This whole find-new-house-pack-old-house transition has been crazy stressful. Lately I've become QUITE aware of how my body manifests and processes anxiety.
Stress putting its best foot forward, on me.
When something troublesome comes up (like say, getting a house I wanted yanked out from under me, or mistakenly having my internet service turned off too early, purely hypothetical examples <insert slow sarcastic wink here>), I have been feeling this giant pressure in my chest , somewhat akin to someone stepping on me in a big, heavy boot.
Here's the thing - after a few weeks of it, I was pretty freaked out. I thought maybe I was having heart problems. (I'm not.) I researched it a bit, and had just had a big if checkup anyhow, which I passed with swimming colors. (Because they were all out of the flying ones that day.)
What I figured out was that it was an autonomic bodily response to stress. Basically, it was me giving myself a nice little panic attack.
Now that I knew this, I knew what to do about it too, practice mindful detachment. Stay with the feeling, witness it, honor it, move through it.
I still feel the boot sometimes, when stuff comes up, but I'm aware of what it is, why my body is feeling it, and I can move through it quickly. I actually had one this morning about cutting off my internet this morning (so, maybe not so hypothetical after all <insert saucy wink here>), and just taking the time to think about it, breathe, and write this blog entry has shoved that boot right off my chest.
Good stuff.