Things have been pretty rough out there for many people for a while now. We hear things on the news, we hear things from our friends. It begins to weigh on us. I like to think of myself as a pretty positive person (after all, my blood type is B+ or be positive as I joke), but there are times lately when I feel overwhelmed and stressed.
Because I have this inane sense of positivity flowing through me, I try and shake those blues as quickly as possible (like a dog shaking the water off, but less messy). It’s not always easy, but here’s what I’ve found works me for me.
1. Laugh with friends. I have some super cool friends. You’ve read some of their work, because some of my very cool friends write on this very blog. And they make me laugh. Did I mention that? They've helped me more than they’ll ever know. (To help you laugh, here is the Friday Dance Party video from TSNW a while back. It’s good for a laugh any day of the week.)
2. Listen to some classical music. I was just talking about this the other day with Patti, and it is so true on how it just seems to calm things down.
3. Crazy cat pictures. I know it sounds strange, but crazy cat pictures make me laugh, and as you know from point number one, that helps me out. The strange thing, I’m not much of a feline fan.
4. Exercise. I have a really good workout when my stress levels start to climb. I wish I could put an elliptical machine in my office. *sigh*
5. Jen had a really good post last month about practicing kindness. It’s amazing how being nice to someone (even when you’re orange level stressed out) can actually make you feel better.
6. Volunteer. I am particularly fond of this one. Giving back not only makes you feel good for helping others, it also takes your mind off of what ails it. Double bonus! Who wants to plant some trees with me?
Those are some things that help me when the going gets rough. How do you cope with the stresses of life? Any hot tips to share that will help cool things down?
Photo credit here
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