While life is pretty good for us, actually amazing as we are constantly being reminded by people around us, I still get stress triggers that are really minor compared to scarcity and uncertainty that many people face. Here are some examples from last and this week
- Our flight to Perth for the 5 of us were split into 4 different flights with my mom having to layover in Bali for 7 hours and arriving in Perth at 2:40am ALONE, and Lizzy flying alone from Bali to Perth. You can imagine my reaction. After a full week of back and forth with trip.com agent, we are finally all in one flight on the way there and mostly in one flight on the way back. What a relief. I usually use kayak to search for flight and lately have been booking all our flights through trip.com, especially when booking economic airlines which is impossible to deal with. Trip.com customer service is excellent. I can talk and email them, and they actually respond.
- Not having all hotels booked for New Zealand. I know we are 3 months away from our trip. Considering limited lodges in many of small places, I was advised by a colleague that went last year to book everything early. Finally, I sit down on Monday for 4 hours and planned our itinerary and booked all stays. I feel relieved now.
- The job that I’m interested is still not out for me to submit application, which makes me anxious as I have started preparing for the interview, assuming I get to be interviewed. I keep reminding myself to be patient. When it comes, comes.
My rational self tells me that these should not stress me, but my physical body can’t help but to stress. I know it because on Tuesday morning while running I felt a semi-panic attack. My sleep quality has not been great either. Then on Wednesday, all the flights were changed to one itinerary, I could feel the stress melting away.
Although I can’t dictate my body to not stress about these minor things, being mindful about stress triggers help me to be gentle with myself, rest more, meditate longer, and be confident that either way things will be resolved in the near future.
Q: What’s your coping strategy for minor life stressors?
Our New Journey 
Your coping strategies are sound. You have identified your stressors (which would stress me out, too!) and know how to calm yourself.
Whenever I feel overwhelmed, I tell myself to just take one step at a time and to be patient. Things will turn out well in the end. As it did with your flights and hotels. And as it will do with your job!
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The body keeps the score, that’s for sure.
I can’t believe that flight situation! What a nightmare!
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Travel arrangements are so stressful because you have to predict and think through so many things far in advance. I am always so relieved when our flights are booked and we have a place to sleep. Gold stars! And I’m so glad you have better flights and can stick together!
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Arranging travel has become such a hard task with getting people on the same flight, luggage or no luggage, layover/stopover time, etc. I feel like it used to be much easier. I am glad you got this sorted out.
And even if that seems like “minor” things compared to what other people face, our bodies will always give a stress response to what WE perceive as stress regardless how it compares in the grand scheme of things.
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I’m glad you were able to adjust the flights! 4 flights is a lot of connections!! Yikes!
I deal with minor life stresses by trying to talk about them with Phil or a friend. It helps to get the thoughts out of my head!
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Minor life stressors… are part of my life always… I try to remind myself that as long as nobody is sick with some terrible desease, or on death bed, all is well. It’s just inconvenience or minor annoyance. On the grand scheme of things all is okay. Time outside, away from my phone, walking barefoot on grass helps.
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