Day 5 - 65 -- Faces of Anxiety

Tuesdays are long this term. Meetings, a class and a late day lab. I don't usually get home until after 7 PM -- late to supper and not much time to prepare for the next day -- making lunch, preparing slides for lecture or grading papers due back the next morning. It is the final push to the end of term, so things tend to pile up as we try to get all the items crammed into the remaining few weeks. Needless to say, fatigue blossoms at this time of year. Anxiety explodes. These two unwelcome visitors conspire to create a frenzy that ensures their sustained existence and likely enhancement.

I've found that this is a time of year when the stress infiltrates every moment of the day and night. Anxiety dreams abound. Most seem to be variations on a theme. Mine generally involve two main situations. I am either constantly moving from place to place while hiding, aware that something or someone is hunting for me, or I have a flight to catch and I haven't begun to pack -- never really know what time it is and when the flight is scheduled to leave. I'm not surprised that I'm so tired when the alarm sounds in the morning -- I've been fretting all night long. The brain is intriguing. It uses metaphors to try to help us reconcile difficulties of the days. Sadly, some stressers can't be dreamed away <smile>.  This should be a signal that we need to find something that can help us to release stress -- go for a walk, soak in the tub, listen to music, cook, read, or blog about the day <smile>. We need to find something(s) to help us get a reasonable rest. As we age, stress is more disruptive to sleep and the brain is less able to cope with loss of REM or restorative sleep. So -- I write here, but try to build in other activities to decompress. I still need reminding to do so, but that's what friends are for <smile>.

Lyrics of a song from the distant past floated up into the consciousness today. The lyrics give a message of encouragement and hope, while the melody and voices provide a relaxing feeling. Enjoy!

O-o-h Child -- The Five Stairsteps