Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Reducing Stress


According to my neurologist, I need therapy, weight training, aerobic activity, and yoga--all in order to strengthen my body and relieve my stress. Hmmmm.

Don't get me wrong. These are all wonderful ideas but I'm not sure where I'm supposed to find the time or the money. I suppose I could quit my job but then how would I pay for it all? I could do some freelance work for extra cash but then there would be no time left in my already busy day. It's a conundrum, for sure.

And then there are the logistics of actually getting to these additional appointments. I could hire a chauffeur transport me a direct route that would be quicker than public transportation but....that's right...we are back around to the issue of paying for it. Do you think there are chauffeurs that work for gingerbread cookies?

Perhaps, I should buy a single lottery ticket each week. Do they still make $1 lottery tickets because I'm pretty sure that's all I could swing with my current budget? I could hope to win big and then quit my job which would free me up for 40+ additional hours per week.

Nah. I would probably end up getting addicted to gambling and before I knew it, I would be taking buses to casinos in Connecticut and spending all my rent money at the blackjack tables. I'd be evicted and, because I had no place to work, I would end up jobless, as well. Now THAT would be stressful. And I'm pretty sure they don't have yoga, weight training, aerobics, and therapy in homeless shelters.

I think I will just continue with my walking, sun salutation yoga sequences at home, going to free twelve-step meetings, writing, and up the prayer and meditation.

How about you? What free stress relievers do you have in your life?


4 comments:

  1. Not free, but cheap--chocolate. Bird watching, giving a milk or OJ cap to the cat, and watching truly stupid TV.

    Wish there was a bus that could go right to your door and pick you up to take you places...oh...right...

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  2. love the zebra cartoon. I definitely feel that way sometimes. I don't have any answers. I know that all the Dr's I see for the various things that ail me all tell me that I need to avoid stress. My regular Dr can't say it with a straight face and will also say "yeah I know, right..." It seems that sometimes if you get too caught up in the idea of trying to avoid stress that alone causes more stress.

    The best that I can do is to follow advice given to me long ago, and like that old prayer "God give me the strength to not worry about the things I can't change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." or something like that.

    Other than that, deep breathing and meditation sometimes works. when the stress piles on, sometimes I just have to take a break (even when I feel I can't spare the time) and find a quite spot and some peace and quiet and "me time".

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  3. Aerobic exercise is definitely my stress-relief of choice... Hard to fit it in some days, but even if it's only a 20-min session on the elliptical, it's better than nuthin'!
    Happy Holidays to you & yours.

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