and indecision there are many sides to it. The FACETS approach can help women find relief from the anxiety of overthinking.

“Oh, I am just a perfectionist!” We toss that label around as if it is no big deal. This is an acceptable label, often used in an attempt to be self-deprecating yet still make ourselves look good.

However, perfectionism can actually be a big deal.

When our own opinion matters, it is easier to be clear on where we want to spend our time, money, and emotional energy.

Are you feeling anxious and overwhelmed? This blog post helps define anxiety and offer some deep breathing strategies to help you find relief.