Habitual Stress Responses

Last Monday, I was winding down for bed at around 10:30 pm, when I discovered that we only had a trickle of water coming out of the tap.😒 Of course this almost always happens at this time of night and in the middle of winter!  Begrudgingly, I woke up the hubs and off we trekked to the pump house with all of our tools, blow torch and flashlights.  After banging on pipes and fiddling around for almost an hour… nothing.   

And just to let you know… repeatedly banging on pipes with another metal tool doesn’t really seem to give you too much info diagnostically, but it does seem to soothe the pipe banger so if you are ever faced with this situation… just don’t voice your opinion and let them smack the pipes.  

There was not much else we could do till morning, so after very little sleep, we went and got the only 2 parts we could possibly replace by ourselves and gave it a go.  We are on a shared well with our neighbors on either side of us so one of them came over to help troubleshoot.  After another hour and many phone calls later… you guessed it, still nothing. 

It was quickly determined that it was most likely the well pump that had bit the bullet, so we would have to call in some professionals.  Knowing the well was about 300 feet deep and unsure of how long the current pump had been down there, it was clear this would be a major undertaking. Three households suddenly without water in sub zero weather?  Definitely not ideal. 

Despite all my efforts over the past few years to cultivate a sense of calm and balance, this situation hit me like a freight train. My old, habitual stress responses kicked in almost instantly, dragging me back into bad habits and sensations I hadn’t experienced in a long time. 

I forgot to drink water (ironic, given the situation), chewed my nails down to nothing, and felt my body aching in ways I hadn’t felt in ages. My vision blurred, and I battled a relentless headache that just wouldn’t quit. It was a stark reminder of how quickly stress can creep in and take over, especially when it’s tied to something as fundamental as water. 

It took me a minute to recognize what was happening, but once I did, I knew I had to course-correct. I got out my most grounding and calming essential oils and mixed up a potent potion for my diffuser and had that running 24/7 for the next 3 days!  I also used some calming herbs to make a tea to help settle some of the worry and anxiety.   

I leaned into my breath therapy practices—short, mindful breathing sessions helped ground me.  I utilized a technique, the physiological sigh, that Marnie had shown me years ago for helping reduce stress almost immediately.  You inhale twice through your nose and then exhale slowly through your mouth.  Reconnecting with my body and mind reminded me that I had the tools to navigate this storm. 

One thing I observed, is that I am far more capable of focusing on the positive (even in a highly stressful situation), then I ever had been in the past.  I am actually feeling relieved and thankful that we have gone through this major well repair.  These are some of the great things that came out of this stressful situation: 

• Although we have communicated with both neighbors in the last 3 years, it has mostly revolved around well house issues and bi-monthly power bills.  We have socialized a little with one neighbor and his family but until this well situation… had never met the other neighbor in person!  We had the opportunity to get to know him and show him how friendly we were (apparently, they had not so nice interactions with the last owners who lived here and they were understandably cautious) so that was fantastic! 

• Both neighbors came to help out as there was prep work to be done so the driller truck could get in to the pump house.  We pooled our tools and expertise, and the group effort sure made the job easier. 

• Witnessing the young neighbor, that we know a bit better, make calls, jump right into action and work non-stop for two days straight was inspiring.  He is so considerate and mature for his age and already knows the value of having a conversation and listening to other’s point of view.  Broke all millennial stereo types that’s for sure! 

• The father and son well specialists were the nicest people and such hard workers.  The father part of this duo was 75 years old and had been working on wells since 1962!  He was utterly delightful and still slinging around machinery like he was 25 years old!  I went with my intuition that he was an apple fritter guy and was tickled when he reached for that fritter when there were many options to chose from! 

• These well guys not only replaced the pump but also cleaned out gobs of silt from the well hole, measured the depth of the well and the water level for us, put on safety parts to reduce wear and tear on the new pump, installed the correct size control box and re-wired the whole electrical system.   

• I am feeling absolutely blessed that we had the right people, at the right time, to fix all the mickey mousing that had been done previously.  The peace of mind we now have is priceless. 

In hindsight, the situation was a powerful reminder that healing isn’t linear. Old triggers can still surface, but it’s what we do with them that matters.  It was a good reminder, that sometimes, it’s less about fixing what’s broken and more about how we manage ourselves in the process. 

So... here’s to deep breaths, deep wells, and the ever-deepening journey of learning to let go. ❤️