Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Five things and a picture of a flower


Stressful times call for coping techniques.  Here are five that are better for us than an entire bottle of Scotch or buying out the ice cream section at the grocery store or massive doses of retail therapy.

1.     Connect.  This one works best in person because then there can be hugging involved, but phone, text, email, whatever can also help.  When we feel alone, we suffer more.  Bonus points if we do something that helps someone else out while we are connecting, whether that means going along on a dog walk or bringing dinner or just listening.
2.     Move.  Stress hormones leave the body faster if we chase them out with movement.  This doesn’t have to be complicated or formal.  Just get off the couch.  It will feel better.
3.    Cook.  Taking the time to make nourishing food restores our senses.  We also establish a tiny bit of control over the universe.  We rebuild our chemistry through healthy eating.  Also, home cooking can be a subversive act in these food-industrial-complex times.
4.     Sing.  Off key is fine.  Really this is just an excuse to get us all to breathe.  Singing requires us to take bigger breaths, which is all good news for the body.  One caveat:  karaoke may not be the best choice if it involves lots of alcohol.  Just sayin’.
5.     Spirit.  I know.  That’s not a verb.  But let’s pretend it is the verb for pray/meditate/tune in.  All of those mindful spiritual practices train us to deal with whatever comes along.


Mix and match and see what comes out!

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