My 8 Stress Relievers

With the holidays approaching and a horrendous work load, I find myself utilizing my Stress Relievers more and more. That said, I would like to think I am not alone. Not that I wish a boat load of stress on you all, but this is what I believe life to be. Thus, I am sharing my survival techniques....in case, you need help surviving too.

1. Change up my breathing - Slowing down to inhale through the nose slowly. Hold the breath as long as I can without discomfort. Then, exhale slowly through the mouth. Repeating until I feel the relief.


2. Cleaning - Doesn't matter what. Just the mere fact of achieving the goal of cleaning something, whether it is the kitchen, a bathroom or the back yard, helps to dispel my stress.


3. Cooking - This is like my last straw. When I can no longer take the burden being placed on me by stress, I head to the kitchen. Much like clean, building a fabulous meal or a spectacular dessert, eases my load.


4. Reading - One of my daily maintenance's for stress. A good book can take me out of my world and anywhere else. This frees me from the burden for a while. Although, I find it doesn't work in extreme cases of stress - when my mind will not let go and my eyes just skim the words, while the brain is mulling the stresses.


5. Singing - I can only guess, that like the breathing technique it forces my intake of air and relief. When everything is going south in extreme cases or in minor stress moments, cranking up the radio and belting out a tune, helps me to forget and move forward. Not only relieving my stress, but some times putting a smile on my face.


6. Laughing - For this, I go to my little man. My day can be every part of ugly and I can go to him and he will crack me up. Like when my father and his wife left after a sleep over, where they stayed in my oldests sons room - little man, was on a mission to help his big brother and said "D you need to go change your sheets and get all that love making off." or When the Diva got a boyfriend and was sharing how he "has 2 guns" and my little man said "yea, with empty magazines". Laughing is the best stress reliever, the object is to find that laugh, when you are drowning.


7. Sleeping - only for minor stress. The big ones end up keeping me from sleep more then helping me to. Sometimes, I take NyQuil in the real bad cases and this stuff knocks me out. Morning always seems a little better.


8. Exercising - This is the perfect, in my eyes, release for stress. While engaging your muscles you also activate your breathing. Which gives a total body stress relief. If you put your whole self into the work-out, you may, as I sometimes do, also receive freedom from the brain and thinking.

Of course, there are a host of other stress helpers. I'm sure we all know the Eating one - my theory ICE CREAM FIXES EVERYTHING. Plus, who can ever forget the "have a good cry" stress reliever. Or the "scream yourself to a lost voice". Like a very old album (does anyone know what an album is?) life is full of country songs to help you get past this life threatening issue.

When all of the above fail......I turn to alcohol. Wine, Appletini's, Amaretto Stone Sours, Bloody Mary's. Or if cash is the stress (or the shortage of cash) I can handle this with a BUDLight. And if I see no escape from the current burden, I always have a bottle of Jack Daniels in the Cabinet. LOL.