Last week, I was so stressed out that it seemed like even the smallest thing would elicit a panic attack. You might think that I am exaggerating, but I am not. My chest actually started hurting when I realized I had to send a letter, which meant that I would have to print it, find an envelope, find the address, write the address, seal it, find a stamp and THEN remember to mail it.
I was freaking out ALL. WEEK. LONG.
Then, yesterday I woke up, and even though I still had a sea of things to swim through, I was calm, collected and totally chill. "What the heck," I wondered? I mean, why is my tolerance for stress so high right now when last week I could have been the gunman in a bell tower over a letter or a red light?
Of course, by yesterday night I had my answer. Now boys, if you get squeamish, you probably should stop reading now. But it is normal, natural and healthy, so I AM going to talk about it. I got my period.
So, I was driving alone and thinking about all the emotions I experienced last week and regarded with wonder that PMS doesn't make me bitchy. It doesn't make me catty. I just spend one week a month with such a low tolerance for stress that I should just hide in a dark room with a one-button remote control and not come out. I suppose that given the option, stress issues are far better than irrational hatefulness, but still... it IS hard to deal with. Everything FEELS so catastrophic.
While driving, I started CRACKING UP. How the HECK did I not know myself well enough to know I was PMS'ing? Well, the answer is obvious. It is only my 3rd time doing it in five years. That is a pretty damn good reason to not have a certain level of self-awareness. Between nursing for so long and than a round of Mirena, it just simply wasn't something I had to deal with.
Yesterday morning, I sat down at my desk and got MORE WORK done in ONE HOUR than I had all week. This made me resolve something: Every month, the 3rd week of the month, I am only doing manual labor. The administrative side of things can wait.
So, next month, beware. I am totally chill and laid-back the first, second and fourth week of the month. But the third week? RUN FOR YOUR LIVES. I could have an anxiety attack just looking at you.
