What to do with Stress?

Every day we deal with stress. It comes in all shapes and sizes and is indiscriminate in who it targets. The most likely sources of stress are work, personal relationships, health, traffic, airports, etc. — and it’s symptoms are: headaches, fatigue, upset stomach, insomnia, frequent colds, feeling overwhelmed, and the list goes on. We haven’t exactly created an easy modern life now, have we? How we cope with the stressors of our lives is the topic this week – what we do when stress comes calling.

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After a crappy day when I feel emotionally shut down, I don’t have energy to do much of anything – so I zone out with some screen time. But what I’ve learned recently is that mindlessly watching shows doesn’t really help with stress as much as say, meditating or exercise. It seems stress needs to be worked out of the body, and the best remedy is to do something we enjoy, mindfully, and feel the stress leaving.

The only place I feel completely stress-free and happy to be alive is when I’m visiting the ocean. Seeing that expanse of water puts life into perspective, and for a moment illuminates the idiocy of modern life. And for me, I feel relieved knowing that it’s not me who makes living so hard and complicated, it’s the society I live in. All the rules we have to follow can be pretty confusing and exhausting to deal with. I only wish I could put the ocean in my pocket, a good luck charm if you will, something tangible to hold onto when I’m back in the maelstrom. For now, I’ll be weaning myself off the motherboard, and finding some fun things to get the stress out – blowing bubbles comes to mind.

[Img.Src: Women watching TV, 1957]

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