4 Ways I Relieve Stress

There have been times in my life when I’ve been under a lot of stress. Ugh, I hate stress! One of the ways I deal with stress is by banging things, like cabinet doors and laundry baskets. This is not good and only tends to damage things!

A much healthier way for me to let off steam and relax is to take a walk. Walking is something I used to do often when I was single and living in DeKalb. I would walk for at least an hour; crisscrossing the quiet streets and looking at old ivy-covered houses. When Lily was first born, I felt a lot of first-time-motherhood stress and was dying to get her outside for walks. But it was November, and of course with my new mom anxiety, I thought it was too cold to take Lily outside when it probably would have been good for both of us!

Sometimes I also use visualization to relax. I tend to get tension headaches after stressful situations, and a few years ago I could count on getting a headache after one of my many doctors’ appointments. Those headaches are just paralyzing! I would take a couple of ibuprofen and lie down on my bed, visualizing the pain leaving my body through my hands and my feet. I do the same sort of thing when I’m really nervous; I shake my hands and let the anxiety drain out through my fingers. My mom taught me this trick; she would use it when she sang solos; and I do the same!

And that brings me to another way I relieve stress–singing! Whether it’s belting out a Dixie Chicks song while I’m cooking dinner or choir rehearsal on Wednesdays, singing always makes me feel better.

sisters
Singing with my sisters

But my favorite way to relax is to sit down with a good book. Much of my stress comes from within myself. I can’t stop worrying about things I can’t change. Reading is definitely an escape for me; it helps calm my mind and relaxes my body. I love to read right before I go to bed; reading helps me sleep!

Emmy in pink
Reading makes me happy!

 
How do you get stress relief? How do you relax? Share your relaxation tips with us for the Spin Cycle this week!



Spin Cycle at Second Blooming
Visit my blog to get the code in my sidebar and add it to your blog post!

Monday is National Thrift Shop Day, and for the Spin Cycle next week we’ll write about “one person’s junk is another person’s treasure.”

See what this week’s newsletter looks like by clicking HERE!

signature

 

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

12 Replies to “4 Ways I Relieve Stress”

  1. I like to walk and sing too, but my biggest stress relieve is actually writing down action lists for the things I’m stressed about. I find that helps take the burden off my mind and also keeps me organized. I love the picture of your daughter smiling so broadly with her book. Reading makes me happy too!
    This Busy Life recently posted…Bullet JournalMy Profile

  2. Reading and writing have always calmed me down a lot. I really want to try your mom’s trick to shake the anxiety out through my fingers.
    I occasionally get stress headaches and stomachaches and I’ll lie on my bed and breathe in and out slowly and it works.
    We don’t always have the chance to do that, though!
    Tamara recently posted…Teaching a Love For Giving Back.My Profile

    1. Yes, having kids make it a lot harder to lie down when I have a headache! I’ve been able to get through the last couple I’ve had, but fortunately my husband was home when I had a really bad headache after a very stressful day.

      Shaking the anxiety out has really worked for me! I hope it does for you, too!
      Ginny Marie recently posted…Are You Thrifty?My Profile

Leave a Reply to Deborah Pucci Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badge

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

%d