Stress

Stress is NOT my friend.

Well, I guess stress doesn't really have any friends...however, it does have enemies; me being its very biggest.

As I am sure everyone knows, stress can jump start a lot of illnesses while making pre-existing ones more severe.  Those of you who know my story, know that my illness came to a head at the beginning of my senior year; when I was over-the-top anxious about applying to college and struggling to hold down a job.  Not only did this stress exacerbate my GP causing me to vomit 50 plus times a day, it also gave me a short fuse which caused me to have a bad attitude about everything; I was a very difficult person to be around.  

Through the last several months, I have found ways to stay fairly stress free.  These include: enough sleep and not working (or working a flexible, part-time job); as well as the right mixture of happy meds, varying calming techniques such as yoga and hanging out with Remi, and learning how to communicate when enough is enough. 

I make sure I go to bed at a reasonable time. Sleep is so important. When I was in the hospital for months on end, I would stay awake for up to 60 hours straight. Sleeping on a schedule has made a HUGE difference. As long as I get at least 10 hours of sleep (I know it sounds like a lot) I can function like a semi-normal human being. (come to think of it, that is probably why I have felt worse than usual the past few days.. I haven't slept well in over two weeks)

I miss working, I really do. I miss making a difference and teaching kids why I loved gymnastics. The reality is, I just cannot go back to a job that demanding. I have had to find other ways to make money and be happy, like my puppy, Remi!  She has made a huge difference in the way I feel.  Although she can't heal me physically, playing with her reduces my stress and really effects my mental health in a positive way; she is the biggest blessing in my life. (even when she eats my hair and begs me to play ball)

This doesn't mean I am stress free. I have just really had to learn how to cope with the daily stresses of life and learn to avoid the unnecessary stuff. 

Learning how to say "no" is a big part of stress reduction. I am famous for piling too much on my plate too soon. This has been one of the hardest lessons to learn. I can't help everybody every time.

This is extremely important to me because my body is extremely sensitive to stress; it's actually quite ridiculous.  Just today, I was trying to organize some photos and put the correct dates and ages on each one and it just seemed to never end.  Less than an hour later, I was suffering from a migraine, unrelenting nausea and vomiting, and dizziness. 

As a quick "heads up," I will probably not continue to do as many blog entries as I am at the moment because my part time job begins next week.  Also, make sure to be looking out for a detailed health update coming up in the future!