In wanting to be a good, advice taking patient, I listened to what my doctor said last week about relaxation. Ed would probably say that I listen to what doctors tell me only half the time -- that I go to appointments not for advice on what to do about the ache du jour, but to have them tell me it's not a herd of zebras. You know the saying -- if you live in Wisconsin and you hear pounding hoofs, think horses, not zebra. Well now, if I hear hoofs, I often wonder if it's zebra after all. A doctor will point me in the direction of horses.
This is a long winded way of saying that today I followed the doc's advice and had a meeting with someone who is trained to relax people.
The appointment lasted an hour. And in that hour, he took my entire life history, possibly trying to understand why I am inclined toward zebras, but most likely, because that is what these people do.
Then he actually went to his computer and looked up the label for my particular type of stress. I should have just told him to call it vague Zebra stress, but you know professional people -- they like labels. So he searched and scrolled and asked for my opinion on several of the offered choices, then decided (with my approval) that I fit no category at all. Because, stressed as I am about a few things, I really am quite relaxed about a great many others. And, well, I'm not depressed, I'm actually quite happy. And looking forward to a huge number of things. And I love a bunch of people and some of them even claim to love me back.
So, without a category, we nonetheless proceeded to the part I was most anxious about -- finding appropriate relaxation strategies for times when I need them. And then he told me in a nutshell that I should resume yoga (make me feel guilty, why don't you) and that I should do some muscle tensing and relaxing stuff, which is exactly what two commenters told me for free, here, on Ocean.
Toward the end he suggested that maybe I can come back and we can work some more on cognitive redirection, for those times when I face acute stress.
That sounded so interesting and peculiar both at the same time that I had to say yes. (I have a hard time saying no when asked point blank like that.)
Now, the time wasn't totally wasted. All those appointments caused me to drive by Owen Woods and though once again I was in a hurry and therefore I could not stop to take in fully the beauty of the season, I did snap a couple of photos for you, from an open window of the car.
Of course, I'm thinking now that I should have not made the relaxation appointment but used the hour instead to actually walk in Owen Woods. It's amazing what a walk in a beautiful forest can accomplish for you! Oh well.
In other news -- well, there is no other news.
We ate breakfast...
I worked hard to make up for yesterday's laxness and we ate leftovers for supper.
I couldn't fit in yoga today, nor a walk, but I ran in one spot for a good five minutes. Tomorrow I'll make that ten minutes, even though the thumping disturbs Isis who, like me, probably thinks it's zebras.
This is a long winded way of saying that today I followed the doc's advice and had a meeting with someone who is trained to relax people.
The appointment lasted an hour. And in that hour, he took my entire life history, possibly trying to understand why I am inclined toward zebras, but most likely, because that is what these people do.
Then he actually went to his computer and looked up the label for my particular type of stress. I should have just told him to call it vague Zebra stress, but you know professional people -- they like labels. So he searched and scrolled and asked for my opinion on several of the offered choices, then decided (with my approval) that I fit no category at all. Because, stressed as I am about a few things, I really am quite relaxed about a great many others. And, well, I'm not depressed, I'm actually quite happy. And looking forward to a huge number of things. And I love a bunch of people and some of them even claim to love me back.
So, without a category, we nonetheless proceeded to the part I was most anxious about -- finding appropriate relaxation strategies for times when I need them. And then he told me in a nutshell that I should resume yoga (make me feel guilty, why don't you) and that I should do some muscle tensing and relaxing stuff, which is exactly what two commenters told me for free, here, on Ocean.
Toward the end he suggested that maybe I can come back and we can work some more on cognitive redirection, for those times when I face acute stress.
That sounded so interesting and peculiar both at the same time that I had to say yes. (I have a hard time saying no when asked point blank like that.)
Now, the time wasn't totally wasted. All those appointments caused me to drive by Owen Woods and though once again I was in a hurry and therefore I could not stop to take in fully the beauty of the season, I did snap a couple of photos for you, from an open window of the car.
Of course, I'm thinking now that I should have not made the relaxation appointment but used the hour instead to actually walk in Owen Woods. It's amazing what a walk in a beautiful forest can accomplish for you! Oh well.
In other news -- well, there is no other news.
We ate breakfast...
I worked hard to make up for yesterday's laxness and we ate leftovers for supper.
I couldn't fit in yoga today, nor a walk, but I ran in one spot for a good five minutes. Tomorrow I'll make that ten minutes, even though the thumping disturbs Isis who, like me, probably thinks it's zebras.
