Stress and retirement may equal death?

This blog sounds like a broken record.  My high-stress job is killing me, and I just can’t stop the downfall.  I try to use all kinds of methods to reduce stress, yet it just seems to pile on with no end in sight.  I am greatly concerned and have been for a while about the impact on my health and lifespan.  I have six of the nine effects listed below!

On Sunday, I discovered the man who hired me and mentored me in the profession died of a massive heart attack.  He, like me, carried the job on or in every part of the body.  He lived and breathed his job.  He really enjoyed retirement, and it was like he had a new life!  He had been retired for five years and had little stress in retirement, yet a heart attack killed him.

I have complained to the Doctor on several occasions about my chest pain and my tingle in the arm.  Well, really, not a tingle, but the occasional lightning bolt that goes from the shoulder and out the fingers.   The Doctor runs tests, and the results are no reason for great concern.  Just monitor the heart issues.   Yet I still feel like death is soon upon me.   I really have a great fear of dying from stress.

I have said it before; there are some steps I can take to try to head my job off in the past.  I have known for years that I should eat better and exercise regularly.  I also know a few things about decreasing job stress and increasing my life span.  But do I do them?  No, as I am working 65-hour weeks and near burnout, and it is about to get worse.

One thing I miss is my wingman (really wing women).  When I am under a lot of pressure, a wingman helps me overcome obstacles, thereby reducing my stress level.  Lt. Col. Rob “Waldo” Waldman, a decorated combat fighter pilot for the Air Force and the author of “Never Fly Solo,” said, “Teamwork and trust are critical for thwarting the missiles of fear, change, and risk that too often send even the most seasoned professional into a downward spiral.” My last great wingman (woman) was Dana.  Life has not been the same since she died!  I am now alone and believe I have no allies at work or in life.

It’s like being alone at night during a 100-mile run.  You can’t quit, as that could kill you as well.

Carry on, my friends, Carry on...