Things to Reduce Stress

As we are getting closer to the holidays, I think of stress. Stress effects everyone but I think life is more stressful than when we were younger. The world has change a lot since I was in high school - more dangerous, more electronics, more demands on students, ect. There are more things to worry about.

I have anxiety and panic attacks caused by too much stress from work and home. I am also very hard on myself which doesn't make life any easier. My stress is somewhat less without teaching but I still have other stresses. I am always looking for things to reduce my stress. Some of the things I have found a simple and others a little more complicated. 

Flanagan

1. My favorite way to reduce stress is to snuggle with my dog or cats. Therapy dogs are brought into hospitals to help sick patients feel happier and distracted from their illness for a while. Many patients look forward to visits from the dogs. Cats have started to be used for therapy as well. I have read research on cat's purring reducing people's blood pressure.

2. Another stress reduction is meditation. I haven't done much of it yet but I have a few meditation apps and free e-books about meditation. Meditation will be on my goal list for next year. I will write more about it as I practice it and learn more.

3. One I tried and want to do more of is yoga. I took a class in restorative yoga and it was very restful. I found a yoga studio called Blue Sky in my town. They have a bunch of classes. It can't wait to go back. It will also be on my goal list for next year. 

4. Exercise is an another way to reduce stress. The exercise I do is either running or walking. I am using couch to 5k to train for the Disney Marathon in January. I also decided to do one in December with some friends in the town I live in. I will tell you that I am not prepared. I was a doing well in the spring but then I had a part time job in a grocery store. I couldn't run because standing the whole time I was at work hurt my body too much. Also needs to go on my goal list for next year.

5. Spending time outside is also a good way to reduce stress. I walk or run outside (not sure what I am going to do when the snow piles up in Northeast Ohio. In nice weather, I like to sit on my patio and work on my planner, write or read. I wrote a lot of a novel one summer sitting on the beach at the lake. I also go camping and have a fire pit for my patio.

Fire while camping

6. Listen to music can also reduce stress. I like to listen to music when I read, write, shower, and run or walk. I also really enjoy watching my daughter in the marching band and her 2 concert bands. 

7. Pampering yourself can also be stress reducing. Thing like getting a massage, mani/pedi or hair cut. For me, baking is stress reducing. My favorite thing to bake is cookies and I also like to eat them.

I will be continuing to find new stress reducers and try them. I will also be working on the ones above. What do you do to reduce stress? Do you have a favorite?