Let’s be real—life is demanding. You’ve got work, responsibilities, expectations, and somehow, you’re supposed to balance it all perfectly, right? But have you ever stopped to ask yourself: What exactly am I feeling?

Is it stress? Anxiety? Frustration? Depression? These feelings often get tangled up, making it hard to pinpoint what’s really happening. But don’t worry—that’s exactly what we’re about to untangle.

Ever feel like you’re trying to do everything at once, and yet nothing is actually getting done? That’s stress. Stress is your brain’s way of saying, “Hey, you’re taking on too much, and I’m officially overwhelmed.”

And here’s a hard truth: multitasking is a myth. It doesn’t exist. Even computers don’t actually multitask—they just switch between tasks so fast that it looks like they do. Humans? We’re even worse at it.

When you focus on one thing at a time and actually finish it, your brain rewards you with dopamine—the “feel-good” neurotransmitter. But if you keep bouncing between tasks, constantly shifting your focus, that dopamine release never happens properly. Instead, you feel drained, stuck, and—yep—stressed.

So, what happens when stress takes over? You start to feel like you’re losing control of the now—which makes you worry about the future. This is anxiety.

It sounds like this: “What if I can’t get everything done?” “What if I mess up?” “What if I fail?”

But here’s the kicker: Anxiety isn’t actually about the future. It’s about not feeling in control of the present. Think about that for a second. If you felt totally in control of this moment, would you still be worried about tomorrow?

Now let’s say you keep trying to fix things, but nothing seems to work. That’s when frustration kicks in.

Frustration says: “No matter what I do, it’s not working.”

If you’ve ever thought, “Why even try? What’s the point?”—that’s frustration taking you to a dangerous place. Because when frustration lingers for too long, it can go one of two ways:

1. It turns into Anger – You feel like an injustice has been done to you (or someone you care about). But anger has a twin sibling: Guilt. The aftermath of anger often leaves us regretting the damage we caused.
2. It turns into Hopelessness (Depression) – When nothing seems to work, you might think, “I give up.” And giving up can turn into not caring, withdrawing, and feeling stuck in a deep, emotional fog.

First, recognize what you’re actually feeling. Stress, anxiety, frustration, sadness, anger, boredom—they all have different roots. The key is to stop treating them as one giant mess and start addressing them for what they really are.

And second? Take back control of the present. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Right now. Because when you regain control of today, the future starts feeling a lot less terrifying.

So, tell me—which feeling have you been struggling with the most lately? Let’s start there.

Your Feelings Are Not the Enemy—They’re Your Internal Compass

Ever wondered why emotions feel so overwhelming? The truth is, they’re not here to destroy you—they’re here to guide you. Just like your five senses help you navigate the physical world (what you taste, touch, hear, smell, and see), your emotions are your inner senses, signaling what’s happening within.

But here’s where things get tricky: When a feeling becomes too uncomfortable, we tend to distract ourselves instead of addressing it.

Think about it. When you’re stressed, anxious, or frustrated, what do you do? Do you binge-watch Netflix? Scroll endlessly on social media? Work yourself into exhaustion? Maybe drink a little too much?

Distractions come in three forms:

• 1️⃣ Habits – Automatic responses that keep you busy but don’t fix the issue.
• 2️⃣ Coping Skills – Temporary relief, but no long-term solution.
• 3️⃣ Addictions – When the distraction controls you instead of the other way around.

The problem with distractions? They don’t last and they don’t solve the real problem.

The good news? Every feeling has a satisfying response—a way to process it, rather than avoid it.

You can’t do everything at once—but you can prioritize. Write down what you need to do, number them in order of importance, and tackle one thing at a time. Delayed gratification is your best friend here. Do what needs to be done first, and then reward yourself later.

If you’ve already implemented the SBR for Stress (focusing on one thing at a time), you’ve already done half the work. The rest? Letting go.

Letting go is a spiritual choice. Every major belief system understands this:

• Buddhism teaches surrender to overcome.
• Aikido (a martial art) teaches waiting for the opponent to strike, then redirecting their energy—never forcing control.
• Christianity teaches surrendering burdens to God.
• Atheism & Agnosticism focus on surrendering to the present moment—because neither the past nor future truly exist right now.

Here’s the kicker: You already know how to be present. Think of the happiest moment in your life—chances are, you were fully in the moment. As children, we did this effortlessly. As adults, we let stress and anxiety pull us away. The good news? You can train yourself back into presence and experience more joy.

Sounds simple, right? But here’s why people stay stuck—because of the precursor emotion: Anxiety. They’re afraid to try something new because of fear of failure. But if what you’re doing isn’t working, isn’t that already a failure?

You don’t need certainty to move forward—you just need movement.

It’s not about motivation—it’s about discipline. When you train yourself to do the things you don’t want to do, you create momentum. Discipline is the strongest antidepressant.

1. Ask yourself: Is this truly unfair?
2. Make fair what is unfair—if you have the power to.
3. Forgive. (Forgiveness isn’t about forgetting or condoning—it’s about freeing yourself.)
4. If guilt is the issue, forgive yourself.

You can’t replace people. But you can rebuild your life, find new support, and honor what you’ve lost by continuing to grow.

Find people who care about what you care about. That’s where real connection happens.

New cars, new houses, new experiences—they all lose their excitement. But growth? Growth never stops giving.

And here’s the best part: Spiritual growth is infinite.

• You can never over-meditate.
• You can never over-pray.
• You can never over-seek wisdom.

Every day, you can strive to become a stronger, wiser, and more enlightened version of yourself.