I'm a screamer. I scream. Did someone say Ice Cream?

Please don't make the redhead scream!

How do you handle stress?  Everyone handles it differently.  I don't know if anyone handles it well. I have to make sure there is no ice cream in the house otherwise I can do some serious damage. I know that not only can stress cause emotional and mental problems (I have enough of those without stress, thanks!) but it can also cause physical problems. 

No, this isn't actually my Blue Bell...but it could be!

  I

I saw something on my horoscope (No I still don't believe but it was funny) advising me basically that I have enough stress in my life right now without driving myself crazy about my weight (which is like telling me not to breath) because that will only make it worse.   Man is that the truth.  I want to eat anything I can when I am stressed and lately that is every minute I am at work. Everyone is stressed at the office right now and I am somewhat in the middle of it all.  It seems to never end.  Job security is a good thing to have but my job isn't always easy on the best day and then you add to it a never ending influx of new stuff you get a touchy office.  By the time I get home at night, I have to struggle to get a light workout in and fall into bed.  I feel so exhausted constantly!  I fell asleep in the middle of The Voice Monday.  I think it was 8:30.  I am a night owl not a morning person so the fact that I have been in bed by 9pm every night for 2 weeks says something. (Ah, Ambien!)



                                      



I had a ex-boyfriend....let's call him a huge mistake.  Anyway, his advice on how to handle stress was to just have a lot of sex.  Shocking really, that he would suggest that.  His theory was....well, I guess he just wanted sex. He was special in a not good way.   (Honestly, I used him to get over Robb and that was the BIGGEST mistake of my life but I was a lot younger and that is another blog!)

 I want that pillow!

I know that getting plenty of sleep is a must but I have a terrible time falling and staying asleep.  Does anyone else have this problem?  Do you wake up half the time as tired as you did were when you fell asleep? Do you have two little annoying dogs that insist on waking you every morning between 2 am and 3 am just because?  Do you want mine?  It has gotten so bad that since about January I have had to take medication just to sleep.  I went about 3 weeks between January and Febuary hardly sleeping at all.  I actually went 4 days without sleep. Part of that was not wanting to dream at that time because I always had dreams that made me wake up crying.  Still, trust me, you don't want to be around me when I am hyper sensative, tempermental, and crying constantly because of lack of sleep. 

Mmmm!

I realize that right now what I need more than coffee is hydration.  My body is screaming for non-carbonated water filled beverages.   I am trying to include a lot more.  Hopefully this will give me the added energy I feel is missing so I can focus on my physical activity and reducing stress that way.  The one thing I don't drink when I am stressed is alcohol.  (I know it seems like I drink a lot because when I do, I take pictures of my drinks and put them in the blog.  I almost never drink during the week.)

 I always know when my stress level is too high.  My eye sight gets fuzzy, my neck gets tight, and my head hurts all the time.  I don't take a lot of pain meds.  I stay away from them as a rule unless it is just too much to handle.  If I am taking pills for a headache, chances are it is a bad sign.  I may not have a problem taking pills to sleep but when it comes to pain, I can handle it most of the time.  Jeez, I am the woman refusing pain meds at the hospital 8 hours after surgery.   I laugh at pain until it makes me want to cry then I give in.  Something like that.


So....now what?

 I am not trying to complain.  I am actually in-love with almost everything in my life right now, I really am. I adore my friends and feel incredibly blessed to have my crazy family.  I love being busy.   I like that there is someone special who makes time for me as much as our busy schedules can manage.  I really like the people I work with and I even love those dogs that keep waking me up.  I just wish there was more time for the stuff I want to do and a little less of the stuff that I have to do.  (What is that?  Adult responsiblity or something.  MEH!)
So I guess what I am doing is asking.... do you have any great stress reduction methods?*  Anything that you know is a can't miss way to relax?  Something that doesn't require an unhealthy addiction to alcohol, ice cream or prescription drugs? 

*I realize the sex thing actually works but nobody can stay in bed all day...can they?   I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try that sometime.



Simply,
Stressed
Laura