Strength in Numbers

Not very long ago, I found out that I have an aneurysm in my ascending aorta. It got my attention – my mother had a similar condition and eventually, it took her life. I see a cardiologist – for starters, the standard procedure is to monitor blood pressure and cholesterol. The good news, is there are meds that help; the bad news, is they sap your strength and muck your GI tract. And then you worry which causes stress and raises your blood pressure even more.

I monitor my blood pressure. The cuff is next to a futon. I usually take it first thing in the AM. More often than not the systolic is up between 130 and 140. So I worry and then spend 30 seconds having happy thoughts or close my eyes and picture something pleasant or a supportive figure. I click the monitor again and try to breathe slowly and fully as the cuff tightens. Most often the high number drops down to an acceptable number of about 120. Cuff off, I can finish dressing, preparing to meet the world head-on with all the stresses that for a moment I was able to shelve with good thoughts.

Lots of lessons can be learned. Option 1: I can just have happy thoughts all day or go back to bed as a reward for a good reading. Or I can tell myself not to worry – yeh, sure, go back to bed but I’m guessing that will work until my wife calls “You up? Everything all right, honey?” Nope.

Option 2: Return to the Happy Thoughts periodically throughout the day. Well, that may work, but once on the go, how do you stop everything? Remember: “Stop the World, I Want to Get Off”? It was a musical from the 60s.

Option 3 at least for me. I can return to the scene of the crime – go back to the futon where my happy thoughts lowered my blood pressure and repeat the happy thoughts as needed.

Sometimes it’s easier to remember to do something physical rather than just staying with the cerebral. Like turning down your fingers as you count. Since I work from home, I can go sit down on the futon as soon as I feel the pressure building up in my head, sit down on the futon, and replay my happy thoughts.

It’s early days with all this. It takes me a while to change a behavior pattern or lack of one. Going to need a bunch of notes pasted around my desk or wherever else I hang out. Or I’m going to have to take a mental happy seat with me wherever I go. The main thing is breathing and happy thoughts. And yeah, I may also have to move the blood pressure cuff around the house.

I’m sharing this because it may be helpful to others who are also battling stress or have challenges that can feel overwhelming (and it may well be all of us). I’m calling this my Happy Seat. In numbers there is strength. So I’d like your input on this or if you are already doing something similar, please share.

My go-to thoughts in the Happy Seat are picturing my spiritual guide (long passed on) offering me his smile and support and/or a pleasant pastoral scene. They seem to work for me but most important I believe is taking the time to realize I’m important enough to stay well as are each of you. So many acts of kindness to do and smiles to share.

Please send your happy thoughts and places. Once again, I’ll happily compile and post for our readers.

Best wishes for a pleasant summer.

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Ken was a Professor of Mathematics, a ceramicist, a welder, and an IBMer until downsized in 2000. He taught yoga until COVID-19 decided otherwise. He continues writing, living with his wife and beagle in Shorewood, Wisconsin. He enjoys chamber music and mysteries. He’s a homebrewer and runs whitewater rivers. Ken is a writer and his literary works can be found at https://www.kmkbooks.com/

He welcomes feedback on his articles and can be reached at havokjournal@havokmedia.com.

As the Voice of the Veteran Community, The Havok Journal seeks to publish a variety of perspectives on a number of sensitive subjects. Unless specifically noted otherwise, nothing we publish is an official point of view of The Havok Journal or any part of the U.S. government.