Well, I am still trucking along (I'm waiting to weigh again until next week). This week was definitely a little crazy with Carter out of school. I honestly thought it would be fun, but it wasn't! Carter was a nightmare, and it was tough dealing with the stress of difficult children, a husband working long hours and studying for his contractor's exam, and trying to make positive food and exercise choices! Talk about stress!! I did alright, though. Thursday I had to cry on Heather's shoulder about my problems. These are the moments when it all comes down to changing old habits. When I start to feel my head spinning and no relief in sight, I have to really look for other ways to detox, rather than locking myself in a closet with a carton of ice cream (it does sounds soothing though, doesn't it?).
Okay, so here are some things that work for me: 1) Time outs - for me and the kids. One morning, when I was way over the edge, I sent the kids to their rooms for a while and just cleaned. I know this makes no sense to Heather (he he!) but the physical act of purging a load of dishes gave me some time to settle down. 2) Gardening - I went out and planted some seedlings while the kids watched a show. I think the combination of sunshine and growing things is very cathartic. 3) Exercise - Just getting a little time on the treadmill, an hour at the gym, or a brief walk help to perk me up and make things more manageable. Plus it's ME time when otherwise there is none to be had! 4) Scriptures - one afternoon I just shut my door and pulled them out. I don't know why it should take meltdowns for me to realize the power of the scriptures! Just reading the familiar verses of the Book of Mormon and thinking for a few minutes helped me a lot. 5) Journaling - for me this is an old stand by. I think so much better after writing out my frustrations.
I'm sure there are lots of other ways to cope with stresses (if you have some good ideas, let me know!) Another thing I did was just take the day off. On my worst day I just canceled all the plans for the day, cleaned, scrapbooked and took a nice long shower. It really helped to relieve my schedule and just take a down day.
The bottom line is that everyone gets stressed, and I don't think that will change until the millenium! But we CAN deal constructively with stress and find ways to relax even in the midst of challenging circumstances.
2 comments:
I actually LOVE my down days, no places to go, nothing to buy, no kids to load and unload into the car...I hear you! I'm finding as Bryanna is getting older, my down days just won't be the same! Good for you in figuring out what works best. It's nice to see into how other people handle stress, very helpful!
Thanks for the stress relieving ideas! I'm sure I will be trying them soon.
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