Sometimes I want a bit of stress

We can all recall moments when stress has got the better of us. Moments of bad stress might include road rage, trolley rage, package rage and even computer rage. All caused by heightened anger or frustration. Sometimes I want a bit of stress.

Sometimes I want a bit of stress

Stress like this lasts for maybe a few minutes. It causes your heartbeat to increase, anger and you need to let off steam. Immediately afterwards you feel better and then you calm down. Now you might even also feel a bit of a twit.

Stress releases hormones in your body

Stress hormones help you to deal with any threats or pressure you are facing – known the ‘fight or flight’ response. There are two significant hormones. Adrenaline increases your heart rate, raises your blood pressure and provides extra energy. Cortisol increases energy by triggering the release of glucose into the bloodstream, to help the person fight or run away.

After a short time everything will return to normal. Now you are a rational person who will listen and not react in an unpredictable way.

We all need a certain amount of stress or pressure to live well. It’s what gets you out of bed in the morning and motivates you throughout the day. However, stress is problematic when there’s too much or too little.

For me stress is a bad thing

I find it very difficult to deal with a stressful situation. I can’t do fight or flight, instead I do dither and that just heightens my stress. To avoid dither I don’t get stressed. I don’t drive. I have learnt to be very patient. Yes I do lose my temper but that is because of exasperation and frustration with my own inabilities.

I have developed measures to avoid stress

I set the time on my watch so it is 15 minutes fast. This means I’m almost never late so no stress there. When cooking a meal I have to plan it all out in advance, write down the steps I have to go through and take things slowly. This will reduce the chance of stress or much more likely, a dither.

I’m still competitive

I still like to win but it does not control my life.  A stress free life, it sounds idyllic, almost as good as living on a Caribbean island. Hold on a moment there is no such thing as a free dinner.

Dither is with me all the time and as a consequence I’m anxious but do not confuse it with anxiety.

Stress only lasts a few minutes

Being anxious is with me 24/7. How much worse can MS disease become? When will it start to have another serious impact upon my life? It is the elephant in the room. It’s there all the time.

So which would I prefer?

Being anxious or living with fight or flight. Until about eight years ago my life was fight or flight and I enjoyed it. Circumstances have forced me into the anxious, looking over my shoulder. Watching my life drift down the Thames turning from stress into anxious is not the happiest way to spend a life. It is not just being anxious that concerns me it is the baggage that has to go with it as well.

Sometimes I want a bit of stress and less feeling anxious and it can start right now. Yes right now 🙂

Februay 2017

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