Stress Release

I’ve got to find a better way to deal with stress.

The past week has been a stressful one.  Interestingly, it’s been a combination of issues that appear on my "not to blog about" list.  Work items, home issues, financials, etc.  So without my blog (or social media) venting ability, I relied on Old Faithful: Hold It All In And Suppress The Stress.  That worked beautifully.  If by beautifully you mean I woke up Sunday morning unable to get out of bed due to a horrible spasm in my upper back.

I took some ibuprofen, but that only turned the sharp pain into a dull, persistent ache.  I hoped that, as the day went on, it would vanish, but it didn’t.  The pain stuck around and expanded into my shoulders, neck, and even my right arm.

Monday, I woke up and I could hardly move my neck due to tight muscles.  As I write this, on Monday night, the pain remains and is currently shooting down the length of my arm again.

I need some stress-free time or, failing that, a better way of dealing with stress.  Because dealing with this back pain is stressing me out and you know what happens to me when I stress out… It’s a vicious cycle!

How do you deal with stress?