A Dizzy Girl Copes With Stress

Stress.  We’ve all been faced with it.  Stress affects our bodies and can pretty much make any illness worse.  Start with a little tickle in your throat, add in some stress and suddenly you have a full-blown cold.  Start with a little headache, add in some stress and suddenly it feels like someone is taking a sledgehammer to your head.  Start with a dizzy girl who has balance issues, add in some stress and suddenly the dizziness & disequilibrium are worse.  Yes folks, stress can exacerbate the symptoms of a balance disorder.

It is how we cope with stress that makes the difference.

In the past, I’ve been known as a stress magnet.  I have been doing my best in the past 4 months to keep my stress levels down.  I made a conscious choice to change my outlook and how I react to things.  I may have no control over some of the things that happen to me in life, but I am in control of my attitude.  I’ve learned to not let every little thing bother me.  I’m exercising, doing yoga, eating a healthy diet, visualizing positive things, listening to music to relax, remembering to laugh, and just trying to truly enjoy some moment of every day.

This week I encountered circumstances beyond my control.  I couldn’t avoid stress – it was dumped on me whether I wanted it or not.  It started Monday at work.  Someone who I thought was a friend, who knows about everything that I have gone through in the past 4 months and who knows that I am trying to keep my stress levels down, decided to unleash a hailstorm of unpredictable, destructive rage on me.  I became someone’s emotional punching bag for reasons that I can’t even begin to fathom.  It wasn’t just a little irritation directed my way; it went way over the line into an unhealthy outburst of anger.  This person repeatedly, uncontrollably screamed at me and I was at the mercy of their intense fury.  Rather than an apology after this incident, I have been given the silent treatment.

I was, of course, very upset at first.  After all, I hadn’t done anything to deserve someone angrily lashing out at me and I certainly didn’t deserve to be the recipient of such rage.  I had to leave work early because I was so distraught.  I will admit that this incident left me in tears.  Sometimes the world – and people – suck.  Sometimes you just need to cry.  But then you need to move on and let go of the negativity.  I thought a lot about what happened, about my own life, and about the direction that I want my life to go in.  In the end, I learned some important things.

I am a strong person.  I do not have to let other people bring me down.  I believe that negative things and people will negatively effect your health and happiness.  If there is an aspect -or relationship- in my life that is not positive for my well-being, then I don’t need to maintain that.  I need to learn to identify what is positive and healthy in my life and seek those things out.  I need to identify sources of stress and try to eliminate them.   I need to know my limits and stick to them.  And I can cope with stress.

Some of the Things I Do to Deal with Stress (in no particular order)

1. Hug/play with my dogs.  There is nothing like the sweet, unconditional love of a pet.

2. Listen to music.  Anything from relaxing, quiet music to loud, emotional music.  It feeds my soul.

3. Watch something funny, from stand-up comedy to a sitcom.  And then laugh, laugh, laugh!  Humor is one of the best coping mechanisms that I have!

4. Find a quiet space, light some of my favorite candles, reflect, and relax.

5. Take some deep breaths.

6. Get a good night’s sleep.

7. Take a walk.

8. Blog 😉

9. Share my feelings with my family.  Talking to loved ones, even if there is nothing they can do to make a problem go away, can be very cathartic.

10. Snuggle with my husband.  A hug from him can make the day’s worries melt away.

11. Focus on positive things.  Today I came across a wonderful quote from Wendy Komac :  “Think of your lifestyle as a diet.  You fill it with the fuel that’s going to keep you performing at your highest level.  Supplementing that with positivity can only make you stronger.”

12. Let Go and Move On.

13. Look at the big picture.  I ask myself, does this really matter in the grand scheme of things?  Perspective is everything.

Since I’ve been become a dizzy girl, it has become easier for me to recognize when things are not worth getting upset or stressed about.  I have limited energy now and I am not in a position to waste it.  I would rather focus my time and energy on important, positive things.  Frankly, I am just so thankful everyday that I can walk without a walker, that the things that used to weigh me down fall to the wayside now.  I choose my attitude.

It’s up to you to decide what your attitude will be.

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