What's a main struggle that's commone when first starting self development?

I’ve started thinking about life as having pressure settings. Work, finances, relationships, health, and uncertainty all turn the pressure up. You can’t always immediately change those circumstances. But you can work on the pressure inside your own mind. That’s what meditation has increasingly become for me. Not something mystical. Not escaping my problems. It’s sitting quietly long enough to separate: What is actually happening? from What is my stressed mind telling me is happening? I’ve learned that when I neglect my mind for too long, pressure accumulates. Problems feel larger. Hope becomes harder to access. Escapism becomes more attractive. The circumstances haven’t necessarily become impossible. I haven’t been maintaining the mind responsible for navigating them. Meditation helps me adjust those pressure settings. Your problems may still be waiting when you’re finished. But hopefully, you’re in a better condition to solve them. Discussion: What helps you regulate your mind when life starts becoming overwhelming? Meditation? Exercise? Prayer? Journaling? Walking? Talking to someone? I’d like to hear what works for you.