Topic of the day - Stress!

    Stress is something that we are all quite familiar with. We also know (especially those of us in the maintenece part of the journey), that stress can be damaging and unhealthy for our "successing." I am looking towards the future as well as hoping your ideas can help someone else. So the question for today is, how do you beat stress? What types of things do you do to rid yourself of the daily stresses of life?

   For me, I do 1 of 2 things. My number 1 way to rid myself of stress is a hot shower. For some reason I have always found my shower to be my sanctuary. It is where I go to destress and it is where I go to cry! I feel like it is a place where no one can find me and I can go in feeling horrible, but when I shut tha****er off, I step out of the shower a new person, with a new attitude, and a new outlook on the day.

   The second thing I do is throw on my iPod, turn the music up really loud, and take myself on the most amazing walk. I try to walk where there is awesome scenery and where I feel safe. This way I can jam out and not have to be frantic! This is such a huge stress relief for me, because I can walk and zone without a care in the world. I get to focus on me and the health benefits that I am receiving (besides the blasting of music in my ears) and take in the fresh air and the nature scenes.

   This is what works best for me. I would be interested in seeing the things that work well for others..

Jacki,

Those are two wonderful things, the walking thing is something I do myself, but when the weather is bad, I don't and while some people can do it at a mall in bad weather, I prefer to be alone and not around others when I am feeling that way, so mall walking is not ideal for me.

I like the shower idea and I have the luxury of having a garden tub, so that is an option I need to avail myself of more frequently.

Truthfully stress eating is one of my biggest problems and the problem is at work and I can't get away from going to work and I have a job where I really cannot leave my desk except for very limited times, there is almost always food around for clients, so what I have been doing more recently is bringing cruchy things like carrots, celery and fennel and if I want something I chew on those things.  I am also finding that when I can, during the work day, come on here and read posts, it helps divert my mind from the stresses of the work day.

Exercise is a good stress reliever, I just need to be out of this pain and I'll get more engaged in it again.

Thanks Jackie, you are already a strong leader. . .

Have a great day!

Laureen

I love taking hot bubble baths now, and drinking warm tea to relieve stress.  I also use prayer and meditation as stress relievers.

Lately, I find that yoga and pilates are great stress relievers.  I also find getting absorbed in a good book is very helpful to me.

Finding healthy ways to cope with stress is one of the keys to being successful with this journey.  Too often I still want to eat away my "blues" but I self talk and ask me how eating will solve my problem.  As we all know, it is only a super quick fix and leads to other problems.

Like you, I love music and nature.  I find it soothing and calming just to walk outside and appreciate my surroundings.

But my favorite stress reliever is the Ocean.  I think if I could live on a Beach I would be skinny. LOL