STRESS BUSTERS

Someone asked me recently what techniques I employ for coping with stress. Me, stressed? Never!

My number one coping technique is lying. Denial. I'm not stressed...I'm just tired! Or, It's not stress...it's allergies. Yeah, right! Something tells me that "denying" does not equal "coping."

Second favorite....long, DEEP breaths. The kind I learned back in prepared childbirth classes. Man, I've been using that tool for 23 years now. It stays in the very top of my toolbox.

Yoga. Or, perhaps more accurately, Not Yoga. Anyway, stretching exercises combined with slow, deliberate breathing, preferably with some lovely instrumental music playing softly in the background. I have a Classical Hymns CD that a friend gave me that has been played to death over the years. Thinking silently through the words to hymns such as "How Sweet and Awesome Is the Place" is a fantastic stress buster.

Walking back on the farm, weather permitting. A few days ago, I got out and hiked back to the Three Sisters for the first time in many weeks. The sunshine and fresh air were glorious. I found wild violets, Sweet William, spring beauties, dandelions, and jewel weed blooming. Aaaaah!

Working in the garden or the yard. My Grandmother says, "Everyone needs a little dirt to scratch around in." She's right. After all, we were created to live and work in a garden, right? There's something therapeutic about getting your hands into the soil.

Sleeping. When all else fails, sometimes it helps to just lose consciousness for an hour.

When I was a kid, my Dad used to tell me to "Go outside and run around the house three times!" Maybe there was something to that. My kids have a punching bag out back that they use as a stress reliever. Or they lift weights. Or listen to music. Or play music. Or chop wood.

What about you? What tips do you have for relieving stress?