| Adapted from an online discussion. Hi, Carolyn: Do I get a pass for barely treading water when everything seems to be in crisis simultaneously? In the last two months, this is what’s happened: · Family member in hospital after a fall — paralyzed, on a ventilator. · Laid off from remote job I loved, got another one with a two-hour commute and 15 percent pay reduction. · Dealing with mediation with neighbors because they are hypersensitive to sound; I literally installed cameras in my home to prove I’m not doing what they say I’m doing. I’m being the rock for my family — they need it, I’m good at it — while ensuring I get enough sleep and medicating myself naturally (chocolate, anti-inflammatory diet, no coffee so I don’t have a bloody panic attack, etc.). I’m taking care of my dogs at 6 a.m. so they get exercise before I head off to a job I don’t like while searching aggressively for a better one. I keep reminding myself that this too shall pass, but I’m barely maintaining overall function and cry a little bit every day. I miss my dad so much I’m wearing his wedding ring to feel closer to him. I don’t have a great support network but am going to therapy whenever I can afford it and working on developing a group of awesome lady friends to do things with. Am I doing this right? I feel like I’m doing my version of A+ work in life here, but I am barely treading water financially — and gaining traction for the larger life changes I was targeting this year seems a million miles away. All my efforts feel invisible, and I just want to sleep constantly (even though I’m not letting myself). — Barely Treading Water | 
