Stress

I have been sick for six weeks...at least. It is always an 'adventure' at the beginning of the school year, when the little carrier monkeys come home from school with new 'germies'.  We make bets on who falls first with an illness. I have found if I can get out of September without a sniffle, nothing can take me down during the winter months that follow. Well....I have been sick for most of the winter.  I let my guard down in September and now I am a petrie dish for viruses.  I have had a cold, a sore throat, cough, sore hair (seriously what is that!?), upset stomache, headache, and now: a sinus infection. A first for me.  I don't know why I felt a certain pride for being able to announce never having had a sinus infection, but that bragging right is now down the toilet. 

Here is the scoop: it is stress. I recognize that my immune system is weakened by my inability to handle stress properly. I have had a boat load of it in the past few years and now with the luxury of a different occupation I have relaxed just enough to get sick. 

Stress comes in all forms.  The obvious ones such as dealing with death and terminal illness, losing your job, and getting divorced are so recognizable by most people, that they usually get dealt with.  But there are a multitude of stresses and they all wreak havoc on your body and mind. 

Negative self-talk, perfectionism, inflexible thinking, worry, busy schedules, spouses, children, planning events, family, job, activities, chores... All are considered stress. Even the good stuff such as a marriage, a promotion, or the birth of a healthy child is stress. 

What can stress do? Stress can motivate. But eventually your body needs a break from managing it, and then stress can be destructive. Stress can cause us to: be anxious, nervous, pessimistic, agitated, moody, forgetful, nauseous, constipated, loose bowels, dizzy, chest pain, irregular heart beat.  Additionally, you may sleep too much/too little, lose your sex drive, abuse drugs and/or alcohol, gain weight, and be susceptible to illnesses such as colds/flus.  

How do we manage stress successfully? Since stress is a very personal thing (what causes me stress is merely an eyebrow raise for my husband), how we manage it, is also a personal approach.  If we can get rid of it (walk away, solve the problem causing the stress) then that is the best tactic. However, if the stress can not be removed or altered, the following will assist: exercise regularly, eat a healthy diet, sleep, and relax (differs from sleep wherein sleep is a time your body repairs itself and relaxation is where you can change your body's reaction to stress when you are awake: yoga, meditation, deep breathing..). 

Soooo, I am my worst enemy. I have four children, a husband, two dogs, a gigantic mortgage, and a new career (which doesn't yet pay the bills)... None of which I plan to alter or remove (other than the mortgage...and maybe one of the dogs..), so I need to make some changes or resign myself to the fact I will look like Rudolph for the rest of my life. 

Stay happy and healthy

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