Stress and What Do About It~~~

I’m going to forego all of the usual suggestions such as reading a book, listening to music, taking a deep breath, meditation, etc. Though everyone is different, those suggestions just never worked for me. All I can think about during meditation is that I’m wasting time when I should be doing something…. It’s a great idea if it works for you, but I’ve discovered and want to share some less talked about ideas. I do hope you will all post some of your tricks in the comments, or send them to me in an email and maybe we can come up with some things we haven’t tried before…..

I have found that during the normal run of the day – I have a tv or radio running in the background of my life. The other day I “stopped to listen” and realized that what I was hearing was just noise! I then walked in the living room and turned the tv off and vowed not to turn it on again the rest of the day. If you’ve never tried QUIET before you should give it a chance. We are often unaware of the noises around us, traffic, people talking, electronics, phones, you name it – the world is a noisy place. Those of you who work at jobs are especially vulnerable, …..office machines, co-workers, constant phones, or if it’s a labor job they can be worse yet with equipment clanging and banging on a constant basis. Being retired, I don’t have to put up with work noise any longer, but even home can become a “happening place” with appliances, etc….. If you do nothing else during your daytime, where ever it is, allow yourself some quiet time with absolutely no noise whatsoever. Ten minutes is great – an hour is wonderful – and at least a half day would be awesome. Go ahead and go about your activities, but try it without other noises and see the difference, it can actually increase your efficiency. You don’t have to go hide in the closet, just cut the noise around you and see what a difference it can make.

I have an aunt in a different state, who is a “Master Gardener”, she sent me the following, from her monthly newspaper article…..

The Spiritual Garden

We live in a fast pace society with little time and often no place to relax. With that thought in mind, one of the most recent trends in landscaping is the creation of your own spiritual garden. It may sound complicated but really does not require a lot of work. It is simply a place you design, create and landscape that will provide a retreat in your yard where you can have some privacy, a place to think, read, meditate, pray, or do nothing. It can be as elaborate as you want to make it or as simple as a bench under a favorite tree with some colorful containers nearby. Many people like to add a fountain or small water feature. Other suggestions might include tall grasses or low shrubs for screening, some paving or a small arbor. Your imagination and the sky is the limit so with spring fast approaching now is a good time to start a plan for your own spiritual retreat. You will never regret your hide away.

I do have a landscaped yard where I can go in the summer and it does provide a sanctuary for me…..however; the weather does not always cooperate when I need to go there, so this is weather freindly cure at best. The added benefit is the exercise you’ll get with building it and caring for it.

Walking, or other exercise…… I know, I know you’ve heard this before, but it’s now been proven to me that it works. (do any of you have to have things proven to you? ok, I’m stubborn, see tarzan blush), but it really does work! If you don’t believe me, try it! Exercise releases certain chemicals in your body that does reduce stress…..I don’t know how it works, it just does.

Now if any of the rest of you have any ideas out of the ordinary, please share them…… But first – don’t forget – learn to recognize when the stress is there! I still maintain that is the key, stressed….not stressed……stressed…..not stressed……stressed…..not stressed…….stressed?

Learn to know the difference.  Learn to recognize it when it happens.