I Wanna Scream And Shout And Let It All Out

Sometimes I just want to scream. I get tired of having to deal with everyone and all of the stuff going on and it drives me crazy! I keep everything bottled up inside and I know that that's not good for me. It's just how I learned how to deal with stressful situations when I was growing up and let me tell you it's a pretty hard habit to break.

Stress is not good for anyone, but especially bad for women with PCOS. It can make us turn to comfort food which can make our insulin levels rise, we produce more cortisol which makes our insulin levels rise and progesterone levels decrease. Two things that we don't want. 

Part of this post is to hopefully help y'all and me both. I've been trying to get back into college for either Occupational Therapy Assistant or Sonography (Ultrasound) and I'm waiting to hear back from the financial aid office! Classes start in about two months and I have no clue if I'm going to have enough grant and student loan money when classes start again. The campus is an hour and a half away and the dorms are already full so if I don't have enough gas money there's no way. So between that, looking for a job, my family, and everything else it's really hard not to freak out sometimes.

Another reason is that I get cold sores when I get stressed. And the last few times that that's happened I've had them not only on my lip, but on my cheek! They itch more than hurt, which I can deal with, but they leave this little patch of scars! Speaking of which, if you get them, too, try taking Lysine! Mine normally last about a week or so, but when I take these it's gone in around four days. Ish.

Ways To Deal With Stress

•  Ask for a hug or a back rub! Multiple studies have shown that the human touch can be comforting and can lower stress hormones cortisol, norepinephrine, and dopamine. You could also get a manicure/pedicure or get your haircut if a back rub or a hug isn't an option. 

•  Work it out! Exercise in almost any form can act as a stress reliever. Being active can boost your feel-good endorphins and distract you from whatever is on your mind. Meditation, yoga, and going for a walk are other good options. 

•  Have a dog or cat? If I'm upset the first person (well, sorta lol) by my side is my dog, Charlie. Just seeing those big brown puppy dog eyes of his and the touch of his fur can make me feel better. I don't know of anyone who's a better listener and can make me smile like him. And he doesn't judge me, he just loves me no matter what. Plus, research shows that, when conducting a task that’s stressful, people actually experienced less stress when their pets were with them than when a supportive friend or even their spouse was present.

•  Crank up the music! Sometimes when I get mad I'll get my ipod and listen to something that'll help me get my anger out. I played trumpet for ten years, so I love all kinds of music. It doesn't have to have words for me to connect to a piece of music. Whether it's Linkin Park, The Fray, Kelly Clarkson, Drum Corps (DCI), Phantom of the Opera, Keith Urban, Adele, or the Civil Wars, I love music! No matter what kind of mood that I'm in there's some kind of music that I can relate to.

• My sister cleans a lot when she gets stressed. If she's in the kitchen cleaning like a mad woman I know something is up. My dad goes outside and works in his garden or mows the yard. One of my former close friends used to go fishing. What I'm getting at is that we all have something that we enjoy and can help us blow off some steam and get our minds off of our troubles. 

I hope you find this helpful and if there's anything you know of that I'm leaving please share! Have a good weekend! =)