Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Stress


I know conventional wisdom tells us to avoid it as much as possible, especially after having a stroke.  We’re told that it causes all kinds of health problems, and that it can interfere with recovery.  But really, how much of it can you realistically avoid?  Even if you don’t work after having a stroke, you still have to live in the world, with all that that implies about acquiring housing, food, and transportation, while living in poverty, or near-poverty, which is about as stressful as it’s possible to get.
I’m lucky in that I’m able to work, but that presents a whole different set of stressors.  My position at the state housing agency is different from anyone else’s.  It’s my job to create new housing programs for people with special needs, and also to advocate for their inclusion in all of our mainstream programs.  So, while everyone else spends their time ensuring that our housing projects have low vacancy rates, generate high levels of cash flow,  and are well-maintained, I promote projects that typically have the opposite of these.  This is because people with physical or mental disabilities usually have very low incomes, frequent hospitalizations, and have difficulty maintaining their units. This inherent conflict constantly puts me in opposition to agency management.  It’s a tough, but very rewarding job, and the stress is constantly at a high level, but I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else.

In the  27 months since my stroke, I’ve consistently sought out stressful situations.  Working, driving, especially going long distances by myself, often at night, was nerve-wracking at first.   Deciding to start swimming again, which meant getting changed, walking on the wet pool deck, and showering on the slippery shower room floor, was terrifying, and I almost backed out several times.  But each time I tried something new and stressful, I was glad that I forced my self to go through with it, and each time I discovered that the second time doing it was easier than the first, and easier still each time afterward.
I have a feeling that we need stress in our lives to some degree. It’s the physical stress of exercise that makes us stronger, makes our muscles grow.  So, too, I believe, the mental stress of new experiences, new challenges, helps us get stronger mentally, helps our brains grow in some sense of the word.  Of course, too much stress, either physical or mental, can be harmful.  But with either type, if you start out small and build up to higher levels, the result will be a stronger body, and a stronger brain.