So, it looks like my blood pressure is creeping up again. Not coincidentally, the day job has been crazy awful busy.
Consulting is a funny business that way. It’s all feast or famine. Flood or drought. And, while it’s wonderful to have a bunch of work, and therefore money, coming in – this much is overwhelming. It tumbles you over and drowns you.
Yeah, I’ve been forgetting to breathe from my belly. I might also have slacked off on meditating. And, um, taking my selenium and hawthorne. I sit at the computer and work for hours straight without getting up.
The thing is, when life is peaceful and going along at a doable pace, my blood pressure is just fine. It’s when the stress cranks down that I get into trouble.
Isn’t that true of most everything? The true test of your relationship is not how well you partner with each other when everything is great, but what happens during the poorer/worse days. Sure you can write a novel over the course of years, with infinite time to screw around with it, but can you write one under deadline with editorial pressure? You can be pleasant and accommodating to other people when you’re happy and feeling generous, but what about when you’ve had a lousy day?
So, when David wanted to check my blood pressure the other day, I let him, even though I didn’t want to, because I knew it would be high. I can feel it when it’s high, in the flushing in my cheeks and pounding in my head. Can anyone else feel it?
David sent me out to take a walk and on my way back I cut some sweet peas and put them on my desk. Now when I smell them, I remind myself to relax, to breathe, to go take a walk.
This, too, shall pass.
How wonderful that you have someone who will take the time even if you’re being cranky to take care off you.
Cranky?? Who said I was being cranky?!? 😉 He’s a wonderful man, indeed!
I can hear it now, “Honey, I love you, but get the $&%# out of the house. Take a walk.”
Kitteh bares fangs but goes outside anyway to nibble on fleurs.
Hmm. That’s surprisingly close, KAK. See, if only he’d toss some catnip my way…
I’ve noticed, too, Jeffe, that as I get older, my ability to handle stress decreases and it seems to take longer to bounce back. One reason I love consulting is at least I control my own schedule. I can get up and take a walk whenever I want. It’s just making myself get up and out.
I think it’s likely true, Keena. That youthful resilience gets more scarce. And you’re absolutely right – I *can* get up and take a walk whenever I want to. I just need to do it!