Stressbusters.

When life gets stressful, which it will, what do you do?

I’ve whined of late about how my head is going to explode as I watch my family, my friends and myself get through some tough times. And we all need coping mechanisms to get us through the tough times. Today, I’m going to give you the things that work for me.

  1. reading very light novels (they make me smile and remember that there will be silly moments in my future, and happy endings)
  2. organizing things (it helps to make order and calm out of something)
  3. exercise (nothing makes me feel better than breaking a sweat, or lifting weights or just putting one foot in front of the other- you and your body are stronger than you think)
  4. hot bath (lavender salts, your troubles just float away)
  5. cooking/baking (you have to pay attention to a recipe- you don’t have time to worry.  My family has gotten pumpkin scones, pumpkin cookies and yellow cake with chocolate frosting over the past three weeks)
  6. music (I put on music and my shoulders drop down about six inches)
  7. talk to a friend (the other day I just spit out my whole list of stresses to my friend. After I did it I fully exhaled for the first time in a month)
  8. Writing (this blog and my journal have been brain saving)
  9. puzzles/games (this is another example of getting your mind occupied for a little bit so that you’re not dwelling on whatever issues ail you)
  10. getting a good night’s sleep (seriously- lack of sleep isn’t good under the best of circumstances- when you’re stressed it’s worse)
  11. Photography (taking pictures calms me- I’m thinking about light and angle and framing- nothing else)
  12. Playing with my dog and cat (come on- they’re cute and furry and snuggle)

So- what are your favorite methods of stress relief? How do you cope when everything is piling up?

46 thoughts on “Who ya gonna call….”

  1. I know that is one of the reasons I wanted to open a cupcakerie although I didn’t think through the additional stresses! Retreat for a reprieve is always a good option or a good murder mystery in print, or tv.

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  2. I apologize if the following sounds facetious because I truly do understand and empathize with your personal stress levels, but my own personal stress buster of all time has to be divorce. I never realized how much stress I was under, thinking I was handling everything so well… when all was said and done and my life was my own, even financial stress has seemed small in comparison.
    You’ve always been honest about your personality and lifestyle in this blog and I think you may know that perhaps choices in those areas may increase stress at times. I see myself in many things that you share with us, but I also can say honestly that as the next year or two unfolds you may find stress levels drop as well. At least I hope they do! Hang in there 🙂

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    1. Deb, having been through divorce i know it’s overwhelming. People who have’t experienced divorce, death of a loved one, severe illness etc. can’t really comprehend the depth of the emotional stress involved in severe life situations. It makes normal daily stress like cake walk.

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  4. Everyone needs to de-stress every now and again. My daughter is telling me how stressed she is……jaw clenching, worry, not sleeping. Your last number reminds me that the university often has dog therapy sessions for students. It’s a great break from the stress of school. I may ask her if there is one this week. Thanks for the reminder!

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  5. BTW My above comments were for dealing with mundane stress. The kind of stress I responded to Deb about needs more than a list. When I went through divorce, the death of my parents, and recovery from a car accident, where I was in a wheel chair for 6 months and had to go throu rehabilitation to walk again etc. which I consider real stress, then just keeping a positive attitude is very important. And therapy is a recommendation to helping stay grateful and positive. I found writing a life saver. I wrote a novel during my divorce and an educational curriculum (that was picked up by the school board) during my recovery from my accident. Writing kept me focused on something other than the negatives. It truly got me through it all with smiles.

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  6. mine? flirting with young girls like you. going for walks. baking. finding the funny side of a situation so I can laugh at it.what do you wanna stress for? you wanna have a mild stroke like I did? it aint worth it. relax. explore mindfulness.

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    2. Really? I’ve heard that exercise relieves stress for some people, but for me it creates stress. Yuck. I hate exercise. Other than walking and enjoying the scenery, any other type of exercise is not fun for me. Well, I enjoy dancing. But I’ve never understood the joy in sweating and hurting one’s body. Good for you for finding joy in it. I’d rather stick a pin in my eye than go to the gym. 😬😂

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  9. wine.

    lol. Actually that’s not true, I don’t usually reach for wine when I’m stressed although what will help destress me is a good homecooked meal that includes a relaxing glass of wine. You know what I’m saying, right?

    I also like reading, or watching idiotic sitcoms. Right now I’m watching syndicated Frasier… 🙂

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  11. . As long as I maintain one hour of daily excercise which I accomplished biking from home and back from work , and 30 minutes of meditation before heading to bed , I feel peaceful.
    That being said I think certain kinds of stress are useful the old saying goes you can’t polish a gemstone without friction. The one thing my dad instilled in me Is we all have the capacity to change the world for better so it is there for our moral obligation to maximize our potential. And part of maximizing our potential is managing more responsibility and larger amounts of stress.

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