Get a hobby!
Besides exercise and breathing exercises, I find having a hobby I can lose myself in for a few hours a great stress reliever. Anything I can enjoy doing and require my concentration easily helps me calm down and relax.
After a long day of work; sometimes my stress level is unbearable. So, my hobby of choice is 'Dance Aerobics' .. I don't have to talk or think. Simply dance all my work related frustrations away! Exercise has got my back in shape and has helped me deal with stressful situations at work and home!
I agree that getting a hobby is great for stress relief. I am currently taking piano lessons for one hour per week. It is so great to learn something new and turn off my cell phone for one hour
Donna, Wow, what a great idea! Sometimes housework can be a great change of pace, especially for those of us who have demanding careers. I love your approach because you are saving money, benefiting from a great outlet and clearly beautifying your neighborhood too!
Dr. Melissa Read
I found a hobby that is beneficial in more ways than one!! I fired the lawn maintenance company and started doing the yardwork myself - it's therapeutic in the sense that I get to work out frustrations on weeds and overgrown bushes/trees and I get a full day of exercise at least once a week (I honestly don't have even time for 15 minutes each day). And the sense of accomplishment is great; I've won the "Best Yard on the Block" Award several times this past year.
Sheri, Interesting. It's nice to hear that lifelong learning and degree completion could be a hobby for you. Sounds like quite a productive one at that!
Dr. Melissa Read
In my free time, lol....I take online classes working toward my degree. At the moment this is my hobby.
Exactly! I like to walk away from my stress for a lil by reading or playing a word game with friends. Im more focused and ready to cope with my stres s after a mind break.
Frank, Yes, these are all wonderful outlets. It's nice to have a variety of outlets too, so you can have a couple of different things to count on.
Dr. Melissa Read
Along with riding a bike for an hour, or walking my dogs for half an hour, Playing golf helps to reduce stress.
I agree with you. I have started doing more crafts and bowling with my grandson. It is good to get away from it all from time-to-time.
Hobbies are great stress relievers, and the momentary escape gives your stress level time to drop. Reading works for me, and you can do it anytime, anywhere.
A hobbyh is a great idea. Or taking up a new challenging sport or another. I like logic games, so my new hobby is studying for the LSAT. I don't think of it as a chore, its just fun!
I think that may be something good for me to look into doing.
Martin, It's amazing how much we have in common with the people we work with. Often times and with busy schedules, we just don't know how much we have in common. Taking the time to learn more about who we are working with is a great step toward building bridges on mutual interests.
Dr. Melissa Read
This one of my favorite stress relievers,one of my hobbies are RC Airplanes and there are a few of my coworkers that also do this as well. We can talk about our hobbies at work during our break times and forget about work for a while. This gives a nice restpite from work during the day.
Francis, So true. I'm really glad you have this perspective. Often times, we do not define ourselves by the situations we get into but by how we overcome them and manage through them. Our approach and perspective can make a big difference on the stress outcome.
Dr. Melissa Read
Hobbies are a great help, I totally agree. But not only does it work for that time that you are engaged in the activity, it carries over and reduces your starting and breaking point. Sometimes we cant change the situation thats causing the stress, but we can change the way we approach the situation or person that we are allowing to cause us that stress.
