One of the things I've always said about myself is that I thrive off stress. I think it went back to college when they were starting to train us for job interviews. "Turn a negative into a positive," they told me. So I did. Instead of saying I was a huge procrastinator who waited till the last minute, I came up with some mumbo jumbo about thriving under adverse conditions. Now in my defense, it's true. I've always liked my plate full. I don't do "down time" well. Normally too much free time in my schedule leaves me cranky and unpleasant to be around. That's typically when I either start yelling at people or go shopping. I'm not sure which one Tim dislikes more.
So, in typical me fashion, I have once again piled it on. Work has been requiring an increasing amount of my time as my caseload seems to be growing exponentially. Luckily I work with some pretty awesome people who help out. Still, being me, I insist on doing most of it myself.
The new semester has also started in graduate school world. This should be my last semester in school for at least a year or so (until I get bored and go back). Instead of spreading out my last class and internship into two separate semesters, I decided to do them both at the same time. What was I thinking? I've been going to school for 25 years straight (even longer if you count preschool). You'd think I would have this whole classwork thing down to a science by now. Still, with each class being so unique, I never know what to expect. Keep piling it on!
Add in the detox and many upcoming events such as Tough Mudder and a half marathon to train for, and I would say my plate is pretty full right now. Tim thinks I'm crazy, but I'm enjoying staying busy. I've never been one to enjoying sitting in front of the TV all day without doing anything. Even if I stay home, I try and find something to keep me occupied. I like the feeling like I've accomplished something at the end of the day. I think that is why I keep my planner. There is no better feeling than crossing something off when you've finished it. (And yes, I am one of those people who will write it on my list after I finished it just so I can cross it off)
It used to be when I overloaded my plate things got pretty nasty around here. I would be moody and unpleasant, and poor Tim took most of the brunt of it. It's a miracle I made it through student teaching without scaring him away. But I think this time things are a lot different. Sure I've got a lot to do and I'm stressed, but I'm not moody or angry. Why? I've found a new way of relieving my stress that doesn't require me yelling at those I love.
So what have I been doing to alleviate stress? Running as much as I can, although with a knee injury that wasn't much. Still if I wasn't running, I was at least making it to a few Team Adrenaline workouts each week.
It's almost as if I sweat out some of the stress.
We also took a Sunday morning jaunt across the frozen bay. I'm a self proclaimed wuss, so this isn't an activity I would choose to do on my own. With the bay sitting with a good 10 inches of ice, the four mile walk across and back was quite interesting.
True, it's been cold, but I can't let that get me down. Instead, we've just added more layers and the occasional face mask to keep the frostbite at bay.
Luckily I have some pretty amazing people who help relieve stress with humor or just an ear to listen. I think that is what makes the biggest difference. I find that when I'm able to escape from the stress, even if it is just for an hour, I come back feeling refreshed. I know it's going to be a long couple of months and things aren't always going to be pretty; but at least I know that I can find a few ways to forget about it for a bit.
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