Stress, what is it?

Stress. It's a funny old thing, or word. It conjures up an image of a crazy, eye-bulging person tearing their hair out. The only thing being that's not strictly the truth about it, is it.

I used to think I never got stressed. I mean I'd get nervous at exams and the like. Heck, I breezed my driving test, but a funny thing started happening a few years back for no particular reason. Well none that I could fathom. It's only in the past 6 months I've realised that this 'thing' was stress. For me to say that is both frightening and yet enlightening at the same time. I've been brought up in quite a traditional way and stress and depression were never really mentioned in the family. I used to think it was easy for some people to say they were stress, truthfully I still do think people jump on that label for themselves all too easily, but like I say, in the past 6 months I've realised that this stress thing had been happening to me for a couple of years without me realising it.

I thought I'd pulled a muscle in my back. I thought I had wisdom teeth problems with the most tense jaw you could ever imagine. At one point I thought I had a brain tumour as a 3 week long headache was not for subsiding no matter how much ibuprofen i fed it. Then when I went went deaf in my left ear twice over the past 2 months I thought it was because the pumping bass beats at spin class were causing it. I started to get really bad headaches (I used to never believe in migraines) but they were in actual fact migraines. so bad the I could quite easily have stuck a fork in my and took my eye ball out to massage for a few hours if it brought some relief. Then I started to take note and thought I was only getting this due to hormones at certain times every month but then it became more frequent. Every day frequent. So frequent that I wished it would relent some times.

Then came a strange feeling. I was dizzy when I got up off a chair or from a lie down. Strange. I've never felt that before. This is at the same time as the deaf ear bear in mind. Perhaps I had that thing you get with earache, you know, when you lose balance.... Also, one night after eating my dinner I sat in my chair for a good hour with my first ever nausea inducing migraine. Ouchie. I think it's safe to say there was something not quite right here.

I'm not really one for bothering a doctor, although I probably should have gone ling before now. I did go a few years back, um about 5 years ago, when i had a two week long headache then. Back then i did really think something bad was wrong. He told me there wasn't and to take ibuprofen, i'd be fine. And I was after a month. But slowly these symptoms keep recurring.

The funny thing is that I don't really know what i'm stressed about. Actually that's a lie, I do. Because, as i mentioned above, although big occasions such as tests or the like don't really phase me, it's petty things that happen at work that do. It's silly things that happen in the house that does. If i drive a long way I can tense up like a rigid rubber band. It's people being late if we're going somewhere. All these little things that add up and make me feel like my shoulders are at my ears and my jaw is about to crack. That's how stress manifests itself in me.

I've been on holiday for the past two weeks. I don't mean i've been away anywhere. No, I've just been off work and it was very much needed as there are changes going on that may or may not be a good thing. But i feel refreshed and raring to go tomorrow. For the first 5 days of my holiday i was still taking pain killers for the headache/neckache/tense jaw but for the rest of the holiday I've been fine. I think the sunshine and my daily spin bike classes at The Peak have also helped. I went to one every day last week apart from Thursday and i totally missed it. I now have set a plan in place for going back to work and am ready to fight this stressyness.

I don't know what i wanted this post to be about. Just a little chance for me to get this down on paper so to speak. If you've got any tips to stay stress free leave them below in a comment. I'm keen to know if other people get it this way.

For now, i'm off to watch Dragons Den. Have you seen that new lady?!! Scary or what!

Take care
Angela x

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Glossybox - July

The July Glossybox dropped through my door today. Not literally dropped you'll understand. I'd managed to stay away from spoilers from other people on the interwebs. So, the products I got (for a mere £10) are here...

100ml Weleda pomegranate regenerating body oil (certified organic) - a full size, which retails for £19.95! I've only recently heard of Weleda and have already had a look at their website to see what else i can buy!

30ml Inlight Organic daily face oil - again a full size, retails at £25! I use a Decleor neroli face oil sometimes so look forward to trying this on my parched dry face.

13.5ml Ciate nail polish in big yellow taxi - again, another full size retails about £9. I'm keen to try this as yes, i was one of the dafties that spent lots of pounds on Chanel Mimosa. It is a lovely shade but the brush is horrid and the consistency is not conducive to a nicely painted nail. Hopefully the Ciate will be better.

1.3g Illamasqua Pure Pigment in Marvel - full size, rrp £15.50!  Never tried this brand before and not really sure what i'll use this for - eyes? Others say for highlighting or mixing with a blush. I'll give it a go. It's a nice yellowish/goldy colour and may work well with my Jemma Kidd Rose Gold highlighter i got a few week back.

Finally, a sample size if Xen-Tan fake tanner in dark. I won't try this just yet as i just had a fake tan done a few days ago and i'm already a golden glow.

All in all it looks like maybe Glossybox are over compensating for the shocking inclusion of Batiste dry hair shampoo in last months box. I won't cancel my subscription as yet but will wait to see if the products are of such good quality in the coming few months.

As an aside, i've recently bought a few items that have only been swatched once and i decided they don't suit me. First one is a Mac Sheen Supreme lipstick on Gotta Dash! (see below) It's a lovely coral shade and gives a nice sheen but the colour just doesn't suit me.

Second one is the Rouge Bunny Rouge lipgloss that was in June's Glossybox. Again swatched once and doesn't suit me. If you want to buy it let me know!

Obviously any guys reading this probably won't have a scooby do what I've just written. Ha ha. Hope you liked reading it though. This is another part of me that i've kept hidden from the world for a while. For although i'm somewhat of a tom boy, I'm also a huge fan of beauty stuff that make my skin sparkle!

Take care
Angela x

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No Words Wedinsday Number a Hundred and sixty three

Moo frames for my mini cards

Sparkly nails, i'm doing this tonight

Havainas flip flops

Gym gear

A few photos from my Instagram feed. One of my favourite iPhone apps.

Angela x

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I've started so i'll finish

I'm not very good at finishing things, as you might be able to tell from the abandoned 30 day photo challenge posts and the lask of Awkward and Awesome Thursday posts. The thing is i am very good at finishing things but some things I let slip by the wayside. Does this happen to you? I'm sure it must.

I have these great ideas and start on them with gusto and then.. blah.. it slips away. I wonder why...?

Anyway that's an aside. It's 5 working days til I am on my summer holidays. 2 whole weeks off work. Wahey! And I fully intend to hack away at that summer bucket list I posted a few months back here.

I am taking another trip to London off the list just now. Simply because I had to fork out £300 on a new clutch for my car a few weeks ago and it so spare cash for big trips is lacking. BUT, BUT, but... I may, just may be going on an awesome trip in February / March of 2012! Exciting.

Still on the list are a walk along a beach, any beach, a nice beach, somewhere. Seeing more movies. I haven't been to the cinema since I saw The Hangover 2 and there's been a good few films out that i've wanted to see. So I may just take myself off to see Bad Teacher tonight. Oh yes.

Also on the list is a road trip to Alton Towers. To a funfair. I've not been to the shows for years. Does anyone else call it 'the shows'?

Also during my summer holidays, I fully intend to got to the gym more and more spin classes. They started a new one on a Sunday and the first one was yesterday. It was pretty buy for a Sunday afternoon. I'll try to go along each week but you know, my summer bucket list day trips may get in the way!

Now, i must dash. I only popped on the check out the new Blogger layout in draft.blogger.com. I like it. Very clean, fresh, modern. A big thumbs up from me. I like simple clean functional design.

I'm rambling now. I'll go.

Laters people,
Angela x

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Independence Day

Hello!

Happy 4th of July to readers from the USA.

I know you're there (i see from the stats!), show yourselves some time. Comment. I like comments, and commenters.

Peace out,

Angela x

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