Foreclosure Looming: Managing the Stress

“What is to give light must endure burning.”
- Viktor Frankl

On Tuesday, I received a notice from my mortgage company’s attorney saying that the mortgage company is moving forward with foreclosure on my townhouse in Reston. There is still a chance that my mortgage company will modify my loan as I requested back in February, but the decision is still pending. According to the attorney I spoke with, the mortgage company has up until the day of foreclosure to make a decision. Assuming the mortgage company decides to do nothing, I have approximately 1 month until actual foreclosure then another month before eviction. To read more background my townhouse, please see my earlier post: Buying a $750K Townhouse: It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time.

Needless to say, my anxiety levels are running high and I’m riding a roller coaster of emotions up and down from day to day and often minute to minute. Because of my hip and hamstring issues, I am feeling additional anxiety from not being able to train and compete as a triathlete at an elite level. All the anxiety creates feelings similar to overtraining.

The biggest challenge that I’m facing is figuring how to manage the anxiety and being able to function normally.

Here’s what I’m doing to combat the anxiety:

1. Shifting my focus from “Race Focus Training” to “Anxiety Management Exercise.” I am exercising 2-4 hours per day so a relatively high volume but at a relatively low intensity. My emphasis is on maintaining health and lowering anxiety versus getting faster. This is a huge paradigm shift for me. I’ll write more about this later.
2. Not drinking regular coffee. I was drinking 3 or 4 cups of coffee every morning on average. The caffeine was putting me “over the edge” already feel wired “as is” without the additional stimulation.
3. Receiving bi-weekly acupuncture treatments. Sharon Crowell of Acupuncture in Northern Virginia in Herndon has really helped me address the anxiety on a holistic level as well as offer a fresh and positive perspective on my feedback.
4. Proactive injury management My hip and hamstring have plagued me with issues since last year, which has also created anxiety for me especially around my identity as an elite triathlete. I sought treatment from Natalie King of Schrier Physical Therapy who fitted me with orthotics and I am actively and aggressively stretching and performing my prescribed exercises.
5. Taking time for myself. I’m taking Princess on longer walks. I’m reading fiction again – I picked up the latest Dune books (Hunters of Dune and Sandworms of Dune
   ) by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Andersen. I also recently read The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, A Toltec Wisdom Book by Don Miguel Ruiz. This book has given me a lot of perspective as well as four simple agreements to live by (I’ve written them down on an index card on my desk). I will write more about this book in the future, as I believe it’s a nice, simple framework for living life. I am also trying to do more fun and casual activities with Krista and catching up friends who I haven’t seen in a while.
6. Finally, I’m blogging about my house and my anxiety. Writing is therapeutic for me.

In a few months all this will be behind me…one way or another.

Live life richly and boldly!

David

—-

David B. Glover
Author of Full Time and Sub-Nine

© 2009 David B. Glover

2 Responses to “Foreclosure Looming: Managing the Stress”

1. Buying a $750K Townhouse: It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time | The Blog of David Glover says:

   May 14, 2009 at 10:30 am

   [...] Continued in Foreclosure Looming: Managing the Stress [...]
2. My race prediction for Vineman: Inderminate | The Blog of David Glover says:

   July 26, 2009 at 7:40 pm

   [...] attitude. I feel pretty good. In spite of my house issues and maintaining a busy schedule with two summer college classes (pre-requisites for a Masters [...]