Wednesday Randomness: GO AWAY, STRESS!!

Happy Wednesday, everyone. This week's topic - Stress and How We Cope With It - is quite apropros considering the week I'm having. Nothing horrible, just lots of stress (some of it good stress). 

So what do I do to cope with it... Well, I'll be the first to admit not all my coping mechanisms are healthy. That said, here we go...

Smoking - This is the non-healthy way. I've been desperately trying to quit the horrible habit I was stupid enough to start. I do pretty well...then the stress hits and all my good intentions/work goes out the window as I go outside to light up. It soothes me and calms me down. I get to walk about from what is stressing me out, even if it's for the short time it takes to smoke a cigarette. So I'm always on the lookout for healthier ways to cope that can replace this one. 

Mindless TV Watching - For the last few months, watching Hannibal on Friday nights with Bron on IM (Because I couldn't do it alone, people! Too much) was a huge stress reliever. Odd, that, considering how tense I was while waiting to see what would happen each episode. But yeah, watching an episode or two (or six) of a show - like Merlin, Hannibal, Game of Thrones, Primeval, Supernatural... - is a definitely way to decompress and I don't have to THINK. It's totally shallow of me, but come on, how can I stress when gazing at these lovelies...

Talking with Friends - I am so freaking lucky. I have a circle of friends who are amazing and who help me through the really hard times. I don't know what I would do without them, without the knowledge that I can ping them on IM or dial their number, and they'll be there. 

Listening to Nature Sounds and/or Guided Meditation  - I don't do this one often enough because it totally works when I do. Listening to waves or a thunderstorm or doing a guided meditation...I find it more relaxing and ultimately better than a nap. I end up more calm and able to then do what I need to. 

Retreat - I do a retreat with a group of awesome ladies every year. In the UP of Michigan on Lake Superior. It's crazy how one week out of the year can affect my day to day life. Like, right now, I'm counting down the days. It's getting me through the really tough ones, knowing that soon, I'll be hanging with my girls, drinking some wine, writing a whole lot, and laughing until my face hurts. 

And look, the view alone is relaxing. 

And that's it from me this week. Be sure to check out what the other ladies do to kick out stress. I know I will be...always looking for ideas on that front. 

Bronwyn Green
Jenny Trout
Kellie St. James
Kris Norris
Leigh Jones
Tess Grant

Until next week!
Hugs
~J