When I became ill in my twenties and could no longer manage my everyday life as I had before, I began to rethink my entire lifestyle from the ground up.
What I ate, what I wore, the things I kept around me…
At the time, I was convinced that there must be one decisive cause somewhere, so I worked hard to figure things out, trying one thing after another.
But in the end, I realized that it was the overall balance of my lifestyle that mattered. As I gradually got my daily life into better shape, my symptoms began to ease.
It took about ten years, but although I didn’t make a complete recovery, I was eventually able to get my everyday life back.
I tried just about everything I could think of. Even though I made plenty of mistakes along the way, I could feel that I was gradually moving in a better direction.
But at some point, I hit a wall.
No matter how “perfect” I thought my lifestyle was, I couldn’t seem to get any better.
And not only was I no longer improving—I increasingly felt as though I was getting worse.
As this continued, my spirits began to sink as well.
Some people may feel completely well simply by eating foods that suit their bodies or getting enough exercise.
But what if, no matter how much you try to create the “perfect” lifestyle, you just don’t seem to feel better?
In that situation, one thing worth considering is stress.
I don’t think there is anyone who lives completely free of stress.
And perhaps a certain amount of stress can even help keep us focused and on our toes.
But when stress becomes too intense or continues for too long, it can become a mental burden and may affect the body as well.
That’s why finding ways to relieve stress is important.
There is plenty of information out there about stress relief—in books, online, and elsewhere.
Sleep, diet, exercise, taking a bath, hobbies, talking with other people, spending time in nature…
Simply being mindful of these things in your daily life may help reduce stress considerably.
I also think it’s important to regularly release the stress that has built up before you even realize it.
But that made me wonder:
Why does stress build up in the first place?
Lately, I’ve started to think that not knowing yourself well may be one of the underlying reasons.
Imagine pouring water into a container without knowing how much it can hold. Eventually, it will overflow.
In the same way, if we keep pushing ourselves to do this, that, and everything else, we may become more irritable or even start feeling unwell.
I think it’s important to know your own capacity—and to have the courage to let go of what simply doesn’t fit within it.
And as for my own “container”…
I have a feeling it’s quite a bit smaller than I thought it was. 😂
Know yourself well, and do what you can, within the limits of what you can handle.
I think this may be one of the keys to taking good care of yourself and reducing stress.
By the way, I’m sure many people also struggle with stress from relationships.
Family, friends, coworkers, acquaintances, neighbors…
I’m sure there aren’t many people who can honestly say, “I have absolutely no problems with anyone!” 😂
I’ve also realized something about this, so I’d like to share it.
I took two leaves of absence from work because of health problems.
While I was on leave, there was one question I was often asked:
“What do you usually do all day?”
It was such a simple question, but every time I heard it, I would tense up inside.
Why did such an ordinary question make me feel that way?
Because thoughts like these would come rushing in:
“I’m not doing anything meaningful.”
“I’m not working, and I’m not raising children.”
“I don’t feel like I have any value.”
And then I’d think:
“Wait… what am I actually doing?”
“…Maybe nothing.”
After struggling to find an answer, I think I’d eventually say something like, “Well… housework, I guess?”
But at some point, I realized that these feelings were coming from my own assumptions.
Without even realizing it, I had been telling myself that I always needed to be doing something meaningful and productive.
Otherwise, I felt as though I had no value.
But the truth was, I was already enough simply by being alive and existing.
It took me a long time to truly believe that.
But once I did, that uncomfortable “uh-oh” feeling disappeared whenever someone asked me what I was doing.
In fact, I started feeling happy that they were genuinely interested enough to ask. 😊
And now I happily tell them all about my everyday life! LOL
It’s a small thing, but realizing what kinds of assumptions I was carrying helped remove one little source of stress from my life.
I’ve also come to feel that I’m getting better at accepting myself just as I am.
Knowing yourself.
When I think about it, I haven’t had many opportunities throughout my life to really slow down and take an honest look at myself.
I feel like I’ve always been focused on things outside myself—my surroundings, other people, and everything happening around me.
Maybe it’s good to occasionally turn our attention inward and take a peek at what’s going on inside our minds.
When we do, we may discover something we weren’t even aware of: a little “sticking point” in our hearts or minds.
And sometimes, these unresolved little things can drain much more of our energy than we realize.
Facing them may take some energy at first.
But once that inner “sticking point” is resolved, it can feel as though both your mind and body have become a little lighter, and your energy starts to come back.
Know yourself well, and do what you can, within the limits of what you can handle.
This is the mindset I’d like to keep carrying with me as I continue taking things one small step at a time. 😊
Thank you so much for reading today!