I didn't write last week because I made a commitment to myself that my focus was going to be totally on my 6 year old and our new family member, our kitten Simba. It was a TOTALLY relaxing week! Kate and I stayed in our PJs a lot. We played with our new kitten a lot. We enjoyed our Christmas gifts without leaving the couch. . you guessed it - a lot. But, by the end of the week - the stress starting breaking into our cozy little world. Christmas day was VERY high energy and that can be exhausting in and of itself. The day after Christmas can be a little depressing and for me, it also meant thinking about returning to work the next day - YUCK!
That being said, I started this week doing well. I still had that glow of a woman whose been given the opportunity to relax and spend the holidays at home. Then, after I got out of bed (LOL), my day really got started with a sick kid and a needy cat. I had to schedule a doctor appointment for my asthma stricken kid and make sure it fit in between my work appointments. I had to make sure the kitten had everything it needed before I tucked him away for the day. I had 10,000 emails to answer when I arrived at work. Where did that holidays at home, calm Melissa go? My sense of zen was quickly falling apart.
My back pain was improving (definitely not getting worse) before the stress of this week. But, I can't spend my life huddled at home stress free. I MUST learn to handle the stress. I need to focus on being balanced. My quality of life depends on it. When I don't manage my stress, the pain is worse. I learn this over and over again.
What is the key to managing stress well? Answer: I don't know. I do know that I need to work on my response to the everyday challenges of life. I need to keep perspective. I need God. . . and I've been forgetting God lately. I've been disengaged with my spiritual life and my body can tell. Time to pray. Time to deal with my stress in better ways because every day can't be a cozy day at home.
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