Since September I have not been feeling "good". Food has been my enemy off and on and I am constantly worrying about eating. I am gaining weight left and right and I feel like I am eating less and less. I have been sick more this year than I ever remember. I have gone through numerous tests, all coming back with the same result: Normal. I have spent to much money and lost to much sleep over this mysterious illness. As much as I don't want to believe there is something seriously wrong with me, it would be nice to have a diagnosis.
Over the past 8 months I started to notice a constant in my life that I am starting to believe is the main culprit for my "illness". It saddens me to believe all of my problems have come from this. This nasty little bugger is
stress. I didn't want to believe it at first; because how could stress be the main reason for my problems? I am constantly bloated, my stomach is upset and I get headaches galore. I have trouble sleeping, have pain in my back and often feel like I am having a heart attack. Can something as little as stress cause this? I did a little research and ended up on
stress.org where they listed 50 common symptoms of stress. The answers I got were shocking to me.
# 1 on the list was frequent headaches.
# 5 is neck ache, back pain and muscle spasms.
# 14 lists heartburn, stomach pain and nausea.
# 19 chest pain, heart palpitations. and rapid pulse.
# 26 Insomnia, nightmares, and disturbing dreams.
There they all were. All of my symptoms listed on a common list of stress related symptoms. As I looked through the list I noticed others that I have experienced but weren't as severe. I am not a doctor or trying to self diagnose myself, but this seems like the logical answer to my question. What is wrong with me? All of the other tests have come back fine and I am so tired of hearing "Normal". Tired of being sick. Tired of missing fun events because I don't feel well. Tired of avoiding food because I "think" it is causing the pain. Tired of missing work. Tired of spending money on what seems like a lost cause. I am just plain sick and tired of being sick and tired.
Now the main question: How do I lower my stress level?
I have identified the major stress in my life and it's a hard one to get rid of.
My job.
Most people find that their job and money are the highest levels of stress that they experience. I am struggling with money like most people are, but I mostly blame my stress on my work environment. I would gladly take a lower paying job if it helped me release some of this stress.
I have taken on some new things to try and lessen my stress:
I started taking a 30 minute walk every day at lunch.
I have been trying to leave work at work.
I have started to make lifestyle changes with my diet.
I am drinking more water.
I am learning to breathe it out when things get overwhelming.
So far these changes seem to be making a good impact. I am starting to feel less sick to my stomach daily and I have lost a few pounds. I cannot change the situation at work, so I will change the way I look at it. With me luck because I am going to need it!
How do you all deal with stress? Any major things I should be changing or adding to my daily life? Anything advice would be much appreciated.
I am so sick and tired of being sick and tired ya'll.
Xo Trish
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Neck ache, back pain, muscle spasms
Neck ache, back pain, muscle spasms
Neck ache, back pain, muscle spasms
Neck ache, back pain, muscle spasms