Most people I know are searching for ways to deal with the amount of stress that’s happening these days; financial worries, work-related issues, ever-changing social and political events, to name a few.
I personally worry if my social security benefit will arrive each month, worry about the price of groceries, and trying to stretch what income I have. I also worry about my back porch sinking, and the trimming of my two giant mulberry trees and what’s eating my basil plants.
Not calamitous worries, unless my social security gets shelved by some wave of the government wand, but there’s ways I deal with stress.
Sitting in the sun and watching the garden grow is a great stress reliever for me. While I planted the seeds and went through the process of growing them and planting the starts into the garden bed soil, it took concentration and focus on something enjoyable. Worry was not in my mind while planting and watching the veggies grow. I’ve said it before, I love watching them grow, more than I like eating them!
Music is a stress reliever. I notice that opera music does not relieve stress for me, it actually creates it, the same way that hard rock produces anxiety in me. Not my jam, so I tune into music that soothes my soul. Some Tina Turner perhaps. Or Radiohead singing Creep.
Recently an X-ray tech and veteran of Iraqi and Afghanistan tours told me he purposely avoids news and basically buries his head, except for work and family, to control anxiety caused by recent hits to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Many people have said that they avoid the news. It’s just too shocking and stressful.
My cousin recently make a small wooden fire truck with a wooden ladder (each rung was precisely made) that goes up and can rotate. The details are amazing. He also walks several miles daily in various parks that have plenty of wildlife and water life. He’s even written a book explaining all the wildflowers he’s seen.
A friend participates in weekly games of Dungeons and Dragons. I played it and it was great fun; laugh out loud fun. I can definitely see the allure.
One of my friends bakes for relaxation; banana bread. She gives it away. I used to look forward to it, until she moved away. Her husband fixes things around their new house, but I’m not sure it’s for relaxation or necessity. He bought an electric bike and rides around the countryside. Soon she’ll be riding her own bike along side him. The family that plays together, stays together!
How do you deal with stress? Clean house? Walk the dog, meditate, dance to the music, sleep, yoga, journaling, take walks, eat, paint, garden, work on cars, play sports, computer games?
I once played computer games (think Pac-Man) until they actually produced more anxiety. When I lived in Santa Cruz, I’d go to the boardwalk and ride the wooden roller coaster three times, which relived all my stress. Great therapy!
There’s an exercise on how to relieve anxiety that is called the 3-3-3 Rule. It’s a grounding technique that involves three things you see, three that you can hear and three that you can touch. It helps redirect your thoughts from anxious ones to your immediate surroundings, promoting a sense of calm and grounding.
My friend with an autistic child would let her chew gum, which relieved her daughter’s stress and anxiety. Research says that “chewing gum is an inexpensive and accessible way to reduce stress and anxiety. Gum chewing can reduce stress hormones like cortisol, calm the nervous system and even improve focus and alertness. Some research also suggests that it can improve academic performance.”
What’s a girl to do?…go out and buy a box of bubble gum!
Lucy Llewellyn Byard welcomes comments and shares via lucywgtd@gmail.com
