My Monkey Mind

I didn't sleep much last night, again. Before my head hit the pillow, I knew I wouldn't. Yesterday was just one of those days. If your monkey mind works overtime like mine you know what I'm talking about. The Buddha said the human mind is filled with drunken monkeys, chattering and running around, unable to focus. Mine certainly felt like that last night.

There's so much going on in my life right now I have trouble turning it off to sleep. On the writing front, I released the Kindle version of my first indie book, Unwritten Rules, last week and am waiting for the letter carrier to deliver my proof copy of the print version this afternoon. If it looks good, it will go live on Amazon next week. The project of publishing this book has consumed so much of my energy during the past few months I almost feel at loose ends now that it's wrapping up. 

But of course, much of the work is just beginning. I feel guilty for not having done more promotion for this new book, but I need several more reviews to make the most of the free days on KDP I'm planning for next month.  All this and much more spins through my brain as soon as the lights go out. There's always something more I should be doing. 

On top of my work, OG is remodeling our shower, so every morning is full of swearing, tile sawing, mortar mixing, and more swearing. Fortunately it's looking pretty good so far, as I knew it would. Unfortunately OG is not one to suffer in silence when faced with a problem or obstacle on a home improvement project. It can be more than a little distracting.

Additionally, our daughter is teetering on the edge of landing her first full-time job. After five years of grad school, she decided not to continue pursuing her PhD in Ancient Egyptian Art and Archaeology. The situation in Egypt has become untenable for scholars, and there are no teaching opportunities in Western universities. On top of that, she's looking forward to a more "normal" life after having been in school for most of her twenty-seven years. She began looking for a job several months ago with no luck, which has been supremely stressful for all of us. Finally in the past couple of weeks the tide started to change. She got first one interview then another, with a follow up scheduled for Monday. We have our fingers crossed, but nothing is certain and it's enough to give any mother sleepless nights.

And then there's the new house. We're about three months from completion, and things are happening fast. Yesterday we solved an anxiety-provoking problem with the siding, and I met with the landscaper for the first time. I can't wait to see the design he comes up with for my new gardens. It's also time to choose the colors and a lot of the final finishes. As a result I lay awake at 2:00 a.m. with visions of cabinet knobs and flowering shrubs dancing through my tired brain. 

In truth, although I was tired this morning, it was a good tired. Things are happening, and none of them bad. It's an exciting time. Six months from now I wonder if I'll be bored. I doubt it. But maybe at least my monkey mind will settle down for awhile.

Is Your Stress Level Toxic?

Stress can kill you. We all know that, right? But have you ever taken a test to evaluate your risk?

Six months ago, I had reason to worry that work-related stress had destroyed one of my most valued assets—my health. I rarely slept more than four hours a night, my hair was falling out in fistfuls, and I’d lost so much weight that even my smallest sized clothes hung on me like a scarecrow. I did a little research and discovered an online stress inventory that has been used for decades to help determine the risk of developing a serious physical illness as a result of stress.

The Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale (or Social Readjustment Rating Scale) was developed by two psychiatrists in 1967. It assigns a numerical score to each of 43 significant life events from the death of a spouse to minor legal problems. You determine whether you have experienced each individual stressor during the past twelve months then add up the numbers assigned to each one.  If your score is less than 150, you have only a slight risk of developing a serious, stress-related illness in the next two years. 150-299 presents a moderate risk. Over 300 and you have an 80% chance.

Here are two places you can try it out for yourself. The first asks the questions a bit differently then adds the points up for you.

            www.healthyplace.com/psychological-tests/online-stress-test

            www.stress.org/holmes-rahe-stress-inventory/

Both tests told me that based on the events of the past year I am at a very high risk of getting sick. This is unsettling because I never get sick. With the exception of a nasty bout of norovirus I caught from a co-worker whose husband (a high school teacher) brought home from school, I haven’t had so much as a cold in nearly ten years.

While I’ll admit I’ve had more than my fair share of stress in the past year, I’m not entirely certain I took the test properly—that’s one of the main problems with self-administered tests over the Internet. Most of my stress was work-related, and there are several questions that address bad work situations from different angles. Per the instructions, I answered yes to all that applied, but I wonder if that might have over-magnified the true situation. If you take the test, you’ll see what I mean.

Based on the test, I’m feeling much better than I should. This is borne out by the results of yet another Internet test (don’t you just love them?). According to the Stress Screener at www.mentalhealthamerica.net/ I’m in great shape. It evaluates one’s current emotional state in response to stress instead of measuring the quantity of stressful events. My results suggest I have developed healthy ways of coping with stress. In my next post, I’ll share the best article I’ve found on stress reduction and management.

Try the tests for yourself, and let me know if you think the results are valid.