Life at times is not always the kindest. It has a tendency of throwing things at you. Life even has a way of being sneaky at times. I am sure many of you can relate to this. I tend to fall into the category of laughing at most situations. If I did not, well I may end up crying. I have come to have a pretty good sense of humor and many that know me, will understand why I say this. Given my sense of humor this article is a play upon words. Some of the title you will find is based in reality however.
So as of late it has been very hot. Living in Missouri typically the humidity is horrid in August. My yard in August will be a nice golden brown. This year my yard has been brown now for several weeks. It has been nice because I have not had to cut the grass as often. I still water some sections but for the most part the yard has been dormant. This has had a bonus as well as it has saved me money on diesel fuel. Remember, we always have to look on the bright side.
So why is the title called "Beat the Heat". Well for one it has been hot. The office had the A/C go out and that was one of those luxuries you miss when gone. I was ready to get a block of ice and a fan. It was very bad and due to this I lost several appointments. I also could not imagine my home going without A/C. You always hear about several people during the hottest part of the year going without A/C. This at times leads to sad stories. Stories often that could have been avoided if resources were available to provide aid.
The other reason for the title is often our choices. We may think certain choices could lead to positive outcomes for us. However, some of these choices could lead to negative consequences for us instead. Heat makes most people uncomfortable during the summer. Thus the reason for adding heat in the title. The play upon words is that our choices at times causes heat in our lives that we do not want. Right now many Missourians do not want the heat that mother nature is blessing us with.
We have to be careful or our choices and our thinking. If we are uncertain we should take more time to explore. To process the short term and long term consequences of our choices. Process all the information at hand. Most of the time we have time to do this. Not all decisions need to be instantaneous. It is often in the heat of the moment that we make rash decisions. Take a moment, breath, and calm your mind. Then you will be more able to process and think clearly. Using a grounding technique to calm is a great option. I suggest using the 5,4,3,2,1 grounding technique. When using the technique you look for five things you can see around you, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. This technique can be very useful in reduction of anxiety and calming you during times of feeling overwhelmed.
With all coping skills and interventions they have to be something that you will utilize. If you will not use the tool then in the end it will not be effective for you. In the end that more clearly we can think. The better we are at making decisions. The easier it is for us to process the information at hand. When we learn these skills we are better at beating the heat of life.