31 Silver Linings – A Daily Writing Challenge {Day 3}

The workload in my field generally ebbs and flows with the seasons.  This year, however, it has been non-stop.  I’ve had one project that I devoted a great deal of time and energy toward that I recently completed.  It was one of those where you breathe a sigh of relief for having made it, bumps, bruises, scrapes and all, and hope you can find time to sleep for days. Unfortunately, I had another complicated project arise right on its heels that delayed my deeply desired hibernation…and sustained my already heightened stress for another week.

In the midst of this, summer began it’s slow departure;  cloudy, damp, sometimes rainy days began to come more frequently. And with the coming of Fall, I found last year, comes the arrival of the creepy crawlies to my domicile.

I am not a fan of creepy crawlies.

I am even less of a fan when I am stressed to the max in other areas of my life.  Who knew that stress, lack of sleep, and a lack of dedicated time to deal with said creepy crawlies could lead to anxiety…and a grown woman sleeping with the hall light on?

It’s been a difficult couple of weeks, friends.  I feel like a complete and utter wuss for admitting this but I can tell you that it is truly a phobia I’m dealing with and one I’ve had for as long as I can remember…and it’s exacerbated  by an even creepier crawly here than I was ever familiar with before:  the spider cricket.  As they say, #icant #icanteven.

As my anxiety reached a fever pitch last week (and I was sleeping less and less), I was reminded:  this is something I can do something about.  I am not at the mercy of my fear.  And so I took some concrete steps to deal with the issue, first on my own and then with the assistance of my landlord.  I’m not entirely confident that the outcome is going to be exactly as I’d like but at least I know that I took action to change the situation and hopefully help myself get some much-needed and long-overdue rest..