It’s amazing the impact that stress has on my life. When I’m not dealing with it effectively, I find myself eating mindlessly for comfort and relief. Not only is that a bad solution, it doesn’t relieve my stress and it packs on the pounds like there’s no tomorrow, helping me to arrive at the obese state of affairs I find myself in today. My third week TOPS SMART goal was to journal my stresses for at least 3 days. Boy, it seems like I let a lot of things bug me. Identifying them was my first step in dealing with the nasty little pests.
My Uptight and Out of Sight Stressors
· Work pressures
· Family disagreements and misunderstandings
· Financial worries
· Reductions in income
· Clutter in the home, office or yard
· Driving in traffic
· Husband not listening
· Crowds and noise
· Loud TV
· Too much TV
· Health concerns
· Fuzzy brain and lack of mental clarity
· Children’s and grandchildren’s problems
· Friend’s problems
· Impending retirement
My Stress Busters
· Getaway to Orcas Island
· Swim
· Play the piano, psaltery, or guitar
· Write a song expressing my thoughts and emotions
· Visit a friend
· Visit kids and grandkids
· Take a trip to a lake, river, or ocean beach
· Fish
· Canoe
· Beachcombing
· Visit and share music at a nursing home
· Garden
· Creative writing
· Pray
· Read
· Meditate
· Nap
· Phone a friend
My stress busters aren’t necessarily in this order, but these are some of the things that relax me. As I made my list, I realized that some I haven’t done in more than a year. It’s time to get back to the simple pleasures in life instead of taking the easy way out by overeating. .
