The 4 am birds and my frozen back

When you're a Type A, sometimes you don't sleep. Something happens at work and you lie awake thinking about the impact and trying to solve problem and deal with the many fire-drills that problem created. This is not a time-management or a leadership blog, so I'll skip the parts about how to handle these types of problems with efficiency and leadership (i.e., NOT throw the person who screwed up your initiative under the bus). This is about how, at 4 am, this screw-up has robbed me of sleep because of who I am and how I'm wired. Did I mention that my lower back has also seized up, and if I move the wrong way I'm in excruciating pain? When I mentioned this to my significant other, I said, "you know, I don't get it. I do yoga, I work out, I stretch & take hot showers...how come this keeps happening to me?" He responded (kindly), "Because you and stress." I give up. About six months ago I left a miserable, highly-stressful job and landed a dream job working with great people. A year and a half ago I moved into my dream house in a dream location. I meant it when I said I take care of myself; everything I told my significant other is true. I'm also in therapy with a wonderful analyst, and I've even begun to eat quite well (more on that later). My life is good; I'm not unhappy. I'm just stressed (and today, sleep-deprived). People are constantly telling Type A personalities that they "have to relax", that they're "too uptight", or my favorite: "You worry too much". Type A's know all this, and it only adds to our stress. As an insomniac, I also know that it's very bad for my health to not sleep, and that I "should get more sleep". Very funny. So let's assume that we know we're Type A's. Let's accept the fact that we react to life by becoming stressed; we're never described as "easy-going", things bother us, we have high expectations, maybe we get angry easily. As a side note, we also need to work REALLY HARD at behaving and getting along with people, or no one wants to work with us or hang out with us (more on that later too). For sheer survival's sake, I learned basic discipline and how to not be a jerk - in fact, how to be a good co-worker and sought-after partner, and a human who has other human friends (and a dog). But let's assume that we know and understand our personalities, regardless of whether or not we've spent countless months, years, etc. trying to change them or learn how to "better deal with stress". Let's assume we've not yet been successful, or fully successful in changing our reaction to situations we find stressful. Are we just doomed to a life of anger, insomnia, stress-eating, short fuses, and friends and colleagues who maybe don't want to spend much time with us? I believe no - and I more than believe it, I'm determined to prove otherwise. My Type B significant-other is laughing right now because that's a very Type A thing to say. Fine, I'll embrace that too...apparently I am who I am despite all the yoga in the world. But if I accept my driven personality, I do not accept the poor health that can result from this way of being. Stress and insomnia are, in fact, bad for your health...they are risk-factors for diabetes, heart disease, ulcers, and other unpleasant things. So while I continue to look for ways to handle stress better, I plan to fight for my lifestyle, for peace of mind, health, and good habits that support all of this. Intrigued? Come with me and see how I do.