Tummy Stress Response

 Whenever I am going through a stressful I am always curious which stress response my body will pick. This time it is the uneasy-but-not-upset tummy. Nothing more to report than bloating and gas. The past few weeks have been a little rough. To add to my perennial stress about my PhD, I am also nervous about my job application and not catching Covid and frustrated by my shoulder, which has given me trouble for most of 2020. In addition, life hasn't indulged my misanthropy in the past few weeks--there are more people inhabiting my existence than I had hoped for during lockdown. It is what it is, and there is nothing I can do apart from leaning harder on my two pillars--yoga and writing. I have also discovered a new pillar--walking while listening to music. Walking by itself isn't a winner for me, unless my surroundings are enchanting. But walking while listening to music in pleasant surroundings can be quite relaxing. I am doing my best to try and reduce my screen time because I invariably end up on news websites or Twitter. So, apart from walking, I have a cup of ginger tea in the evenings while listening to the radio in the dark. There are so many small things one can do to make life a little more pleasant. I am perpetually on the lookout for such things now.