Thoughts about going on a trip to see my grandma

My husband and I are going on a emergency and very short trip to see my grandmother / she is 91 and not eating well/ and the the rest of the family. I am struggling with thoughts of it would be too much and very stressful for us / as every time that has happened before/ and that we won’t get any rest / we are using our vacation days to fly over the Atlantic /.

 

 

Answer:

Let me clarify: You are planning to go.  And then your brain is coming up with all kinds of thoughts. And those thoughts are probably bringing up some feelings.  What if you just allowed your brain to give you all the reasons not to go/why its too much and none of it has to be a problem?  This is just brains doing what brains do.  They would prefer if we just sat at home doing nothing so we would be safe and expend very little energy.  When you stop fighting, there is no longer a struggle.

For each of these obstacles, you can come up with a strategy to help. What resources do you have to be able to manage your stress? What do you know about your ability to operate when you’re tired? What are your reasons for going and using up vacation days?

I would also offer that perhaps underneath some of these surface struggles, there is a part of you that has some big feelings about your grandmother and her health. Sometimes it’s easier to worry about logistics than feel those feelings. What do you think?