The Hemp Connection + tips

Pump Up Your Progesterone Part Four: Stress Management

Why in the world, the day after Thanksgiving, if I'm trying to de-stress you…would I put up a piece of pie…pie being something you likely don't even want to think about today?

Because my concept of stress is exactly like pie. Life tends to be less stressful if your"pie of life" is divided into more pieces. If your life has only a few facets, and something happens in one part of your life that is stressful, you have fewer places to go that can provide you a diversion while your mind works out a solution.

I'm posting my pie here, so you can see what I mean. I do what I do because I love it. But I can get really hyperfocused on it. And when business is slow…like it was just before the election…that can be very stressful. Fortunately, I also love to garden. There were weeds outside that needed to be pulled, so I started taking a work break every afternoon to clear a small piece of land. And you know what? While I was weeding, some new ideas for my business came to mind that jump started sales again.

It is easy, as hard as I work, to become a little inbred as far as my social life goes. So I decided a few years ago, to volunteer every Friday afternoon at a local no-kill shelter (which you should visit sometime if you're in Phoenix!). I have befriended a whole group of people who have absolutely nothing to do with my business. I love going down there and having a place where I'm Monika the cat adoption counselor, not Monika the nutritionist. (Well, that plus it's impossible to be stressed out after 5 minutes of being in the nursery with a dozen little ones simultaneously using you as a scratch post.)

I love to work out, but on days when it's raining or I'm just not feeling good and need to rest, I love to do calligraphy, read a Presidential bio, or refinish one of my antiques. Again, so many perspectives and ideas come to mind for work and social situations that seem to be locked up when I focus too hard on places where there are problems.

If you're struggling with fertility or weight loss, or any stressful situation, for that matter, the problem can just become larger than life. It can be all you think about. You can find yourself on the Internet, visiting blogs, reading books, etc., focusing entirely on your problem. And all the stress that builds up when you go to places where you only immerse yourself in more of the stuff that bothers you…can make it hard for your body to make progesterone.

Take a minute and look at your own pie. How many slices is it divided into? How many different communities of friends, coworkers, activity parteners, etc., do you belong to? Are you so focused that you have yourself backed into a stress corner?

Could it be…today is the day you have your coffee in a new Starbucks and strike up a conversation with a new person in line, rather than blasting in and out of the same place without looking at a single thing around you? Is it the day you buy that basil plant at Trader Joe's as a starter piece for your new herb garden? Is it the day you sign up for that Italian class you've been wanting to take? I'm so appreciative that you're reading my blog, but I would never expect it to be a complete and total answer to your PCOS, or to substitute for the well-rounded life that you deserve to have.: )

OK, now that THAT has been settled, I am going to paint my dining room today and then finish off that James Buchanan bio I found at the library. But first, I think it's time to head into the kitchen for some leftovers. Yes, I have to admit, leftover pumpkin pie is one of my very favorite breakfasts!

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Pump Up Your Progesterone Part Four: Stress Management + tips