Cheer Up Busy Bee & Decrease All That Stress!

Although I am only 23 years old, I am notorious for worrying about anything and everything that can go wrong in my life. I become paranoid at the simplest mistakes and wrong turns that we all make as human beings. I work like a maniac; sleep has become a hobby and cooking dinner has become a chore. I recently interviewed with a newly established mortgage agency and when asked “What do you like to do to unwind from life?” - I could not answer as quickly as I probably should have been able to. I can answer anything from “What motivates you to do your best” to “What kind of skills do you think you have to offer our company” quickly and efficiently, but ask me what my hobbies are and I draw a blank. I’m so stuck on my personal plan for life that I don’t take much time to unwind, to enjoy myself or the people in my life. I live on my own, I spend a lot of time in my vehicle - Alone; therefore much of my time is spent with myself. Most of my time when I am not focused on work or education is spent fighting with my inner demons. This causes me to feel quite unhappy and I begin to feel the urge to shut myself away from the world for a little while. THIS IS NOT A GOOD THING PEOPLE!
I made a personal decision today to work on my schedule more; find time to enjoy myself, enjoy my friends and family - GET A REAL HOBBY - and not cram my schedule with tasks to the last millisecond. Not having time to unwind or having to heat T.V. Dinners in the microwave every night for dinner isn’t very healthy. Worrying constantly about anything and everything that can go wrong can be stressful and unhappiness in life could be the result. I decided to also erase the negative feelings and thoughts that I harbor. As humans we tend to focus more on the negative things in life because they leave a deeper scar on our emotions than the positive things. Remember as a child feeling like you had to misbehave sometimes to get attention from your parents because your “bad” siblings were getting all the attention? Negative feelings also take time to put in line - kind of like the parent to the misbehaving child - we constantly feel like we have to tend to the issue. Tending to these negative issues take time and most certainly take all the joy out of our happy moments. I decided today to give the positive aspects of my life more credit, afterall, the positive things in my life are contributing to my happiness which ultimately contributes to every smile I allow to grace my face. Why allow the headache of life and negativity increase our stress level? Its unnecessary.

Stress can lead to many other health problems too such as Depression, Aches & Pains of any kind [hmm … maybe THAT’S what the pain in the lower back side of my neck is], Digestive Problems, Heart Disease, etc. We’re all trying to live our healthiest life as long as possible right? Take some time to unwind busy bee, you and I both deserve it!

There are plenty of ways that we can decrease the stress in our life. Simple things such as a change in our state of mind or personal expectations can really help a lot. Lets be realistic - none of us are perfect. And just as much as we ourselves aren’t perfect, we shouldn’t expect anyone around us to be perfect. Cut down on your schedule if you’re like me and you over cram it. Make some time to relax and unwind, even if it is just a moment at Starbucks enjoying a Frappuccino in between work and school. Relax, maybe do a few breathing exercises. I once took a Crime & Issues class where we had to do breathing exercises every now and then - Breathe In “I know I am breathing in”, Breathe Out “I know I am breathing out”, REPEAT. Its supposed to help you to relax and become aware of yourself and your surroundings. We are often so busy that our simplest activities become so routine we don’t even realize we are doing them. Make sure to always maintain a positive outlook on life. Optimism can most definitely make a stressful situation seem less stressful; easier to handle. Make sure to always get a good nights sleep and treat your body well. Regular exercise boosts endorphins which are sometimes considered the body’s painkillers acting as analgesics reducing the perception of pain. They make you feel better!

At the end of the day, nobody needs or wants to be a highly stressed out individual. These type of people aren’t usually too fun to be around. So how about we work together to turn our frowns upside down and do our best to live a stress free life! Let me know of your tips of how you decrease the stress in your life! Here’s my head start:

Lexi.

Monday, Monday.

Today has been a good day I must admit. I usually don't look forward to Mondays at all just because I am so busy I want the feeling of a relaxing weekend to last FOREVER. It's almost like coming back to reality, those Mondays. My weekend was spent in a fantasy world even if in that world I was laying in bed all day eating pint sized ice cream and watching Sex and the City: The Movie over and over. For some reason, this Monday has been different. The sun is shining, yet here in Washington you can tell it's still winter because regardless of how sunny it is outside, you can walk out and breathe in the freshly brisk air. I love it. I want to live some place where the weather is like this more often than not. I love the sun, not a fan of the heat. Miami, Florida it is with great sadness yet no disappointment that you will most likely never be blessed with my presence. Sorry.  This .......

..... is beautiful to me.  Wherever this scenery is, that is where I need to be.  New York City perhaps?  Chicago, Boston, it sure isnt here in Western Washington.

Nothing spectacular happened today, it was just a good day.  I felt great, energized, and the day isnt over.  I still have to attend my Corrections class tonight after leaving work but I feel like I could get a full-body workout in afterwards.  I feel like I could go home and cook up a dinner meal for every night this week all tonight.  I could spring clean my apartment.  The point is, I felt so good today for no specific reason that I was clearly able to think about the joys in my life, ones I never really think about because my mind is too boggled with work or school information, or I'm stressed beyond the norm.  I have this new outlook today that I want to continue having.  I have this sense of calm overpowering my being and I want it to stay. 

On days like this, we should all remember to take the time out to appreciate our surroundings; appreciate our talents, our interests, the things that make us happy.  I know our lives get pretty busy sometimes, but today was a day that reminded me to bring forth thoughts of what I appreciate in life.  You see, nothing spectacular happened today.  It was just a good day.