Stress and worry

Most of us know this, but may need a reminder....

Stress and worry have a very real impact on us.  

Emotionally, mentally, even physically.

Yesterday, Techno and I spent the day in Fort Collins.  Unfortunately NOT for fun.

He had a doctor's appointment as a follow up to his high blood pressure; as well as an eye appointment for the second half of the laser surgery following the eye bleed he had last month.  

I didn't feel overly stressed or worried at the time for either of these appointments.  Techno's blood pressure had been doing well; his eye had demonstrated great improvement.

Easy peasy, right?

Underlying stress and worry were there, whether I admitted/realized it or not.

Then... I. Had. To. Drive. Home!  After all, when one has a needle injected into one's eye - it's not a great idea to drive.  :-)

You may recall I very much dislike driving at night.  As I've aged, the lights from other cars, road lights etc. wreak havoc with my vision and my mind.

Hence I was a bit tense for the hour plus drive home.

More stress was building under the surface.

We gathered the girls and dog from Aunt Biff's house, picked up the big kids from their hunter's safety class, and began our drive back to Centennial.

Once home, I assumed I'd just relax.

The normal mundaneness of getting kids tucked in, stuff put away from a long day away from home, the release of tension from driving and the day of appointments - add it all up?

I WAS WIPED!!!  To say I was ready for bed that night was an understatement.

Today, as the stress of yesterday (that I hadn't fully acknowledged) boiled to the surface, the toll it took upon me became apparent.

I've tried to follow my own advice from yesterday's post and C-O-N-T-O-L my own anger, my own attitude, my own grumpiness.  However, it's. been. a. difficult. task.

The same things that always tripped me up didn't cease just b/c my body was recoiling from the recent onslaught of stress.  Plus my defenses against such triggers appeared to be even weaker.

The kids still bickered, the chores still needed to be completed, I was still tired, the little messes still got under my skin.

What was I going to doing about it?  When I finished typing this post?

TAKE A NAP!!

I decided to spare my family grief; I planned to 'recycle' myself.

I've posted about this before.

It really does work.

If you KNOW you are tired.  If you KNOW you are coming down from an adrenalin rush (often caused by a stressful occasion).  If you KNOW a certain situation is going to 'push your buttons'.

Take a break.  Walk away.  Get some much needed rest.

(Even if it does mean some things on your to-do list do NOT get accomplished RIGHT then.  

Saving your family from your unwarranted wrath is worth it, isn't it?)

That's what I plan to do today.  Now.

Good napping to all who might need it -- including ME!