The Lost Month

Surely rating up there in the top ten most frustrating things in the world:

Being bed-ridden by illness when you’re in the middle of an exciting project. Where did April go? Don’t ask the person who spent it staring at the ceiling. How the weeks fly when you’re out of commission. Yet another spring went merrily by, outside my window.

What was wrong with me?

Answer: It’s complicated. This isn’t supposed to be a health blog and runs the risk of starting to sound like one if I launch into the various theories. As ever in our modern lives, the main culprit was stress, leading to something along the lines of burnout syndrome, with glandular complications. Monstrous fatigue and dizziness accompanied by equally monstrous anxiety. That “tired-but-wired” feeling is no joke, I can tell you.

Unfortunately there’s not much that allopathic medicine can really do for these sorts of problems. I would rather avoid pharmaceutical drugs (and their undesirable side effects) altogether. With their habitual ammunition of antibiotics and antidepressants thus decommissioned, regular doctors have only common sense to dispense. Rest?? Stop worrying? Why didn’t I think of that!

Stress hits all of us sooner or later, but it certainly seems like I’m particularly ill-equipped for dealing with it. Having recovered this time with the aid of natural remedies, positive thinking and time (rather too much time…), I realise that it’s something I need to actively look into getting better at. One can hardly avoid stress - it’s a natural human reaction to potential danger after all.

That is, unless one wishes to wrap oneself in a cocoon against anything remotely exciting. But even then, the thickness and arrangement of those silken fibres would surely start to nag at one’s thoughts. Is the cocoon sturdy enough? Will it withstand a particularly significant attack from life? Everything is relative. Worries adapt to your circumstances. Staying open and finding a better way of handling things must be a preferable strategy.

It’s particularly frustrating because, by most people’s standards, I have a super-relaxing life. No regular work hours, no immediate colleagues or angry boss, I live in a beautiful city with a pleasant climate, I have a loving family and friends, I already eat healthily and do yoga most days.

My theory is that it comes from within. In the absence of a demanding boss, maybe I nag myself too much? Sometimes the biggest mystery is knowing what’s going on inside your own head.

I have collected various books to read on the topic of handling stress, but any helpful tips offered here are gratefully received too. So sorry for my silence over the past month. I honestly wanted to be here but couldn't handle looking at a screen for too long. I missed Steemit and am very glad to be back. Here's hoping my health holds for the summer.

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This is an original post written for Steemit by @Victoria-Kelly Thanks for reading!

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