Attitude toward problems

"Welcome problems and eat them for breakfast," Alfred Montapert.

I have to confess that I do not always welcome problems and deal with them first thing in the morning.  Perhaps life would be easier if one could develop that attitude.  For me, it depends on the problem and how many come at a time.  I can deal with many problems by facing them directly, but if there are too many at once, it can be overwhelming.  And, that is part of our human experience.  As dementia caregivers, or in dealing with other challenging life circumstances, it is important to remember that our reserves for coping with life and its challenges are already being taxed.  Adding a few problems to that:  like rescheduling doctor appointments, getting plumbing fixed, closing a loan -- can put us over the top and overtax our coping capacities.  So, what to do?  I think we need to be very gentle with ourselves.  Solve each problem as we can, arrange for enough support and respite for ourselves, and discern what are important problems to deal with and what we can just let go.  We cannot deal with every little thing when we are overtaxed, so let us deal with what is important and let the rest go or hire it done or ask a friend for help.