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Week one is almost over. This week was incredibly busy and super stressful at work. It happened to be one of the most stressful weeks of my year and I am so glad it is over. It took a large team of people to pull it off, and we managed to do it.
I posted about day one already, but the rest of the week was too busy and stressful to keep up with the blogging. I learned a lot this week, though.
Day two started out with coffee grounds exploding all over my kitchen, but I had the foresight to prepare sweet potatoes to deal with stress. The afternoon proved to be a challenge, and when I would normally reach for junk to manage my stress response, I reached for sweet potatoes and pork roast that I had brought as an extra meal. It worked. I felt much calmer and more able to handle the day afterwards.
I came home really wanting a glass of wine. Instead, I channeled my energies into creating recipes. I made another batch of salsa and worked on a recipe for barbecue sauce that I think I nailed. It needs a little more testing, but everyone who tasted it says it is very good. That makes me happy.
Day three I managed to get up with a few extra minutes to spare for some yoga, which was good because my day got super stressful the moment I walked in the door. I discovered that I made a mistake that could have slowed down the entire project but ended up being minor once everything was reviewed. Good thing I ate a full breakfast of eggs, salsa, and spinach. I was also very happy I had sweet potatoes with me.
Day four came around and I did not have sweet potatoes. I was too worn out to make them the night before. The stress was beginning to catch up to me, and I was feeling very fatigued. At the eleventh hour, we encountered a challenge that, once again, could have slowed everything down. This time, thankfully, it was not my fault, but it was incredibly stressful. I was unable to proceed with the steps I needed to take at the end of the day until after that was resolved. It was a hard day.
Friday came along and the big day was finally at hand. I had my sweet potatoes and was ready for the chaos. There were many, many moving pieces that had to be verified throughout the process, and many individuals involved in making sure things went smoothly. It was a long morning, but by lunch, we were done. Thank goodness.
In the end, stress did take its toll, though. I came home early and needed to rest all afternoon and into the evening.
What I learned from everything is that stress cannot always be avoided, but that there are ways to manage it that do not have to compromise a person’s health even further. Sweet potatoes are a nutrient dense carb, and carbs are known to be useful in managing stress. It’s why so many of us struggle with eating right when everything around us is chaotic and falling apart. We instinctively reach for the quick fix, the bar of chocolate or the candy jar. But by utilizing sweet potatoes in place of the junk, I was able to obtain the benefits of the carbs without the ensuing crash that happens with sugar.
