The topic for this week’s Wednesday blog is what I do to relax when I’m
stressed. I kind of laughed when I saw this topic because people who know me
know that I am pretty much a huge ball of stress most of the time. I do manage
to keep it bottled up quite a bit, but that doesn’t help. I have tried
different things over the years to relieve my stress and so far, none of them
have stuck. But, let’s see what I’ve at least attempted.
Yoga. Yup, I tried it. I liked yoga, but I didn’t find it particularly
de-stressing. I was always worried about not being able to do the poses or
people judging me for being too overweight to wear yoga pants in public, so it
wasn’t a relaxing experience for the most part. It did help with my flexibility
though.
Meditation/relaxation techniques. This did not work at all. I seem to
have a very hard time quieting my mind; I spent most of the meditation time
worrying that I couldn’t quiet my mind, so that made the whole process even
harder.
Massages. I’ve tried getting massages a few times over the years. And I
do like them, but the relaxation I experience at the time ends as soon as I
walk out the door.
Gardening. A couple of years ago, I planted my first vegetable garden.
It has gone all right, for someone who has always had a black thumb. I get a
ton of tomatoes every year, but haven’t found my stride with other veggies yet.
And, while I like trying to grow my own food, I don’t find it relaxing. I’m
always worrying about why some plants aren’t growing and not weeding enough and
are they getting enough sun/water.
In case you haven’t caught on yet, I can pretty much take anything that
should be enjoyable and/or relaxing and turn it into a stressful situation.
It’s my personality; I’ve always been this way. There are a couple things I can
do that sort of help, but I still walk away feeling some level of stress.
Reading. I love to read, it’s really my favorite pastime. But it’s not as
relaxing as it should be. I get too caught up in things emotionally, or spend
too much time worrying about the tasks I *should* be doing while I’m reading.
Exercise. The ultimate de-stressor. All those endorphins are supposed
to make you happy. All I do is worry that I’m not doing right, that I’m being
judged for being too overweight (if I’m out in public), or that I basically
just suck if I miss a day in my schedule. It’s good for the half hour/45
minutes that I’m exercising, but then things start up again in my mind.
What it comes down to is I’m basically always stressed and worry most
of the time. I’m too tightly wound for my own good. Even writing this post made
me anxious because I can’t really answer the question posed. So, if anyone has
any other good stress relieving suggestions, let me know!
Check the blogs of the other Wednesday ladies to see how they
de-stress:
