Lately I have been stressin’ to the max. I never notice it until it all catches up and I feel like shit but I can't figure out why exactly. After a really good talk with my mom last night I think I have my head on a little straighter. I need to focus on one thing at a time, the next step, and stop freaking out about the big picture. It’s funny because I gave a friend this advice about two hours before my mom gave it to me. But I needed to hear it and I needed to say out loud all the things that I am worried about. Being stressed out means feeling out of control and I am so out of control of so many things right now. The hard part is that I can’t do a whole lot about it at the moment. All I can do is relax and wait and keep living day by day. So I need some stress relief and I need to refocus my mind, find my balance again. Rum and Diet hasn’t been working so I will move on to trying my favorite stress relief activities.
#1
Driving in the desert is one of my favorite things to do. I have a route that I take along the Salt River and I know it like the back of my hand. It has been my place ever since I learned how to drive. Only a few miles drive from my house and I am in the desert, surrounded by nature; I will usually see some animals, mostly coyotes and sometimes deer. I love taking the road at night when the stars light up the sky and silhouette the mountains making them look like sleeping giants. Windows down, singing at the top of my lungs, this is the ultimate stress relief activity. #2
I take a lot of baths. That is why I got the master bedroom in the apartment with Jess. After a long day, a bath is exactly what I need to wind down. It is also my favorite thing to do when I am sick. I think it’s the Pisces/water thing. And this is where the men should stop reading. I also like crying in the bath. A good cry can do wonders when you are stressed. I love this article Crying 101, it says that some scientists believe that crying releases stress-related toxins and chemicals. Check out the article, I think it is pretty interesting. Plus it justifies my emotional girl moments as legitimately productive and healthy.
#3
Acupuncture is so amazing. If you haven’t tried it you really should. I am such a believer and I truly feel my acupuncturist has a gift. I know some people are nervous about the needles, but these are barely needles. They are so flexible and if you ever want to see one come to my house because I have a needle from when my acupuncturist forgot one in my head. I love laying on the table and feeling so heavy and relaxed. I started going because I used to get headaches three times a week and now I rarely get headaches, maybe once a month. #4
I know that I should do this more but running is really only something I do when I am stressed. A couple of times in the past I have gotten into it and was jogging every day; that never lasts very long, especially with Arizona summers. But when I am frustrated and just can’t sit still because my mind is going nuts the best thing to do is put on my headphones and hit the pavement. I am not the most serious runner, I do a lot of dancing and rapping, so I am probably a very entertaining runner. Not unlike Phoebe from Friends. One thing is certain though, running on a treadmill is impossible for me, I have to be outside with other people and things to look at. High traffic areas will provide the most honks and hollers which will either boost the confidence or irritate you to no end, either way it will make you run faster. #5
Riding bike is along the same line as running, but my bike rides definitely don’t work the ol' ticker the way a run does. My bike rides are much more relaxing but when I get a good song with a fierce rhythm I will pedal the shit out of that bike. There is something so satisfying about the movement, being able to get farther and farther away through the power of your own body. My bike rides always involve singing and ignoring the stares.#6
Reading is a great way to escape your head. Most of the time my reading is combined with Stress Relief Activity #1 which is why, if you ever borrow a book from me, the pages have some water stains on them and the edges are a bit crinkly. But if reading is to be done on dry land, then it should be done outside. I used to think my mom was so weird for reading all the time and saying she enjoyed it. I just couldn't grasp why that was so fun. I guess I am getting old and turning into my mother because I love reading so much now. I read during my lunch at work and it is the perfect break. Isn't this picture gorgeous? Don't you just want to be there, like right now?
#7
And last but not least, the no-fail-happiness-increasing stress relief activity of eating cookie dough. I like to take this one step further. I like to take half of the dough and chill it, then the other half I use for its intended purpose and bake some cookies. Then I take the warm cookie and I dip it in the chilled cookie dough and I have a little orgasm in my mouth. I almost didn’t tell people because I was worried about the judgment, but apparently I am not the only one because I found these pictures on Pinterest. It is Cookie Dough dip and it looks like we are working with chocolate chip, chocolate, and maybe snickerdoodle? Omg. I want to lay in bed and eat this all day. I've have had many troubles in my life but the worst of them never came. - James A. Garfield
#8 Go to a gay bar with your favorite homo.
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