Stress Free Sunday

[cyndilouwhoo]

Stress.

Ackkkkkkk! We certainly know all about that around here, don't we?

Well, in my infinite and all-knowing wisdom I, Health and Fitness Demigoddess-in-Training Ms. Lou Whoo, have declared the area around you and your home

A Stress-Free Zone

I bet you are starting to feel better already.

Okay, so I can't give you a stress free world (we demigoddesses-in-Training still have a long way to go in the magic powers department) but I can give you permission to take it easy today...

And, best of all, when it comes to getting permission, you don't even need me to give it.

While I was rummaging around the web last night looking for stress-relief stuff, I found amongst all the well-meaning mumbo-jumbo one real truth that really resonated:

You may not have the power to control the situations and things that stress you out--but you do have the power to control your reaction to them.

How's that for pithy?

So as a newly-minted demigod/goddess in training, give yourself permission to remove yourself from the things that are stressing you out.

Don't obsess. Find a way to take yourself out of the stressful situation you are in.

You have the power.

Read a book, take a long bath, goof in front of the tube, take a leisurely walk...well, you get the idea.

Go ahead and give yourself permission to do one thing today that takes you out of the stress mindset and makes you feel happy.

So think about it and get back to us.

What will you be doing today?

Cyndi

[jenninca]

I hereby officially give myself permission to waste a couple of hours playing The Sims. I used to play that game all the time, but haven't touched it since August 1, the day my school orientation started.

I also noticed that I'm about 12,000 steps away from my first million. I'll probably try to get there today. We'll see. No stressing over it. If I don't get there today, I'll get there tomorrow.

Cindy

[pluckyduck]

Actually, feeling better today is relieving stress. Getting moving, doing laundry, stuff like that is going to be good.....

I agree so much with the "controling how we react" sentiment. There are certain things we can do to eliminate stress from the outside (good habits, a modicum of organization, etc., can bring outside stressers down)...but many, many circumstances are out of our control.

Taking a chunk of time to get centered helps you internalize your priorities. Most of what we let stress us really isn't that important.

So, por moi, I will be accomplishing things today which, after my goof off non-productive day yesterday, will feel good.

Andrea

[quasar]

I haven't decided what I'm going to do today. However, I seem to be best able to combat stress through activity (case in point: yesterday) so I'm going to try to do something more than just vegging.

Janice

[cyndilouwhoo]

Ahhhhhhhh!!!

I am feeling tremendously stress-free this afternoon.

Like the Duck, I spent the morning "decluttering", cleaning out all the older toddler stuff from my daughters' bedroom.

You have no idea how satisfying it was for me to dump all the junk that my daughters weren't, up until today, ready to let go of.

Nary a peep about keeping some of the things that have now found their way to the "swap corner" at our town dump. It was lovely.

'Twas a tiny bit bittersweet though--my babies are no longer babies, but little girls.

But it felt marvelous to make their room habitable again. There really was indeed a floor under all that mess

Cyndi

Moving on to cleaning the bathroom. Ptooey.

[soxfan[$]]

Today's turning into a get-things-done day for me ... groceries (already gotten), laundry (load currently in dryer), balancing checkbook (to be done next). I used to hate this stuff, but now I don't mind. Feeling on top of things is a good thing.

Ailsa

[taurusmoon]

The perfect way to handle stress?

Two words: flea market.

Life is good.


Sara

[quasar]

Ooooooo retail therapy! I gotta get me some of that!

Janice

[lynnzop[$]]

No stress for me today.

Spent 4 hours in car driving daughter back to college.

Practiced Christmas program music...I love to sing!

Got rest of Christmas lights on the house.

Went for a loooooonnnnngg walk with the little guy.

Took down all the Halloween decorations.

Did some laundry...will do laundry-olympics later tonite to put it all away!

Ah....relaxing Sundays. I love them.

Lynn

The DVD doesn't talk to the TV, get new TV? Fix VCR? Wrong cable? Does that have enough inputs? Do I have enough in the checking account? Will it fit in the cabinet?

I dwell.
I worry.
I overthink.
I am paranoid.
I stress easily.

So I overcompensate and try to blow EVERYTHING off I can.

Because I know that once the wheels start spinning, they will spin until I grind myself to pieces.

No walking today.
No special diets. It is a day of rest and no worry.
I figure 199 tomorrow after my walk will be fine, and keep the needle going DOWN.