so maybe i have anxiety

Pretty sure I should be diagnosed with anxiety. Or something. How does this relate to simplifying, you might ask? Well, let me enlighten you.

I've written before that I am an organization freak. I can't sleep at night if I know that there is something left out on the counter, the dishes aren't put away, or the sheets aren't perfectly straight and wrinkle-free. It's been a problem at times--my husband gets frustrated if I ask him to put something away that he isn't finished with or when I ask if we can fix the sheets for the fourth time that night. I don't blame him! The same can be said about less-tangible things. I lost hours of sleep a night for nearly 2 months last February because I felt that I had too much on my plate. If I don't know where things are at with our budget for the month I go bonkers until I review every receipt and calculate the income vs. expenses five or six times. Guys, it's ridiculous.

That was part of my hope for these few months targeting simplicity. I'd hoped to find ways to cope better when things aren't *perfect* (Remember how I hate that word? Now you know why...) and to simplify my life in general so I wouldn't have much to stress over. So far, I haven't had much luck. Just ask Brooke. I think she gets texts at least every other day discussing how stressed I am and how I just don't know how to deal. I realize that some things I have to deal with and can't simplify, like my husband's grad school applications/fees/traveling for interviews/whatever. Some of these things are a necessary part of life, and will bring good things with them! It's just in the moment, I can't see the long-term benefits, I can only see the short-term stress.

Long story short, if you have any ways that you deal with stress, help a sister out! It's something I've not been coping with for long enough, and it's time to figure out a way to lessen it. My current coping style is to either avoid (by taking naps), eat lots of junk (which just adds to other stresses I have), or simply stress to the point that I can't function. It's absolutely debilitating. Any and every recommendation will be welcome!