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Living with StressI never imagined that I would be gripped by stress, how stress would make it into every aspect of my life, my relationship, my career and my finances.Every time you blink. Every time you think you're thinking about it.Life was really on a roll. I was being promoted in my career. You know, my kids were growing and maturing.I felt like everything was moving in a very positive direction. People always commented on how light hearted I was and how carefree I was.The company that I was working for sent me to Orlando for a conference, and I walked outside barefoot. The concrete was so hot that it actually burned my feet. So I was in and out of the hospital.Just the normal daily activities were so disrupted. Stress was entering every single area of my life, my primary health, my mental health.All of those things were just declining.My relationship with my family, the soundtrack that was playing in my head over and over again was I'm not there for them, financial burdens because I couldn't go to work.Everything that I had worked so hard to build, they were all gone. And those are the things that, you know, eat at you that that soundtrack started to drown out reality.Normally, what I would do when I would feel any type of pressure was to release it some way. But during this time, I had just kept it all in. Didn't answer any calls.And as a defense mechanism, I shut everyone out.It really put a strain on my relationship with my wife. And it, and it added a lot of tension to our relationship with my kids.I had to make a shift and recognize that I had to become vulnerable. So the first thing that I had to do was actually identify what this feeling was. Had to name it.I've always probably been taught to get past things and not necessarily deal with things next to different things.And I feel like being vulnerable allows you to deal with it.Allowing people in is the thing that I would credit my healing to, making sure that you surround yourself with people who love you and who can pour into you and can give you wise advice.I found out that my self-care was really organizing my life. I organize my life in such a way. I became extremely detailed, nailing down my to do list, really making sure that my life and my career and all of these things are organized in a way that things don't sneak up on me.Because when those things sneak up on me, those things add so much stress.Exercising was a big part of the healing process. Two ways mentally and physically. You know, being on the treadmill, lifting weights, going on, you know, long walks.I also changed my diet a whole lot, the way that I ate, the way that I grocery shopped. All of those things really helped with managing stress.I would meditate. I would spend alone time. And I would play music. I play the piano. I play the guitar.I started my business and it's really doing well. I credit that to being able to manage my stress.Even though I don't like what happened, that was still a blessing in it because it strengthened my family. It strengthened the relationship with my wife.My kids now have seen no matter what they go through, they can get through it.And we're in a really good space right now, like a really good space.This program is for informational purposes only. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this video for medical decision making. For all health related issues please contact your healthcare provider.© The Wellness Network
Watch this video to learn how to find mental health care for your child.
Watch this to learn what an anxiety disorder is and what treatment options are available to help.
Watch this video to learn some strategies for living with anxiety.
Watch this patient story to learn some strategies for managing depression.
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