It's officially summer in Mexico. I've known this for a couple weeks, but it truly hit me yesterday when I was putting fresh sheets on the bed and sweat was running down the side of my face. It is cooler when it rains, but that doesn't happen everyday, and it feels like we're inside a sauna during those times in between.
I tend to get aggravated when I'm overheated (as Ibis will attest to) and things that normally wouldn't be a big deal suddenly become the reason that life as I know it will never be the same. A bit dramatic, I know.
As I mentioned last week, I've started querying, and I'm thinking that maybe I should have waited until next week -- at the very least -- to send those puppies out. Aside from the eternal wait for news on Ibis' immigration, next week I'm finding out about something else rather big that I'm not going to get into here. Add to that the recent news that a dear friend has a brain tumor, and my stress level is much higher than normal. When that happens my anxiety kicks in and suddenly I can't breath very well.
Which brings us back to the weather. I don't know how many of you have asthma, allergies, or other breathing issues, but when the humidity level is hovering around 80%, it's particularly tricky getting oxygen into spasming lungs.
Do you have any suggestions on how I can calm myself when everything is out of my control? And please don't say "buy this" or "hang out at a cute little coffee shop." I need options that don't cost money or require a metropolis.
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Ibis and I are heading to my favorite beach after the gym this morning so hopefully that will help alleviate some of this crap. :)
I always do the same thing you probably do ... exercise. Nothing like it.
And I check out for a while. Take a blog-cation and, to the extent it's possible, a vacation from my whole normal life.
p.s. Sorry to hear about your friend, and I hope whatever you're waiting to hear is good news.
Thanks Lurker. I'm on my way to the gym now, in fact.
(((hoo))) I don't know what to suggest, because you and I are too similar. I'd be in the same boat. I'll think on it, though.
Gosh, then I didn't help at all with my email. I'm feeling the same way, but I certainly don't have as good reasons to, LOL!
I avoid all dairy. Seriously, even if you're not allergic to it, they've found that dairy just aggravates asthma. Primateme Mist helps, and it might not be real expensive down there, I'm not sure.
Cold air also helps, they say. Unfortunately. I don't know if you can sit in front of your AC in your bedroom and just breathe directly there, LOL?
On a side note, I curled up with Mateo last night. He gives me heart when I'm feeling like a coward, LOL! :-)
I was going to suggest reading at the beach. Anything that allows for an escape...
Janna, it's frustrating because there's nothing I can do. We went to the gym and now we're heading to the beach.
Natasha, you're email was fine, lol. I prefer to hear about other people so I don't have to think about myself.
Cold air does help. We slept with the AC last night so I always feel more rested after that, even if my Mexican husband is shivering next to me. :P
And you're still reading it?
Mom, I've passed the quarter mark of Anna Karenina and hope to get through lots more today.
Sometimes I get a bit overwhelmed by life and I take a mental vacation. I am still going through my paces, but my brain is pretending that I am in a Jane Austen romance or on some fictional adventure. Children build imaginary worlds all the time. Why cant adults? (Besides, some of these daydreams provide great writing material.)
You have so much going on, I'm so sorry!! I admire you for how much you have to deal with and how you take it all in stride. You are awesome!
I'm the same way with the heat, it agitates me and my poor husband gets the brunt of it.
As for relief, I sometimes put on classical music and lie on the floor and close my eyes. It's a nice calming escape. Also watching a favorite movie, that helps too.
Hope things get better soon! Hugs!!
I have a bunch of unfinished reads on my Kindle. I'd finished another, and so I went looking for something to read. That was at the halfway mark, so I forgot I'd finished. (I think I'd looked something up in our discussions; I was at the bar.) By the time I realized I had finished it, I was enjoying myself. :-)
JLC, I LOVE that idea. I can just pretend I'm living an adventure novel or something. Or something with Hugh. :)
Nadine, the other night I was getting so bad that he asked what was wrong with me. A quick shower fixed it and I was able to be nice again.
I like the idea of laying on the floor. We have tile floors and sometimes they are cool.
Natasha, that makes sense. :)
Do you know anything about yoga? The focusing and the breathing along with the poses help me with my stress. I think yoga today has some decent free on line videos.
I am sorry that I didn't get a chance to contact you when I was down in Zih. I ended up with a house full of company. I do not have email access except at La Condessa along Playa Blanca. I will be back in October and I will try to plan ahead and contact you.
My asthma was giving me problems in Zih last week after the storm. I was freezing old water bottles and putting them on my forehead. I only went into town once and the heat about did me in. I had to use my albuterol rescue breather a few times. Can you buy those over the counter?
I hope you are feeling better. I enjoy visiting Zihuatenejo often but it must be a major stress life change to live there. The things that I originally found charming tend to wear on my nerves after a while and I am ready to come home. The longest I have been there is three weeks at a time so you can feel free to smack me.
Sharon! Don't feel bad about not connecting with us -- we were in Mexico for part of the week so odds were we wouldn't have been here. Yes, it's been HOT.
I incorporate some yoga moves into my regular stretching but I need to be better about doing it more regularly. I do them when I work out, but on the other days I only stretch for about five minutes. Not good.
And I won't smack you. :P It's nice to know people can understand how we feel. Most tourists look at us like we're crazy if we express anything other than pure joy at living in such paradise, but it's not like that for longer periods of time.
I'm glad you had a good trip, despite the breathing problems!
I hope your life gets more uneventful so you can relax a little. I'm very sorry to hear about your friend and I hope you are ok. I do two things that help me a lot. I take my dog (Teddy) to the beach and talk to my sister and Bruce. It helps me to talk because if I say what's bothering me out loud it seems to diffuse the situation somewhat. I always say being in paradise helps. We normally have less stress here.
I'm sorry I don't have any advice for you, Mel, but I can offer my sympathies and some cyberhugs, FWIW.
*hugs*
Good luck with the querying! And I'll keep a good thought for your friend, too.
Hi Jan, talking helps me too, but poor Ibis gets the brunt of it. He's gotten much more understanding since I tell him I'm not looking for him to "fix" anything, just to listen, but I don't want to bog him down since he had the same worries, you know?
I want a dog SO badly!
Thanks Jen. I really appreciate the support my group of online friends has given me. :)
Beating my kids with a stick always relaxes me. I can send them to visit.
I'm so sorry you're dealing with all this stuff! What about relaxing tapes - the kind with birds, beach, meadows, etc.? I'll bet you can download them off of itunes.
*looks around for kids to beat, finds Ibis instead*
I like that idea -- it would block out all the obnoxious sounds of the neighborhood, although I have gotten used to those.
Melanie,
First, sorry to hear about your friend. Hope they get better really soon.
As for keeping stress in check, I exercise and meditate. Does wonders. And a stroll is always good.
Much luck with the queries!
Thanks Gypsy. :) Exercise works well for me. I keep meaning to try meditating, but I don't know where to begin.
I'm 3/8 on the queries right now but figure I'll hear from a couple more this week, then I'll send round two!
Sorry I am late on this.
I find a hot towel wrapped about my face helps to smooth and slow down the spasm.
After that is off you sit with your eyes closed and breathe in and out. Feel the cool breeze on your face.
I find that helps for both heat and lungs.
I might try that with a cold towel. We don't have hot water, and heat, in general, makes it worse for me.
Where've you been?
I believe exercising, reading, and fantasizing have all been mentioned. You know, like planning in detail what you would do if you won the lottery. Or planning any kind of fun, complex project.
And, for me at least, prayer. Connecting with God really helps me regain perspective and find some comfort. Unless I'm too overwrought to listen, which does happen sometimes.
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