I have always thought of myself as being a relaxed person and, under stress, still able to let things roll off my back and stay calm. This is what I have thought and that is the way my Dad always seemed. I thought I had inherited his temperament.
I have decided on reflection this week that I do let stress creep into my life and it does have an effect on me. I even feel stiff in my shoulders, impatient with myself and wondering why I am letting stress creep into my life. One reason, of course, is that we one of my community is in the hospital. I suffer when I see her suffering and there is nothing I can do about this except pray. Usually, I am relaxed after prayer. When I was at our Elder Care Residence last year, my blood pressure was checked every evening. I noticed that when I had just come from the Chapel it was at its lowest. This to me is proof that sitting in the Presence of God is a great way to relieve stress. Swimming is another way for me to really relax. I guess reading is still another way. If I am sharing all of this today, it is because we all need to be alert and stop that stress that wants to creep up on us when we are not even aware that we begin to feel "tight", less understanding of others, and maybe even feel angry with ourselves. Take a deep breath, then go do something that will relieve the stress before you take it out on others. This is the advice I am giving to myself, but maybe it will help you, too.
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