Life is full of stress. Whether you’re a doctor in the midst of an ER, a teacher or a marketer, there seems to always be room for stress. The easiest and most practical way to reduce stress is to get rid of the source of stress. But sometimes, eliminating the source of stress is not an option. If you’re a mom and your kids (although you love them dearly) may stress you out! You can’t get rid of your kids! So this is a post on how to cope with stress.
Lately, I’ve been very stressed, a combination of drastic changes in work and personal life. Due to stress I’ve been gaining weight, irritable and experiencing mood swings. As I write this, I realize I sound like a candidate for a “happy pill.”
But seriously, I realize that we only have one life to live. I had a really great conversation with my mom and she mentioned that I use to be very happy when I use to play my alto saxophone and mentioned that it may be a good way to relieve stress. I won’t say that I’m going to go out and purchase a saxophone, but it got me thinking – what can I do to make me happy and offset the stress in my life.
I have several co-workers who exercise – one in particular loves to do Yoga (I think I’m too hyper to do Yoga), some people swear by cooking or playing music. So I researched a few things to do to relieve stress and this is what I came up with.
1. Exercise regularly – I can personally attest to exercise. Lately I’ve been trying to jog outside, but I also love kickboxing. It’s nothing better than punching and kicking a bag after a long day. I am a member of X3 sports and after a tough 1-hour workout; you don’t have enough energy to be stressed! According to the Mayo-clinic website, exercise releases endorphins which improves your mood.
2. Put down the cake – Eating healthy and keeping your body fueled and energized with good foods will help your body to be better adapt to cope with stress.
3. Do more things you love- I personally love to read and go to Borders to view the latest releases and I just joined a book club. Also, every Sunday, I have a “me” day where I rent movies that I know my husband won’t watch, but something that I really want to watch. Who knows I might even start up playing the sax again. For those who are more adventurous, do things that you may not normally do such as Skydiving, scuba diving, camping or planning vacations with friends and family.
4. Join a group of like-minded individuals- Either join an association, a Meetup group for a hobby, or volunteer for a non-profit that you are passionate about.
5. Listen to music – I probably spend at least 10 hours a day listening to music at work, when I exercise or just peddling around my house. For me, music just enhances life. It makes work fly by, gets me pumped up during my workout and I just love singing along to music. I have several different sources of music, however my favorites are: Pandora (be advised its only 40 hours a month for free), Zune and YouTube.
6. Get some Z’s – When you’re truly stressed, its hard not to think about what’s keeping you stressed. You obsess about it an think about it all night, affecting your sleep. My old boss had a great approach to work environment that I hope to one day master – what you don’t finish today can be done tomorrow…well most things anyway. Use your discretion, but you know what you can work on the next day. Sometimes the best ideas come when you are in a relaxed state. Allow your body to recuperate and be prepared for the next day.
These tips may not be something that you’d personally do, but the point is to participate in things that make you happy. Good luck on finding things you like to do. I plan to try more of these tips, and hopefully I can cope with stressful situations better.
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