A Story I Should Have Listened to Sooner
I’ve been pushing myself for over 80 years, and I don’t regret a second of it. But sometimes enthusiasm turns into overdrive.
In the spring of 2024, I was:
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Writing daily for my health book project
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Running my home and rental properties
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Cutting down trees for fun with my chainsaw and sledgehammer
I had a blast—seven days a week. But I forgot that even joy needs recovery.
Then came shingles. It hit the same muscle that gave me trouble ten years earlier—a deep ache in my right shoulder. Back then, I went to the chiropractor. He adjusted it, but the real cause was my office chair putting too much pressure on my upper arm. Once I threw that chair out, the pain vanished.
But I didn't connect the dots.
Now I believe that chronic, silent tension—what I call parasitic tension—had been building in my neck, face, and shoulders for years. It’s like leaving the lights on in your car. Eventually, the battery dies.
What I Want You to Know
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Even good work can be too much if you don’t balance it with rest.
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Office setups matter—they can quietly destroy your posture and overload your nerves.
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Muscles under constant tension wear down the nerves beneath them. I believe this allowed the dormant chicken pox virus to wake up and cause shingles.
What You Can Do Right Now
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Take five minutes and scan your body. Where are you tight, clenched, hunched?
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Stand up and stretch your shoulders and neck.
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Ask yourself: Am I enjoying my work and allowing myself to recover from it?