Time isn't wasted with relaxation

The end of the work week seems like a good time to forget about the stresses of the past week and look forward to starting a new in a couple days. Don't neglect preparation for any responsibilities of the upcoming week, but maybe just temporarily forget about them.

My personal solution to this was an afternoon of "Dexter." Maybe focusing on a sociopathic serial killer isn't the least stressful thing, but at least it distracted me from real worries and let me lay in my bed for a couple hours.

If you're not in the mood for the dramatics of a TV show like "Dexter," here are a few other recommendations:
- "The Wire" and "Treme"are both HBO series of a more serious note that are completely captivating (highly recommended)
- "Modern Family" and "30 Rock" are some go-to funny shows that don't require any previous understanding of the series
- talk shows can offer comic relief and let you get to know some stars if you're interested
- or there's  reality TV (for example, "Jersey Shore" and "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills") if you really want to focus on something far from reality

As a college student, I can also recommend exploring hulu and ch131 as a couple sources for more TV entertainment. Or just sit down and watch a movie (PLEASE look into "In Bruges") or spend an hour or so reading a good book ("The Devil in he White City" by Erik Larson). Taking the time out of your day to do things like this might seem like a chore in itself, but I really hope you can trust that it will be worth it. Relaxing after the success and failures that come with the work week feels especially good. And you don't have to take my recommendations... except to watch "In Bruges" at some point.

Might seem like a waste of time, but who doesn't deserve just a couple hours of entertaining distraction?

When you feel like a ball of stress...

I've told my dad about this blog, and the suggestion he offered up today was a stress ball. For those who aren't familiar, this is a firm but squeezable ball about the size of a baseball. Squeezing or kind of kneading it in one fist is intended to relieve stress. I guess this is a pretty obvious relief to stress, but it's not the first thing I'd think of. Maybe he's more accustomed to seeing them around an office setting. I definitely see how it might provide a couple of outlets. The physical effort put into squeezing works off some stress, while the methodical action might allow mental ease or create focus.

So if this looks like stress relief to you:

Try it out!

Food, Friends and Chai

My first week of my second semester as a junior in college has come and gone, but not without a hitch. Throughout the week I stayed on top of my responsibilities, which included what seemed like an oddly large number of assignments for the first week of classes and extra shifts at work. All went well, and Friday came soon enough. By this time, due to some worthwhile organization (see previous post), I had almost completed one assignment and started another to avoid designating time to them over the weekend. Then, of course, the computer went down and my changes were not saved, meaning I'd have less time to work on other things I intended to get done before the next week started. I could feel my time frame shrinking. Stress.

Because I knew I'd be planted in my house at my desk doing work all day, I subconsciously turned to the stress-relievers that were right at my disposal: food and friends.

I went to bed concerned about how much I would have to get done by Sunday's end and woke up extra early and just as stressed. I had no game plan for where to begin or how to organize my day, so I went to the kitchen and prepared a breakfast that began as procrastination. Rather than my normal lack of breakfast or quick bowl of cereal, I made a nearly perfectly prepared egg sandwich and really enjoyed it. I felt a little less stressed than when I was lying in my bed dreading the next 24 hours, but I was still stressed enough to begin my work in a bit of a panic. The break I took a couple hours in let me recuperate and calm down. It merely included going to a common room, discussing a friend's story from the night before and laughing with (and partially at) her. Totally ready to get back to focusing. 

I strived to stayed focused because I couldn't shake the to-do list from deep in my thoughts. My stress was definitely increasing by the time lunch arrived. It took some convincing, but I took a break to get out of my house and eat at a friend's. We had typical conversation, and I ate a peanut butter and fluff sandwich, a common and comforting part of my diet. Nothing about this hour was out of the ordinary, but I realized it was a much-needed break. 

Then, I bought my routine chai latte and went to work behind the desk at the university gym. I felt prepared to get a good chunk of reading done but found myself more distracted by the job's simple duties than I anticipated. Unfortunate and slightly stressful. But a second chai on the way home made me feel better.

Chai number two brought me through some reading and to chai number three made from my single-cup coffee maker (yes, I really like chai). My third chai, which was just as delicious as the others, brought me through some more work to dinner. Although I still hadn't completed my to-do list at that point, I was feeling accomplished enough to relax and enjoy the pasta and the company. This further increased my will to stay on track because it just put me in a good mood. Now, my to-do list will be completed in a few minutes and I'll call my dad. The most stressful point in my day was definitely waking up. I barely realized it earlier, but food and friends kept me increasingly happy and as minimally stressed as possible throughout the day.

My stress-relievers during this long day included eggs, a good laugh with friends, a long lunch break with a friend, some peanut butter and fluff, a lot of chai, dinner with friends, and a future conversation with my dad.

Turn to the foods and people you know can comfort you.

Visit another blog for some stress-relieving culinary suggestions.