The power of stress

 

Long time no see!

It’s been one full month, in fact, since I last wrote a blog post. I’ve missed it, but the break was one of necessity.

The evening of my last post, I got sick, and have been battling illness off and on the whole month. The first bout lasted about a week, then I was better for a while, and the latest bout has been a full two weeks. I am just starting to feel normal.

Add to that my training and fundraising for a charity boxing event, packing up our house and moving, my usual work stress…something had to give.

That’s the first thing I learned about stress this month. I often take on too much, thinking I can do it all, no problem. How could I say no? It is often harder for me to be still, to relax and do nothing, than it is to have a list of things to power through. Sound familiar?

But I am slowly learning that as things pile up, something needs to come off the pile. We can’t do it all, and we certainly can’t do it all well, so we need to step back and cut ourselves some slack. In my case the last month, my writing had to take a hiatus.

I’ve also learned about the unseen power of stress. As I look back on the time leading up to when I first got sick, I was clearly feeling the effects of stress. Constant worrying, not sleeping, whirling mind, irritability, lack of focus…I am sure this all contributed to my body finally saying “enough” and breaking down. Stress eventually shows itself, and for me, it does so physically.

I am now embarking on a new mindset, one of relaxation, unplugging from daily stress, breaking the habit of being constantly connected via electronics (not an easy one). My new list involves reading, writing, reflecting, exercising, enjoying time with those I love.

So as your Sunday unfolds, I encourage you to take some time for yourself. Put away the smart phone, tablet or computer (after you’ve finished reading this of course!) Take an hour to read, reflect, spend time with loved ones, do nothing! .

You owe it to yourself.