The past 2 weeks have been super stressful, feeling like I've been stretched at every limb. Multiple projects at work combined with house renovations going on at home has me searching for a hole to crawl in to avoid them all. It literally feels like I have a ball of wires strapped around my neck, and the wires have choked me to point I can barely breathe. Monday was really bad because I was searching for a boarding kennel for the pups for a trip out of town this weekend. They've never been boarded before, so I was stressing out about trying to find the best one in town.
And thanks to the tornadoes that came through in April, we've had the joy of getting our roof replaced and some drywall redone. For both of these events, I was at home "supervising" the contractors (re: I hid in the guest bedroom with my Nook) while listening to the banging and sawing on all sides. Then, when I would come out of my escape, I would see the house in a mess. Nothing stresses me out more than strangers causing a mess in my house. NOTHING! After the drywall contractors left, Trey and I had to leave for a movie date (Harry Potter, DH2) so I couldn't immediately start cleaning up like I wanted to.
I started noticing the stress in my numbers when I was waking up in the 170s. I knew I had 2 options: increase my basal or try to reduce my stress level. I can tell when I get really stressed because I become physically exhausted. And it hasn't helped that I haven't been able to work out as much with everything going on the work/home fronts. I was able to make my softball game last night, and even though we lost, I could instantly feel some relief from all the stress. My numbers felt the relief, too, because I cruised in the 70s overnight.
Unfortunately, the stress isn't over yet. Between the trip this weekend, family visiting next weekend, and trying to stay above water at work, I need a game plan. I've decided that I am going to workout on my new Total Gym first thing when I get home, regardless of how much I just want to plop on the couch and not move a muscle. I need to clean the house. I need to get the carpets cleaned. I need to make sure we have enough towels for 8 people being in my house all at once. However, I first need to take care of me, and that includes taking care of my diabetes. But I also need to take care of my mental health.
The correlation between diabetes and depression is too strong to ignore. I feel so much better when I can strap on my earbuds and jam out to P!NK while busting it out on the elliptical. I can feel the tangled ball on my neck begin to loosen and I feel like I can handle things better than before. I just need to keep in mind that this season of stress is only temporary and my beach vacation is only 5 weeks away. I need to staple that vacation pamphlet to my forehead.
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About Me
- Holly
- My name is Holly and I live in north Alabama with my hubby, two cats, and a dog.
Don't staple that brochure to your forehead. It hurts when you do that! Tape it to your bedroom or bathroom mirror.
ReplyDeleteWhen stress is coming at me from all sides, I try to make a list of what needs to be done, then I re-order the list by what needs to be done first, second, third & so-on. It helps me when I'm freaking out that yes, all this will get done and it will get done on this schedule but this time.
The stress is, well, stressful when it comes to managing D... But the depression can be so influential and make the stress a never-ending cycle. Hope it all balances out, and best your way!
ReplyDeleteStress is the bane of my existence ... more than diabetes sometimes, because what stress does to my body is an incredibly rotten thing. The only thing I've found that helps me manage the stress levels is cutting back on the MUST DO list. (Which is tough when I'm in that mindset of "Everything Must Get Done!")
ReplyDeleteI hope you're in a more zen-like place these days. :)