I write about happiness a lot on this blog. In fact, shameless plug, I wrote a short piece for Excessive Sweating Tipson the matter. There are a lot of things that make me happy. However, BIG however, I constantly forget that happiness and self fulfillment is a very active pursuit. Happiness is a whiny needy baby. You have to nurture that sucker.
I was presented with an opportunity to interview for a new position with a company that I strongly believe in and think would help put me on the career path of my dreams. The stars seemed to have aligned. I read my horoscope and according to astrologist Susan Miller the planets are all saying "YOU'RE THE BEST!". OK not exactly but my negotiating power was supposed to be strong. I went in to the interview with the confidence of a gorgeous Wall Street jock. I was there to crush it. YEA BRO!
The email came today that I didn't nail it. They've found someone else. It's amazing how one email with just a few short cordial sentences can deplete your self confidence. I've gone from jock bro to a bratty teenager. What am I going to do with my life?!
Time to refocus on making myself happy. Here I am writing. Tonight maybe I'll sew.
I have google alerts set for "Hyperhidrosis" and "Excessive Sweating" hoping that I will stumble upon the latest on both topics so that I can share them with you. I'm sure you've noticed I haven't shared much. Big surprise there isn't much to share.
Today I was ecstatic to read, "Infographic explains excessive sweating statistics." AWESOME. Via Sweat Shield Undershirt.
Right?
No.
OK... to be fair, they did try and that's more than anyone else can say. The truth is though, what do we care about statistics? It's a jumble of numbers that don't speak to us. It lets us know that we're not alone. That's cool.
You can see the infographic below. If it resonates with you please leave a comment. I'd love to hear your positive perspective. Also, their product may be great. Who knows? Not me.
Working in the world of marketing I know how hard it is to make information sexy, easy to read, and resonate with the reader. I laugh at how this inforgraphic completely misses the mark. I want to buy the person who was put up to the challenge to make this and buy the poor soul a beer. They were probably given very limited resources and no real background in marketing to us sweaty folk.
My level of patience is wafer thin. It's Friday. Perhaps I need a drink.
You read the title correctly. A few weeks ago I got shingles. A skin infection I thought only people over the age of 70 could catch. If you've had chicken pox you have a chance at getting shingles. The chicken pox virus lays dormant in your system and if it flares up again later in life it is referred to as shingles. Yuck.
WARNING: I don't mention hyperhidrosis in this post. This is simply a share.
After some web based research, "Mom, there is a chance I have shingles."
"Sara, you do NOT have shingles. Oh my god. You would know if you had shingles."
"I don't know mom, I mean I googled 'Itchy skin with no sign of rash' and the internet is telling me I have shingles."
"Sara. Oh honey. You can't possibly have shingles. I've seen 75 year old patients where there are dark blisters all over. You would know if you had shingles. I mean, as a nurse, that's not my expertise, but I can't imagine at 27 you'd get shingles."
There have been plenty of moments where I wanted to prove my mother wrong. Crush her with reality that I am the queen supreme of right-ness. This was not one of those times.
Four days straight I had painful itchy skin. I blamed a synthetic dress I wore cursing the material for my fiery pain. And on the fourth day there was a pink spot right above my right hip. A friend of mine who had shingles a few months prior just happened to call me that day.
After we had caught up for a bit I shyly asked, "When you had shingles... what happened?" She explained that a rash doesn't appear until the fourth day. Yup. I've got shingles.
Thank GOD I was finally had health insurance after six months without. That's whole other diatribe about health care in America, oy vey. Anyways, I called Kaiser's very helpful hotline to talk to a nurse on Sunday night. The next morning I had an appointment to see a nurse practitioner.
The icing on the cake was when I drove to work the next day and my car broke down. I burst into tears feeling absolutely helpless. I was in pain, I had no way to get to my appointment, and I barely have two pennies to rub together. Furthermore, I didn't want to tell my hypochondriac coworkers that I had shingles. I lied saying that my appointment was for a sinus infection. My mom came to my rescue and took me to the appointment. I felt like a kid again relying on my mom to help, but fuck it, that's what family is for. How lucky am I that she lived close enough to help? I'll stop whining.
My shingles have been treated and are now gone. Woo drugs!
So what caused this? I can't say for sure, but the only conclusion I can come to is stress. I stopped doing yoga for a month, was planning a move, my mother has been ill, and I'm unsure of my career choices. I've been in a depressed slump. In all my worry I stopped taking care of my health.
So the lesson I hope to pass on to you is take care of yourself! You deserve it. If not, you might just get some crazy rash.
After two years living in Hollywood my roommate and I decided it is time to move. He is taking a leap further into adulthood by buying a condo and moving in with his girlfriend. I am looking to cut down on my hour commute. Driving has become an extension of me. I'm beginning to fear that I've developed a rounder booty and podcasts have become my friends. [If you're in to comedy and nerdy pop culture check out the Nerdist). Hash tag: obsessed.]
As I am making my decision on where to call home I've entered the Eastside v. Westside debate. In LA this is a thing. It makes me uncomfortable. Which side is the best side?
I'm drawn to the Eastside's live music culture and DIY appeal. The Westside has a cleaner safer appeal and very walkable streets. They both offer amazing restaurants, shops, and I have friends that live on both ends of town. There was no one thing that could help me decide. Or was there? As summer approached it dawned on me. There absolutely is. The weather.
LA is so expansive that the difference in weather can change by 20 degrees. 20 degrees makes a difference to whether or not my hyperhidrosis is going to kick into high gear. This is where the Eastside loses every single time. My current place has air conditioning, but when it's hot I deplore the idea of walking to the grocery store. Walking uphill back in the heat means I will be drenched in sweat. I avoid my neighbors and pray no one else needs to get on the elevator to experience the humidity I radiate. Sorry Mother Earth but I will be driving to pick up my organic kale.
All things considered, I've forked over my deposit to the Westside. A short bike ride from Santa Monica I welcome the foggy dewey mornings. The Westside rarely peeks over 80 degrees. The flat streets may not offer insane city views that the hills of Hollywood or Silver Lake can but they will offer peace of mind when I walk to get coffee at the local slow drip coffee shop sweat stain free.
For those moving into college dorms this month how is that going? Please share your tips or questions in the comments.
Oh hello, it's your fair weather blogger here. I started a new job!
The best part of the new job? It's freezing in my office.
This post is without any insight on sweating. I have no fancy tricks to offer you. Instead, to keep this blog going I'm going to try and write more about my daily life. I had a bit of tunnel vision and it's time to refocus on my life at large as a sweater.
Some of you may know I had a two month employment hiatus. I was funemployed if you will. After being at a job that I was miserable at I took a seasonal position with a well known film festival. The festival was an incredible experience, and the team I worked with was amazing. Once my position ended I really enjoyed those magical two months off. My sweating was at an all time low. I wonder if Europeans with HH sweat less because they are able to take longer vacations.... holidays. I haven't had an extended break like that since the summer between junior and senior year of college. That was many moons ago.
About the time I was starting to get anxious about finding work an opportunity to leave the nonprofit industry (my background), and join a marketing team for a toy company. An awesome coworker at my seasonal gig had put me in touch with the toy company. It was a scary moment leaving an industry for one I had no experience with and uhhh... I took a huge pay cut. I was scared that I wouldn't be able to make ends meet and I was nervous to go into the unknown.
Happy at work. [I do not work with Kermit.]
I made the right decision. Not only do I hardly sweat at work, but I am genuinely happy at work. My silly nature is perfect for marketing toys. I am learning and absorbing so much already. I am also in an einvronment where my superiors want to nurture my growth with the company.
Where you are it might be snowing. Here in Los Angeles we've already seen highs in the 80s this month. Being uber anxious for summer (good and bad) I started preparing for the impending heat waves in January.
Why so soon? And prepare for what?
In the summer I find it nearly impossible to make a quick decision on what to wear. My favorite pink shorts I can only wear in spring. Come summer I'm too nervous my butt sweat will show through. Every shirt must be layered with a tank top to absorb body sweat. So on and so forth. Thus, I've begun scouting sweat friendly outfits now. There is nothing worse than going shopping in the summer and being smacked in the face with outfit choices that only accentuate my sweating problem.
How anyone can wear silk in the heat of summer?!
On a good note, I'm stoked about some recent finds and thought I'd share them with you.
SHOES!
My go to shoes since college are usually TOMS, but I felt like mixing it up this year. I've gone through at least three pairs of red TOMS in the last few years. A costly shoe to keep replacing.
I bought these primarily to wear with sun dresses. The neutral color they go with everything. My feet tend to swell when sweaty making these shoes a little tight, and not ideal to wear when walking a lot. For the purpose of prancing around a bar or around the office they're great. The extra cushioning is a nice touch.
These were quite a bargain as my size was on sale. They have the same cushioning sole as the beige slip ons above. These will be great for day to day wear. Covering the top part of my foot I won't have to worry about sweat showing as I run around town in these.
So many espadrille wedges are open toed, and that just won't fly. In college I had a similar pair from Target that I wore to DEATH. They were so disgusting by the time I finally threw them out. They absorbed sweat and went with all my going-out-on-the-town outfits and summery dresses. When I spotted their latest rendition I clamored to find my size. I snagged the last pair of eights. The lining of the shoe is made of cotton to help wick away sweat. The sole is made from fake leather which will help minimize stench. They feel a tad loose but that will be perfect when my feet are little balloons from the heat. I've held off on wearing them now so that they will last me all summer long. Ahhhh I can't wait to rock these.
With my new shoes I will try and abide by my promise to wear shoe liners. Read my post on shoe liners; how they help save your shoes, and keep you in your shoes.
Please share any sweat friendly finds you have in the comments. My style isn't for everyone. You may have the perfect outfit that someone else might be dying to find.
You may have seen the Pork Chop video as I call it. More formally known as the To This Day Project. You may have sobbed, like me, while watching it. If you haven't or want to experience it once more, here it is:
I urge you to press play.
Ugh, I'm crying again. I'm a god damn mess.
Were you bullied in school? I wasn't really bullied but societal norms let me know right away I wasn't normal.
Being bullied in school is something that stays with you for the rest of your life. More importantly, being bullied shapes the person you become. Within the first two minutes, cue tears hitting me like a sack of bricks:
We grew up believing no one would ever fall in love with us.
Oh my god. That's me! Where the hell are the tissues. My tears burn right about now, damn mascara.
I believed those words growing up. I still cry myself to sleep as an adult thinking those words. At an early age I knew my sweating was something to be ashamed of. I was never bullied for it but I never felt comfortable confiding in anyone about it. Social norms were my bully. I learned to hide my abnormality and still do. When these words and feelings manifest in you at such a young age it is very hard to shed them as an adult. It becomes part of your makeup. Your secrets and insecurities shape your every decision. You dig a hole to feel safe but you don't know how to come out of the hole for a breath of air. You look around and not sure who you can't trust to get you out.
Despite a loving husband she does not think she's beautiful.
I was an ugly duckling in junior high and very unassuming looking in high school. Come college I was alright, and today I've come into my looks and even get ya know complimented by strangers. Yet, I can not believe it for myself. This has affected me tremendously with relationships and I experience swings of depression. I am not comfortable or confident in my own skin 100% of the time because, again, the feeling of being less than my peers was instilled at an early age. Living in Los Angeles among models hasn't be easy either.
Lived like the uphills were mountains, and the downhills were cliffs.
Visually that line in the video is incredibly beautiful. We've all been there. Wanting to just jump off the cliff. Surely it's easier than the insane feelings and thoughts coursing through us.
There are days when I feel I can't take on one more thing, or I don't have the care to try. I rather just jump off the cliff. Depression caused by hyperhidrosis is real. The video shows how kids are thrown prescriptions so quickly for their depression. Fortunately I am not pilled up for my depression. My mother experienced how pills and prescriptions for mental health turn you into a drone, a zombie. A prescription is thrown at a behavior too often in our society before digging at the core to see what is truly wrong.
If you feel your life is for the better with a prescription for a mental or behavioral issue. I am all for it. But do not be afraid to question it. Everyday I have to work at my health to make sure I stay sane. It is too easy to spiral down.
If you can't see anything beautiful about yourself then get a better mirror.
Living an active life and not sitting at home dwelling on my insecurities is my "better mirror." My self confidence is not where I'd like it to be but it is much higher than when I was in school. The working world has it's demands and it forces responsibility on you. If you're idle in the working world your dreams of a career quickly crumble. Furthermore, surrounding myself with active people has helped. Going for a hike is so much easier when I can call a friend to join me.
There is nothing better than feeling your blood pumping rapidly after yoga. There is also nothing better than a drinking mimosa(s) on a patio taking in some Vitamin D on a perfectly sunny day in Santa Monica. These are the things that make me happy in a simple way. What makes you happy?
There is something inside you that made you quit trying despite everyone who told you to quit. You built a cast around your broken heart and you signed it THEY WERE WRONG.
You have to believe that they are wrong.
What makes you fight? When I fight for me, and champion for my own well being I see that I attract other fighters. Other people who want to live a healthy life want to surround themselves with my company. I have some of the greatest friends in the world. We do amazing things. We have goals we want to accomplish. We like to be outdoors exploring the wonderful things that we're so fortunate to have access to. The people who are wrong, they have fallen away.
The people who are wrong still exist, but they do not hold a place in my life. I do not give them the time to influence me any longer. They are not invited to brunch at my house.
Hyperhidrosis has taught me compassion.
Hyperhirdosis makes me feel that I am weird. I'm gross. So when I meet someone who has their own insecurity I'm far more compassionate. When you're compassionate the world is a little lighter.
In school, in the workforce, in the grocery store, wherever be a little more compassionate. Smile. You might just make someones day. Life is a fucking struggle and the nicer we are the better.
I am telling myself now to honk a little less. Oops. I've probably made a many of people want to jump off a cliff after honking. But seriously turn your god damn blinker off or get off your phone and drive. OK that one is going to take some work.
Be aware that nothing is not always as easy as it seems. I hope teachers and school administrators will learn this quickly. We must start pouring compassion to youth. As I've mentioned insecurities instill themselves when we're young. There are MANY phenomenal teachers out there, but there are many that continue to instill insecurity in school or mask with treatments that clearly don't work. To the teachers who have to fight a system to stop bullies and to get social services for their students, I salut you!
I am happy.
80 degree heat in LA today. Hiking solo and pool lounging solo.
I have a lot of shit to work on, but I can honestly say I am happy. I'll keep fighting for happiness. One day I'll feel beautiful. Today I don't feel shitty or ugly.
Please share your stories and struggles in the comments. We need each other! Someone may need out of a hole and your story just might help them climb out.
Welcome! I'm Sara, and I started this blog a few years ago when I realized I had a sweaty story to share. Read through my trials and tribulations, daily musing, attempts to make you laugh and sound advice. Let's sweat through it.
.jpg)
.jpg)
Posts
