Recap

I've decided it's time to post an organized list of reminders of stress relievers I've suggested thus far. Here's the gist of it:

Organization

Optimism

Making yourself laugh

Good food

Good friends

Chai (my favorite)

Stress balls

Relaxation

Staying healthy

Good music

Straying from routine

Sudoku

Time management

Aromatherapy

Going with the flow

Getting a pet

This can be thought of as a contribution to your life's organization and time management. Realize when you look at this list that none of those ideas are difficult to achieve. Sure, time management is hard to manage at times, but sticking with it has proven well worth the effort, right? Other than that, most of the suggestions I've posted about are just enjoyable things, even if you're not trying to relieve stress.

I'm going to turn this in to a motivational post, in addition to a recap. I'm also going to reiterate that practical thinking and not stressing about being stressed are really important! If you let day-to-day annoyances get to you, you'll have a problem when something beyond a typical stressor affects your life. So try to manage everyday stress if you can. Look at how easy the suggestions listed above are! If you can end the day happy and relaxed by trying out methods as simple as those, do it! Then you get to wake up happy and avoid stress mounting throughout the week. It just makes sense to give everyday stress relief a shot. 

If anything, just take a moment to mentally organize. Might seem kind of unimaginative, but think practically about the common phrase "It could be worse." Everyone says it, but people don't usually really put in into perspective. Maybe it will motivate you or remind you that you might not need to be as stressed as you feel.

The perks of pets!

This is probably one of the stress relievers that comes with the most fun. Get a pet! (Dogs are my preference, but to each his own.) Check out one Newsweek article that describes some of the benefits:

"Pet ownership is good for your health both physically and psychologically," says Connecticut psychologist Herbert Nieburg, author of "Pet Loss: A Thoughtful Guide for Adults and Children" (HarperCollins).

I was never really too much of an animal person until a few years ago. When I left for college my family got a dog with the first couple weeks I was gone. Clearly I was easily replaced, right? But I've definitely come to love my replacement. She really does have a presence and, oddly enough to say, kind of a personality. The companionship she offers is obvious, especially when I watch my dad or brother interact with her. Even seeing other people love a dog is uplifting! It also feels great to get such an enthusiastic greeting every time I walk in a room and especially when I go back home on breaks. My dog has come to be one of the things I miss most when I'm at school, which is surprising of some who has never been an animal person and doesn't really take an unlikely sentiment to any kind of extreme.

In addition to some good company, pets offer a physical benefit, as mentioned in the Newsweek article. Just getting up and moving or exercising with a pet will improve your physical state. Playing with a pet is a good time and physical health perk. And, of course, when you feel good physically you'll feel better mentally and emotionally. Coming home from work to a pet ready to play or just lay on your feet is definitely a stress reliever after a long day.

Also, a WebMD article notes another important benefit to having a pet: they're date magnets! Dogs draw attention on walks, and pets are great conversation topics. A good date probably lets you feel the opposite of stress. So if a lacking love life is causing you stress, try using your pet to relieve it.

Chance

Today, I explored a store called Home & Planet I've passed dozens of times right off of Lehigh's campus but never entered. It is an eco-friendly, artsy-but-practical store that sells pretty much everything, all made from recycled materials. I thought it was be a typical hipster store with the obvious handbags and crafted jewelry and stuff, but I was proven wrong. Everything seemed to be pretty high quality and came with an interesting back story. A few pieces of furniture caught my eye when I walked in, and turns out material from the historic Bethlehem Steel Mill just down the road from Lehigh contributed to those pieces. I love Bethlehem's history, so I happily wasted some time learning about other pieces from the friendly owner, who seemed almost as interesting as his products.

This quick adventure made my day, which followed a nearly sleepless night due to a heavy workload, which followed an episode of food poisoning the previous day. Needless to say I was stressed and in an all around bad mood. But my mood has very much turned around and I attribute this to my enjoyable visit to Home & Planet, which was made possible by one of the assignments weighing down on my mind a little. Maybe it was the art I look at, the conversation I had or that the place seemed like something my mom would like. Not exactly sure what cheered me up, but it worked!

I'll get to my point now. I did nothing to get myself out of my funk, but it happened, just like it always does. This type of pick-me-up is something I usually forget about, and you probably do, too. Sure I'll have a bad day or even week, but something ALWAYS turns it around. And this something just falls into my lap more often than I realize. I've mentioned talking to a friend or watching a funny show in previous posts, but maybe you should just let your mood run its course and not stress about being stressed. The type of daily stress I'm trying to address with these posts doesn't last forever, even if it feels like it might. Things around you change, so your mood is going to change.

So expect the unexpected stress reliever that's not even in your control, and look forward to it!