Have you ever gone through a stressful time surprisingly easily and seemingly unscathed only to feel a few days later as though you’ve been hit by a truck? That’s what I have been experiencing all week, after my husband’s heart procedure last week, the sudden disappearance of my website the week before and several other significant obstacles since the middle of June. When my husband returned to work this week, I had every intention to,return to my daily routine, only to find myself exhausted physically and foggy mentally. I gave myself that day to regroup but three days later am still not myself.
My husband (and SisterRain.net, for that matter) is back to normal and I am still in recovery mode. He’s having his incision checked today but there is nothing for anyone to steri-strip on me. My bruising and scars resulting from recent events can’t be seen. I didn’t even know some damage had been done until the crises were over. Stress is all it’s cracked up to be and even when we seem to be handling it, it can surprise us with its effects. We usually don’t even equate the tiredness and blahness with what trauma and or drama has just occurred. I know I think every time, I must be coming down with something.
We all know stress is bad for us. But do we really know? And do any of us know how to control it when in the thick of life’s most chaotic moments? I know I sure don’t. In my own case, not only am I taken aback when there is a delayed arrival, I am also never sure when a trying situation will get my stress meter in the red zone or if I will power through in neutral. All I know for sure is as soon as and as often as you are able, you must take care of yourself. Give yourself the break you need and listen to what your body is telling you.
And let’s look on the bright side. There’s no bandage for stress which means there’s no ripping it off. And what is more stressful than that?