Ten Suggestions for Undressing Your Stress

July 13, 2010
  1. Be thankful for what you have.
  2. On a daily basis, do the small things that make you smile. They add up. That first cup of coffee, a hot shower, a hug from your child, the smell of a bar of soap that transports you to another place and time, a glance at your favourite piece of art work, etc. Do you take these things for granted? Would you miss them if they were gone? Enjoy them while you can.
  3. Schedule time for the bigger things that bring you joy.
  4. Celebrate! Your little successes, your big successes and those of others, as well.
  5. Get enough rest, water, nutrition, exercise and friendship. Appreciate that you have enough rest, water, nutrition, exercise and friendship.
  6. Spend some time alone in nature, without the distractions of your cell phone, PDA, iPod or iPad. A park bench will do. Start with a few minutes and increase the time. Appreciate your body for all it does for you. Feel the beating power of your heart and the gentle rhythm of your diaphragm.
  7. Don't catch "comparititis". Stop comparing yourself to others. No two lives are exactly the same.
  8. Move away from the "Complainers' Table" at lunch time. This may be a good time to do # 6.
  9. Do your best each day. Be aware that some days your best will be less than the day before. Allow yourself  to accept this; ease your suffering.
  10. Learn techniques that help you treat the cause of your stress and not just your symptoms. Activate the power of your heart. It makes 1 to 9 easier to do.

9 Replies to “Ten Suggestions for Undressing Your Stress”

  3. “Judge not lest ye be not judged.” Matthew 7

    Don’t make judgments! At least don’t speak them. They always have opposition & get you in a lot of trouble.

  4. I’m sorry that last comment was for the Loose Bloggers Consortium on Fri. on Judgements.

    This post is so excellent!
    bikehikebabe

  5. Ramana,
    Well, if I were standing beside you, I’m sure I would profit from your years of wisdom! (I initially typed prophet…hmmmm…weren’t you talking about mountain-tops in a post from long-ago?) 🙂

    Gaelikka,
    You’re doing some of them already, Maria.

    The trick is to make them more of a habit, ready to pull out when you need them; during those trying times.

    Anonymous,
    A-ha! Figured it was you. Oh, those detective qualities of mine….LOL!

    BHB,
    It fits, though, don’t you think?

    Judgements – both a sign and symptom of stress.

  6. Marianna,

    What a soothing, encouraging post!

    Undressing your stress is both about the small, daily things that make us smile (as simple as the scent of a bar of soap – my preference, Irish Spring! ; ) and about the bigger things, which we must SCHEDULE time for (good point!).

    I love the idea of starting with even a few minutes of spending time alone in nature without our technology distractions and interruptions. I’ve found, with my lake getaways, that the temptation to check my Droid for updates melts away as each minute and hour tick by. The feel of the sun in my face and the sound of the water lapping on the boat, as well as the camaraderie of my dockmates are such stress undressers.

    Thanks again for your pragmatic, soothing and wise advice.

    Jacqui

  7. Jacqui,

    You have a unique way of picking out the salient points; a skill that I’m sure your clients greatly appreciate!

    I appreciate your stopping by “my place” and sharing your joyful/soulful moments.

    Irish Spring. Do you remember when/where you first used it? (There’s a reason I’m asking.)

  8. Marianna,
    I love your list. And I love that it advocates being so conscious of where we are at a point in time. We may spend hours trying be “out of our pain bodies” but connecting to our hearts, joys and body in positive ways is so important. In disregarding pain signals we don’t want to throw out the good stuff that is deeper inside.
    Keep up this great site. Mary
    http://bluestarmoon.wordpress.com

  9. Mary,
    I like what you said about “throwing away the good stuff with the bad”.

    We can also keep out the good stuff when we protect ourselves from the bad.

    I appreciate your stopping by. I love your site, as well.

    I have to thank Bronnie (@adiemusfree) and her blog (http://healthskills.wordpress.com)
    for connecting me to you!

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