Reflecting on Life With Allergies: Having Allergies Is So Stressful

Yes, I am fully aware things could be worse. I could be in a part of the world where there is a lack of food, access to healthcare, and water shortages. I could be suffering from malnutrition, dysentery, or another horrendous disease. I am lucky to be born with all my limbs intact. Just because things could have been far worse does not mean things are perfect! Far from it!

My health conditions have been a lifelong struggle

I am so grateful for my life in the little part of the UK where I reside. However, I do struggle, especially with allergies. My whole life has been a struggle. Having severe allergies and respiratory conditions has meant that my life has been complicated since I was 2 years old.

My many health conditions, including severe allergies, have shaped my life. I believe I was born with a weak immune system, leading to other complications, not just allergies. For instance, when I was 13, I received growth hormone injections due to too many steroids as a young child, which stunted my growth.

Contemplating important aspects of adult life

Growing into being middled-aged with allergies has made me question paramount aspects of life. It is one of the many reasons, for example, why I chose not to have kids. I did not particularly want to pass on my genes to an unsuspecting child. No way. Although, at one point in my life, I wanted my own children.

When applying for certain jobs in the past, it has been a minefield to decide on the most appropriate position and the working environment that would be a good fit for me when considering my health conditions.

Optimizing my home and living space

The stress my allergies have caused has meant that I have had to downsize to a smaller, more minimalist home. I realize that's a first-world problem but stay with me here! I have a small apartment that I have made into an allergy-free zone. I now live alone, and that's a story for another day.

Because I am burdened with far less debt and living costs, I have been able to free up my time. So I take Fridays off and clean and tidy my flat from top to bottom, keeping the place immaculate and dust-free. I'll also change my bed linens every week.

Balancing stress and health needs

All these changes in my life mean that I now handle my stress levels better. Unfortunately, there is always a downside to everything. Now I rule stress out of my life entirely, so when stressful things happen, like an allergy attack or something going wrong in my life, I don't feel I can cope too well. It is like I am stressing about not having too much stress!

See, the problem is not just the allergies themselves but the constant effort to keep them at bay. It takes so much effort to appear to others like you are normal, hence why I take Friday off work. If I didn't, things would not get done, or they would, but I would have no time for a social life. It is a case of balancing many aspects of life, including work, social life, and health, to keep on.