Lately, I’ve just not been myself. My mind constantly wanders. I have no inspiration when I sit down to write. I have walked into countless rooms only to discover that I have no idea why I am there. I completely forgot to call back a wonderful friend who reached out to me for help. This is not like me. I must be losing my mind. Yep, it’s finally caught up with me. Those 2 words we all dread and only whisper behind closed doors and smoky mirrors….Dare I say it……OLD AGE!!!! WHAT?? Oh crap , where’s my box of Miss Clairol? Shoot- pull my bra straps up another 6 inches. Someone get me my social security check!! Oh wait…I almost forgot. I’m only 48. Shew…thank goodness….it must just be stress!
I decided to go to my trusty friend “Google” to see what fine tips Mr. G had for me on dealing with the “Big S”. Here were the tips I found, and how they worked out for me.
1) Get some fresh air- Vitamin D (aka sunshine) and clean air can help de-stress you. In the event you can’t get outside, bring some plants into your life. Hum….Ok. I tried that this past week on vacation. I walked around barefoot and decided to sit in the sun and do some weeding among the garden plants (trying to get double points for this one). I will admit- for a while, it was blissful. Sunshine, dragonflies, humming birds flitting to and fro. Much to my dismay however, I discovered within 12 hours that the grass I was basking in was full of Chiggers!! I promptly had over 30 little nasty bug bites that itch like hell on my legs, thighs, stomach and…lucky me….rear end. It was wine time.
2) Connect to your spiritual side- create a positive affirmation or mantra that resonates with you. Hey- this one should be easy for me! I believe in the power of positive thinking right? I wrote down this fantastic mantra. It is guaranteed to blow the socks off the universe. I can’t miss with this one! Um..shoot…where did I put that piece of paper? Oh my heck. Really? In know, maybe if I have another glass of wine it will help me remember.
3) Take a bath- Further your bliss by pairing your bath with candles or bath beads. Ohhhhh!!! I like this one. I got all ready to do this one. Turned on the water. Poured a nice glass of wine. Grabbed my “midnight passion” bath bubbles. Lit some candles. Stepped into the bathtub….and waited for the water to get to any temperature above “luke warm”. No dice. Guess what? Water heater is broken. Oh no! Here comes the stress…..oh wait- there’s my glass of wine! Shew!
4) Exercise- it revs your body’s production of feel-good endorphins, can help regulate your sleep, lowers the symptoms associated with mild depression, boosts your energy, and helps you remain calmer and more focused, all of which can go a long way toward stress management. I decided to start walking again on vacation (it’s been a while because of my knee surgery’s). Unfortunately, I forgot my sneakers. No worries, I have these sporty, brand new, Sperry’s! Yippee!! 60 minutes and two blisters later, I could barely hobble back to the refrigerator for the wine.
5) Express your gratitude- National Institutes of Health researchers found subjects who showed more gratitude had higher levels of activity in the hypothalamus, a part of the brain that has a huge influence on our stress levels. Hum…grateful, grateful. What am I grateful for? Wow! This one is easy! I am supremely grateful for wine!!
Now that I have figured out how to deal with all that stress, anyone know how to get rid of Chigger bites?