Hives Made ME an Organized Person

Personal Story

Last years I graduated from Florida State College of Jacksonville with my Associates in Art, worked over the summer and got accepted to University of North Florida to further my education. Luckily I saved a ton of money taking my prerequisites at FSCJ but what I didn’t know was that the workload at a community college to a university was different.

At FSCJ I would attend class do homework, take exams and pass that all came down the hill when I started attending my classes at UNF. Realizing you only had 3 exams and there’s your grade. Hi, my anxiety with exams is bad, horrible you name it. I can’t take exams to save my life (fall semester 2018) Plus this was me thinking attending class working full time (2 jobs) would be a great idea so I could pay for those classes. Plus my boyfriend had just moved down from New York so I could finish school and we could close the distance in our relationship. So as you can tell I had a lot on my plate and nothing helping me to manage all at once.

What happened you might ask. You guys I got hives!! I broke down in hives due to stress! If you’ve never had hives you’re lucky and I’m getting itchy just typing about it. I booked a doctors appointment at 7 am because I worked at 9 am. This is the questions I’m asked “are you allergic to anything, any new food, stress? I’m not allergic to anything, so stress it is!

I never knew hives can also be caused by stress. She prescribed me steroids and Zyrtec. Did they go away after me finishing my steroids? No, they did not go away! They made the itching go away but that is about it.

I ran out of that prescription and I had to remind myself that all the steroids in the world were not going to make them go away, but my mental state was.

This guys threw me through the edge! Being itchy and not comfortable with your own body is the worst. It makes your confidence sink, you can’t focus on anything because all you can think of it’s itching.

This was my wake up call! I couldn’t do this to myself due to stress. I just couldn’t, I was losing my mind.

What I Changed?

I got a calendar you guys!
I listed my classes, work, times when I could study and days I took to MYSELF. Yes, I said it I needed me time. To focus on my health meaning: relax get my nails, hair done pamper me!!

I switched from a “To Do list” to a “Results List”
I didn’t list I have this and that to do, nope I listed what I would’ve liked to achieve at the end of the day. 5 is my top number as I said me trying not to get hives was my top priority

Everytime I stress out, you guys I itch because of how traumatised I am because of those damn hives! So I make myself relax no matter how much I have on my plate.

Calendar

• Color coded
• Blue- classes
• Red- exams
• Yellow- work
• Lavender- homework deadline
• Green- complete
• Pink- me time (chiropractor, nails, hair etc…)

Results List

• Start Studying
• Finish the discussion board
• Finish one of the Marketing homework

Pampering Me

As you guys know I am on a budget. I get my nails done every 4 weeks (1 time per month)
Hair (every 3 month ps I work at a hair salon)
Chiropractor- because I decided to get healthy and lose the back pain at 21.

If you do not take care of yourself then who will?! You need to take charge of your life and stop stressing because stress can cause so many inconveniences! You will feel defeated when all you have to do is step back and breathe because you do GOT THIS! I believe in you!