Stress

 

Stress control is easier to talk about than practice! I think one of the things that draws me to the octopus is the way its emotions are instantly revealed by its color. I am a barometer for feelings.

For example: Last Friday I discovered that my car, in spite of everything I did to protect it from the numbing snowstorm that I knew was coming, had died. The battery was dead and the car was packed on four sides by frozen snow. Since it is nearly nine years old and has died several other times in the cold this past twelve months, I knew I needed a battery, but I could not get an appointment to do that until Tuesday! 

Five days with no car and the towing company would not commit to coming at a specific time to be sure I could get to the battery place, plus they wanted me to have my car dug out of the snow before they came. These are stressful things. Especially because of my age and the fact that I live in an apartment. I do not own a snow shovel and even if I did, trying to get out to my car, or being able to shovel it out are unlikely.

I was blessed by some young neighbors who took it upon themselves to take turns digging my car out while their toddler napped. Unasked, they simply showed up and told me it was done! Then the day of my appointment the towing company would only commit to showing up between 7 and 10, so I had to get up very very early then sit and wait for hours. Once they came I had to drive straight to the battery place and wait again. At least they worked me in early, but it was bad news. The alternator was bad too, so the cost was ten times what I had anticipated.

They kindly drove me home so I could wait there and then they picked me up when my car was ready to go. It runs better than ever now, the snow is packed down or scraped away, I can even get to my mailbox, but these have been very stressful days for me. I was sick by the time I went to bed Tuesday night.

I did some stress eating on Tuesday and even today, two days later, it is showing up in my glucose and weight. Age has left me incredibly vulnerable to everything. I am my own worst enemy. Experience helps with some things, but there are others it where it just doesn't matter and one of those is that many services for elderly people are set up to deal with those already suffering from dementia, or falls, or other disabilities, so they require extra steps for all the rest of us too. Instead of just getting my taxes done, I now have to go over there and pick up the forms ahead of time to be sure I fill them out properly. Whereas in the past I simply dropped my tax forms off. A misdiagnosis by my podiatrist caused my insurance to call my doctor requesting tests I don't need, but they don't seem to get that on the record, so I have to discuss it over and over again. The intentions are good, but it almost amounts to harassment.

I am beginning to understand why old people become crotchety and difficult!