A Stressful Story of Stress!

Spoiler alert: I lived...and you did, too

My first time in court

I was a newly minted attorney, doing contract work for another lawyer.

Now, when I say, “newly minted,” I mean I still had the shrink-wrap on. I, in fact, still smelled like mint.

My boss asked me to make an appearance in court on behalf of his client – a debtor who owed folks some money.

“It’ll be easy,” my boss said. “Just appear, state your name, and say that you’re there on behalf of the debtor. The judge will take care of the rest. You don’t need to say another word.”

I was nervous about it, but I put on my best suit (my only suit?!?) and tie and headed down to the courthouse with a little optimism.

I mean, I didn’t have to say anything, right? How bad could it be?

I parked…I was nervous.

I found the courthouse entrance…I was nervous.

I went through the metal detector…I was nervous.

I found the courtroom…my palms were sweating.

I walked in and saw a SEA of creditor attorneys (who were owed money and who I was told would “probably” not be there)…I nearly blacked out.

I was on the absolute precipice of full-blown anxiety/panic mode. My heart was pounding so hard and so fast, I thought everyone could hear it.

I sat alone on the left side of the gallery and the creditor attorneys sat on the right. It looked like that scene in My Big Fat Greek Wedding where the bride has hundreds of guests, and the groom has…eh…a few.

The judge called us all up to state our names for the record.

“Oh no!” I thought. “This is the part where I have to say…something!”

I somehow managed to float up there (I’m not sure I actually walked, as I couldn’t feel my legs) and croaked my name into the mic.

Every creditor attorney glared at me as if I were the one who didn’t pay their clients. I returned to my seat.

I have no memories after that except that my hands were tingling and icy, I was lightheaded, and I was on stress overload. Otherwise? Blank. I have no idea what happened next, how I got out of there, how I paid the parking attendant, or how I made it home.

But I did make it. I’m still here.

The sun came up the next day, and now it’s a post on the internet!

You survived it once…

Photo by Christian Erfurt on Unsplash

Here’s the MtE tip: During a bout of serious stress, remember that you made it through the last one

Look, folks - life is hard. It’s easy to let it get to you.

Stress is a reality, and there’s no shortage of opportunities for stress triggers.

And, by the way, no two stress struggles look alike.

But if you’re reading this, there is one common denominator: You’re alive. That means stress hasn’t defeated you.

It means there’s always another sunrise and another opportunity to show up in front of the judge, state your name, and see where the day takes you.

What’s your take on stress? How do you manage it?

Oh, and if you know someone who could use a laugh or has a tip to share on stress? Well, please share this post with them.

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To dive deeper into strategies for managing stress and anxiety (including mindfulness and meditation), check out my book, An Audible Silence; or schedule a free 15-minute call to see if coaching might be right for you. For even more, follow me on Instagram or TikTok.

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(NOTE: Mastering the Everyday is not medical or mental health advice or diagnosis, and is solely for informational/entertainment purposes. If you need physical or psychiatric care, please reach out to a trained and licensed medical professional.)