Is this the place to post on not letting Stress become anxiety?
Today, I took out more garbage cans before the truck came. I would trim dead plants as I went along gathering different cans in different areas in my yard. I have to be careful to not let this become stressful or think negative thoughts, which are, "Will I ever get this property looking nice?" "Will I ever get the weeds killed?" "Will I have to let go of some of my gardening goals?" "What am I going to let go of?" and so forth.
I finally finished up what I could do before the truck was to arrive and my body was telling me to stop. As I had done some gardening the day before when the weather was warmer. Although, the weather was still nice but had been raining. So after I rested, I went into the kitchen surveyed the mess left from the other night and dishes that needed washing and of course other chores of "That should be washed" "or the floor needs to be vacuumed" and so forth.
I had brought in a plastic dishpan from outdoors that had stayed there all winter. I think I used it to hold fish or waterlilies when I cleaned out my pond. Anyway, I brought inside to the kitchen to wash it out. While doing so, I figured I'll soak some dishes in the soapy water. Then while I did this I accidentally knocked glass onto the floor and it shattered. Oh, great, I'm thinking...I'm barefoot and I'm not feeling that good (still on antibiotics) and I knew that I couldn't leave the broken/shattered glass on the floor rug and vinyl. Ugh....
So first thing I weighed the idea of taking a Xanax, even a nibble, but instead went into my bedroom, got a leftover Alka Seltzer and shoes.
Now to attack the mess! I swept the floor, before that took some Alka Seltzer w/ water and ice. Not the whole tablet...I'm still sensitive to medicine. Then I knew I would have to vacuum the rug and then throw it in the washer. Along with a couple other floor rugs that needed it.
So I did that and vacuumed the vinyl as well and surveyed anything else that would have splinters of tiny glass in it. Not safe to eat anything with sharp glass in it. Then I proceeded the task of emptying the dishwasher so that I could load it with the dishes from Sunday and Monday. DS's young adult friends, two of them, cooked dinner, but I end up with the dishes. DH was out of town.
I did that task and worked on loading the dishwasher and stuck to it until it was full and continued washing anything else that didn't fit and putting it away. I listened to DR Phil that was prerecorded on RAGE. Very interesting and decided that I don't have the Warrior Gene in me, but definitely felt the surge of stress due to the medication I am taking for a Sinus Infection.
But I am proud of myself for giving myself Positive Self Talk as I methodically went about the task at hand and kept myself calm. I'm glad I was alone and could think things through. I even did well as I had the task of taking DS's clothes out of the dryer so that I would have that free, which reminds me, I need to put a load of towels in the dryer. I even took his overflowing wastebasket of cat food cans out to the recycle bin. Hopefully, they are meant to be recycled. Also, I stopped his toilet from constant running. That is what took me downstairs in the first place was to see if the toilet was running.
So I have to say that I met the Challenge and went beyond today. I feel really good about myself and the progress I have made.
Paislee