Last week sucked—it was straight up emotionally rough. My August housing fell through after I’d completely packed up from the last place. Then, my bikes fell off my car. Two of them. On the highway. At 65 miles an hour.
Now, I’m staying with my sister’s family in Los Altos. Talking with my bro-in-law yesterday about how our days went, I reported that “Today was good since I’m getting back on track…”
Yeah, last week’s events really took their toll. Having to revisit the sublet or housesitting search again was stressful. (My work goals just fly out the window when that fundamental need, i.e. shelter, is in question.)
The thought that people could’ve been seriously hurt when my bikes fell (thank Gawd there were no collisions!!) was traumatizing. Not to mention would I have to invest in a new commuter bike??
Understanding that stressful situations are amplified by hormones such as cortisol flooding the body, the best thing I could’ve done once I was in a safe space was to get heart-pumping exercise to clear out those hormones.
I do yoga daily but often barely get warmed up. While this is better than nothing, I’m learning from Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz’s book The Power of Full Engagement that it’s not enough. (more…)
