De-stressers

I have had to deal with some stress and anxiety lately.

Some of it is normal, run-of-the-mill household stress: My car is acting up, there are bills to pay, my favorite television show is a repeat this week. This kind of stress I can (usually) deal with.

The other part of my anxiety comes from work. As most of you know, I just started my new job a few months ago. Part of the stress at my job comes from learning the ropes and learning the politics of the job and learning who to deal with and when. The other part of my work-related stress comes from the fact that I have found myself literally and figuratively caught between two people who work together but don't get along. I did not put myself in this situation, but was placed there. I do not like it, but it is evidently part of my job to deal with this in-fighting.

This post is not to talk about who did what and who said what. To be perfectly honest, I don't care. This post is my way of figuring out the best way to reduce stress.

What is the best way to "de-stress"?

I have heard that a regular exercise routine helps reduce stress. I wouldn't know. I don't have the energy to get up and work out or go running or lift weights. I don't like exercising, which either comes from my lack of energy or the fact that I'm overweight. I know what you're thinking. Maybe you'd have more energy and weigh less if you exercised. Yeah, and maybe if I washed my car more often it wouldn't break down as much.

Sometimes when I just want to remove myself from the stressful situation that is getting to me, I just grab a book and read. Of course this is just another way to escape stress temporarily. It doesn't end the anxiety. It doesn't remove the stress from my life. It just gets my mind off of it. And in my life, sometimes that's all I can ask for.

How do you reduce your stress? I've heard of some people who eat chocolate. High anxiety runs in my family. Many of my family members take pills to get rid of anxiety. Some people smoke cigarettes. The Golden Girls ate cheesecake. My cousin gets in the car and just drives and drives. Writing seems to help. In the time that it took me to write this post, I haven't felt as stressed out. Maybe purging the causes of my anxiety helps get rid of the anxiety all together. Or maybe it's just on the back burner.

I'll be perfectly honest-- when I get stressed or feel like my anxiety levels are high, I go and have go to the bar and have a few "pops." I don't get wasted, and I don't go to if I have to work or if I have other obligations, but if time permits, I'll have a drink or three. Maybe this isn't the best way to deal with stress. Maybe this doesn't get rid of stress. But it makes me feel better for a short while.