Are you stressed?? Me, too! OK, here are ten things you can do right now (not all at once, right now) to help you feel better.
{breathing}
Have you forgotten how? Just close your eyes, inhale slowly through your nose, then exhale through your mouth. Feel your shoulders drop? That’s right. Do it again… oh yeah. Everything is back now. Repeat until the babies are no longer around your ears.
{Drink water}
Come on, stop and drink a glass of water. you need it. Trust me. You drink too much coffee, and that soda is not good for you. Drink some. Be grateful you have it. Many people in the world don’t. Say a little prayer of thanks if you want.
{Soak or take a hot bath}
Speaking of water… this is a luxury thing. A small miracle, really. Every time I step under a strong hot shower, I remind myself how lucky I am. Seriously.
{Go for a walk}
How long have you been sitting at that computer. What’s the 4th one? 5th? The 10th blog you read in the last hour? I mean, I’m glad you’re here reading this, but you need to get your blood pumping. Work at home? Take a walk around the block. In the office? Do the same.
In the booth? Stand up and stretch, jog in place. MOVE YOUR BODY.
{Plan a gift}
Okay, you’re working on the most boring and annoying task in the world. It drives you crazy. Will it ever finish? Well that’s it. Eventually. Just like pregnancy. The baby couldn’t stay there forever. And when you’re done, you’ll give yourself a nice treat. A piece of chocolate, the latest episode of 30 Rock, Top Chef (whatever), or 10 minutes of watching stupid YouTube videos. Whatever you like. Just get the thing done. And then enjoy yourself.
{Get some perspective}
Whatever you are going through right now, chances are, someone is going through it worse than you are. That’s right. think about it. Get a grip. The “poor me” only lasted but so long. Take your mind off yourself for a moment, and reach out to others who need a kind word or help. You will feel better, and you will do something good. Try.
{Stop blaming yourself}
You’re not as bad as you think. In fact, you’re probably harder on yourself than most people. Be kind to yourself. Especially if the others don’t. No need to complicate a predicament by turning on yourself. Try being kind to yourself. See what happened.
{Reach}
Sympathize with someone – a friend, a work colleague. Even a friendly foreigner. A few words exchanged with someone at the post office or on the subway can go a long way to lift your spirits. I’m not talking about complaining, now. I’m talking about sharing the burden with others who might understand. “Oh my, it’s hot, isn’t it? Looking forward to the rain tonight!” See where it takes you.
{Find humor}
Ever got to a point where it seemed so bad it made no sense? I recently heard a stand-up comic doing a routine about his mother dying and then having a breakup before being diagnosed with cancer. Believe it or not, it’s FUNNY. Straight to the open heart, laugh with you, funny. Sometimes all you can do is laugh it off.
{The head is going to explode? Wipe}
Yes, just write everything down. Everything. Task list. Wishlist. Complaints, fears, questions. Just get it out of your head. You can only do one thing at a time (despite the illusion of multi-tasking), so get the rest of that junk out of your head before it drives you crazy.
Oh come on, just pick one thing. Do. See what happened. You need a break from all this stress!
Image Credit : OpLife
