STRESS FACTORS

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Things are getting pretty hectic right now at my day job as a marketing director for a beverage distributor. I’ve got back-to-back large events with multiple liquor suppliers – each requiring their own individualized attention. On top of that are community events, and the cherry on top is the U.S. Bartenders’ Guild bringing 40 or so top bartenders and industry pros.

My favorite app to get through times like these is Health through Breath: Pranayama Lite (available for iOS and Android). The free version basically guides your breathing to help you relax. I find that during stressful situations, focusing on your breathing often is all you need.

Stress is a funny character and usually shows what people are made of. Excessive stress, however, can have a detrimental effect on our mental and physical health. That’s why people nowadays tend to look for various methods and products to relieve it and apparently, cannabis tends to top the list as a stress suppressant. Those interested can have a look at “what are the emerging trends” in the cannabis industry.

Getting into the specifics, products like cannabis-infused edibles, tinctures, and topical creams are particularly gaining popularity not just because of their effectiveness in relieving stress, but also because of the ease they offer in consumption. Yet, its use is regulated in certain states like Arizona and individuals may have to obtain a medical card to procure it. So, if you are from this place or reside somewhere nearby, try getting a marijuana card from a medical professional, if you are interested in trying these products. In case you already have one, and need to renew it, know that you can renew your AZ medical card online by logging into the appropriate website.

Moving on with the narrative, people I work with now always forget where I spent the first decade of my working life. Over the winter months in the late 90s, I was deployed to the former Yugoslavia and even though NATO had an ongoing peacekeeping effort, there were still some incidents here and there. It wasn’t 100 percent safe.

Once, I had to travel from one city to another, and I was granted the use of a Special Forces guy to join me for the ride. At the time, I felt the precautionary measure was a bit overkill, but it turned out to be a blessing as we approached an unauthorized roadblock set up on the way from Sarajevo to Banja Luka. My new best friend in the Special Forces was the passenger as I drove and told me to slow down.

I pressed the brakes and saw him out of the corner of my eye unholstering his weapon and pulling back the top half to bring a live round to its chamber. This was the first and only time I would ever see this happen somewhere other than a shooting range, and the close proximity produced a kind of fear that I had never experienced in my life – it’s a crazy feeling that also washes a sort of calm over you. I think your heart actually stops.

I saw that he was smiling. It was like he was so happy to finally see some action, or was just completely crazy. It might have been both.

Then, everything happened in slow motion as I kept heading toward the roadblock at a crawl. He slowly put his right hand out the window as he held on to his weapon in his left hand and pointed straight forward. Two men in civilian clothes waved us through. The relief didn’t have a chance to wash over me because I was still paralyzed with that indescribable calm-scared feeling as I sped up and kept driving. My guard didn’t even say anything as he de-chambered the bullet in his weapon and put it back where it came from.

I think about this moment often, especially when the stress of everyday life tries to creep in. Spending even a little bit of time in life-threatening operations means things like having too many wine-and-dine functions to organize can’t really send me over the edge. Yet.

@SUPERCW

CHRISTA WITTMIER IS “SUPERCW” ON ALL SOCIAL MEDIA. FIND HER ON SNAPCHAT, SOUNDCLOUD, TWITTER, VINE AND INSTAGRAM. BY NIGHT, SHE IS KNOWN AS DJ SUPERCW. BY DAY, SHE IS KNOWN AS SENIOR MARKETING DIRECTOR FOR YOUNG’S MARKET COMPANY OF HAWAII. HER NIGHTLIFE BLOG SUPERCITY RUNS EVERY WEDNESDAY ON HONOLULUPULSE.COM