Stress Relievers

I realize there are many of you who are unable to leave your current situations.  It's unfortunate that sometimes things have to get really really bad before we pack up and leave.  As was in my case, I just kept turning a blind eye to what was really going on in my marriage and I kept thinking things would improve ... I kept finding excuses like, "His job is stressful" - "It's hard to deal with the mother of his children always taking more and more money from us" - "His health isn't good, he must not feel well" - While those probably did contribute to the issues, it wasn't good for me to continue finding excuses for what stress I lived under because truly, there is NO excuse for any of it.

I developed high blood pressure and stomach issues that no Dr. could even identify.  I hurt all the time.  My head hurt.  My stomach hurt so bad all I could do was sit down and not move.  I tried so many different relaxation techniques, but none seemed to work at all.  I had physical exams and nothing was found to be wrong.  I had secondary hypertension, which means it was not genetic or environmental .... it was caused by me being overweight for one, and two, the stress I lived under.

So, with all that being said ... DE-STRESS!!!  As best you can, you must take some time for yourself and relax.  Miraculously, within six months after our separation, and even though I was still enduring verbal beatings, my stomach issues disappeared and my blood pressure returned to normal.  I was no longer having to walk on eggshells and be ready to explain every single thing that he felt was out of line.

I wanted to list a few stress relievers for you so if you have no outlet for de-stressing, maybe you can try a few of these....

1.  Journaling:  Journaling can be used in several different ways, all of which can relieve stress.  Because journaling is proven by research to bring several health benefits in addition to stress relief, this stress reliver is highly recommended.  It is my method of choice for the past 20 years.  You do have to be cautious about what you write because some people do not respect your privacy and it can actually cause much more harm than good.  People who are looking for an issue will find one.  Just keep that in mind.  Even with that risk being apparent, I am still an avid fan of journaling and will do it via blog and notebook paper until I can no longer write or type!

2.  Exercise:  This is probably one of my most favorite ways to let it all go!!!  Sometimes it is hard to get started but you can do it, and you will feel wonderful when you do.  The chemicals released when you exercise actually help make you happier and more alive!  By putting more oxygen in your blood, you will have more energy - and your brain will be stimulated!

3.  Sex:  Do I really need to say anything else about this??  Within a healthy relationship, sex can be a wonderful way to relax, grow closer to your partner/spouse ... but not everyone is fortunate enough to be in a "healthy" relationship.  If this is you, file this one away for future reference, and remember ... it truly is wonderfully relaxing!!!

4.  Listen to music:  Music is soothing to the soul, and can actually help you face some of the demons that you battle daily.  You can create a playlist for a variety of moods and listen to them accordingly.  Be careful not to wallow in your sorrows though, as I have in the past.  This can sometimes to more harm than good. What I like to do is create playlists for working out (Pitbull is AWESOME for Zumba playlists!!!) and kill two birds with one stone - workout/exercise AND listen to music!

5.  Clean house:  My kids still make fun of me for doing this ALL THE TIME, but it really does help me relax.  I love to do laundry.  The smells do something for me.  Aeromatherapy is also a good thing to try.  I personally love to burn Scentsy fragrances but I try to avoid any that trigger certain feelings, emotions, memories.

So there you have a handful of relaxation techniques to try.  Even the old standby "counting to 10 slowly" works in a pinch!!!