Perhaps I am not the only one feeling a little irritable and stressed. The unfortunate part about being a grown-up is that it is up to us to figure out what to do about it so that we don’t spread that ill-feeling around too much. Here are some stress-busters:
1. Go outside. Do it safely, of course, with appropriate precautions and keeping a good distance from other humans. Nature and fresh air can shift our perspectives and blow away our inner cobwebs.
2. Move fast. As I say all the time, cardio is mood magic. We may start our workout grumpy, but we’ll end feeling better.
3. Stretch and breathe. Yoga, Pilates, plain old meditation, and prayer all help with this one. Keep the air moving and don’t let the muscles solidify in one position.
4. Get some contact. Ideally, we have somebody around to hug or cuddle or convince to give us a massage. If not, petting the dog or cat or hamster helps (haven’t tried petting fish, but it doesn’t seem likely to do much good to anyone…). If we are also pet-less, there is this great invention called the phone and we can, in the words of the old ad, reach out and touch someone. Texts, emails, Zoom sessions, and the like also work.
5. Do something good for someone else. It can be as small as picking up some trash or letting someone go ahead in line. Spreading kindness ripples back over ourselves.
6. Take a nap. We almost all need more sleep.
7. Drink some water. Dehydrated people are crabby people.
What else works for you???
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