I feel better now

About two weeks ago, I had a medical appointment because I was feeling weird sensations in my chest and the left side of my body. I worried for a while that it may be related to my blood pressure or hypertension, so when the symptoms persisted, I reached out to my GP.

At the appointment, I found out that my blood pressure was fine and I also got booked in for a heart trace where nothing wrong was found. It was a relief to know that I'm fine and I got a general idea about myself in the process.

After a proper conversation with the doctor, it turns out that the symptoms I experienced were stress related. That's a new experience for me to be honest. I've never experienced that kind of sensation in my life and it had me worried.

That whole experience has lingered on in my mind. I can't help but feel like regularly being in that situation could lead to even bigger health issues.

In any case, I'm now taking extra steps to reduce my stress levels. I made my office more fun and I play videogames.

Even with videogames, I no longer play games that are too stressful. Warzone, for example, has proven to be a tedious game and in recent times, I've reduced my frequency. I now mostly play GTA, FIFA or EA FC and some other adventure games where I play against predictable bots.

Stress is inevitable and it's even more stressful to try to avoid it. So, instead of fighting it, I simply just manage stressful situations and make it easier for myself.

To manage stress, I break tasks into smaller bits and do a lot of journaling. I make lists and set reminders, so my brain doesn't get cluttered. I also try to meditate daily.

Stress is inevitable and despite my attempts to manage it, I know that there will come a time when stress will get the best of me. However, I know that I've already developed healthy stress management processes and the current strain is only for a while.