The news from the therapist was: that's not how stress usually works.
Cortisol (the stress hormone) is the sort of thing that rises rather than spikes, so she mentioned that my condition resembles more PTSD than normal stress. So, for what it's worth, when I said I'd look back at this part of my life and feel trauma, turns out it's happening faster than I thought!
Aside from that, the session really didn't seem to go anywhere. We read through a nice little document together about how to reduce stress, through breaking up large projects, using checklists, avoiding distractions, and accepting progress over perfection. These are all things I'm good at! Man, can you imagine if I were to allow more stress in from the sides?
True, I have started listening to the news again, but I feel like it's my duty to be aware of how the country is terribly consolidating power in the executive branch, where one of the worst people in the world is doing everything he can to worsen the world. Tariff wars, increasing fossil fuel generation, pulling out of the Paris Agreement, criminalizing DEI, outlawing transgenderism... we're headed to hell in a handbasket, and the least I can do is pay attention.
It was a not-good weekend. I tested positive for COVID on Friday, and just couldn't get comfortable or relax at all. I played videogames while the boys just overwhelmed Jessi. Funny enough, they created a homemade crossbow that works! And they shot a hole through awall!
Daniel's getting into Monopoly, and it's really exciting to see him be such a good sport! Our house is coming up with its own house rules. How I remember playing, houses could be bought and sold for the same price. Now, they can be sold for half price, but to unmortgage a property, you just need to pay back the money you got from mortgaging it!
Anyways, it's Monday. I've finished my latest book to edit, and I've got two more to beta read. I'm going to try and relax, focus on feeling better! But we'll see how well I can do it.
I hope I get out of this brain fog. After my first run with COVID, I felt like my brain fog lasted for months. I just feel distant from my own mind, and it's unpleasant to feel and know that I'm working at only like 40% efficiency!
