Since my high blood pressure was brought to my attention I've been paying attention to eating more fish, decreasing sodium in my diet, and just being healthier overall. It pains me to think that at 26, my heart is dealing with problems I shouldn't even be concerned with until my 40's. I know I'm not the healthiest person on the block, but I'm certainly not 100% careless with my health, either, so what gives?

One of my friends at work said that her husband was diagnosed with similar conditions last year and his doctor told him a lot of it came from stress. Now that is something I can definitely relate to. Not that I should be in a lot of stress, because my life is fairly care-free, but I think, for some reason, I put a lot of unnecessary stress on myself.

I think probably since high school I've always been the type to stress out about doing more, doing better, being everything and doing it perfectly. At work I take on extra responsibilities and stress about them, because I feel like I need to be the perfect teacher. At home I obsess about organizing and cleaning and keeping on top of housekeeping and chores. It's like my life is a never-ending run on a treadmill and I never seem to go fast enough.

Ironically, my e-mail from Martha Stewart this morning was to evaluate my stress levels and assess what relaxes me. And it made me realize, I always feel "on." I honestly feel varying levels of intensity in my heart at all times -- my mind is always thinking about what to do next, be it buying a house, organizing my stuff, doing things for work, making dinner, what have you. All day long my mind is racing and my blood is pulsing about something else I have to do.

Mind you, I am constantly telling myself that my life doesn't have a deadline. I am constantly telling myself that it doesn't matter, that I need to calm down and relax and just.not.care. Somehow, though, I haven't found the way to internalize what my brain is telling me.