A little something about stress...

So where have I been?

I took a timeout. Simple as that. Last year was crazy for me... Lots of travel, lots of work, very little downtime. Finally by Christmas, my body just said ENOUGH. I had been feeling super dizzy and tired, and my body kind of went into hibernation for one and a half month without my consent. I did very little except for trying to get back on my feet again, and I started to re-evaluate my life. Why was I working so hard? What was I trying to prove? Why did I mostly think of making others happy? And why didn't I allow myself some ME-time? I spent some time being really scared that I was sick from some terrible illness. Until my doctor told me the word stress. Up until then, I never thought it would be something I would have to deal with. Stress is for weak people, right? WRONG! So I thought I'd share with you a little something about stress - from my point of view.

• Stress is not something that affects weak people. Most likely, it affects really strong people, who can handle a lot - and take on too much without realizing they have crossed the line and need to rest.

• Stress does not necessarily mean that you lie in a fetal position in a corner unable to think or handle your things.

• Stress is not necessarily a purely mental thing. It does not necessarily mean that you lose your overview or can't handle your tasks. In my case, I simply did too many things too fast without ever slowing down. It created a huge adrenaline rush that took a while to subside. And it scared me like crazy.

• Stress does not make you weaker or more prone to stress longterm. Of course it does if you don't find the source of it and deal with it. But if you find the source of it, you will know yourself better and be even stronger than you were before.

• Stress does not ruin you - but it takes time to get back to yourself - and it's a good timeout to take.

Stress will go away if you handle it right. If you listen to yourself and take it easy. It just takes longer than your patience would like. If you are like me, you go on Google to read more and educate yourself. DON'T DO THAT! Google will tell you all the stories of people who had the worst experiences. And you know why? Because not many people share their success stories as much as their horror stories. So let me tell you this:

STRESS IS A GIFT IN SHITTY WRAPPING. There you have it. It sucks when it hits you. It's scary. It's overwhelming. But once you realize that it is your body telling you something - once you listen to YOU - it will get better! And unlike what you read in those horror stories, stress does not always come with panic attacks and depression as sidekicks! To some it does, but not to all. To me, it didn't. And I am getting well again - even when I thought I wouldn't. And I am back at work. And imagine - in this 7 month process it has taken me, I made new friends, I found new joys, I rediscovered old joys, I connected with old friends - and I found out who is really there for me. So once you get over the shitty part, stress can be an important and necessary lesson - a gift in shitty wrapping.

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