How to Observe National Stress Awareness Day

I was planning the agenda for our weekly staff meeting at my part-time job I'm soon to lose, and discovered that April 16 is National Stress Awareness Day. Having a tendency to stress out myself, I decided it was a BLOGWORTHY topic and set to researching ways to reduce stress to pass along to my readers.

Here’s some steps for DAY ONE – Reducing Stress

Plan something relaxing for DAY ONE – Stay away from traffic: a picnic (indoors or out), a family SHARE time (everyone reads a funny Shel Silverstein poem, shares some music, etc) or browse photo albums or cookbooks.

Prioritize. Do the most important stuff first each day, and don’t sweat the small stuff! Schedule EVERTHING, so your priorities easily rise to the top. Lunch date with a friend, reading a book to your child, taking a walk with your spouse, lead generation calls, etc. If these things are listed, the truly MEANINGFUL things in your life won’t be missed and your life will have balance. Your bathtub can always be scrubbed tomorrow, or your weeds pulled over the weekend!

Think of ways to relieve your stress long term. Find meaning: Spiritually, expand your education, develop a new hobby. Make a long term decision: Read, "Who Moved My Cheese?" by Spencer Johnson, MD. It’s very short and may perhaps be life-changing.

Here’s some steps for Week ONE – Reducing Stress

1. Chat with your friends and/or family
2. Pray and/or meditate
3. Go see a movie
4. Read a book or magazine
5. Attend a community function
6. Play with your pet
7. Browse through your photo album
8. Exercise
9. Keep a journal or write funny little poems like limericks
10. Take a nap or go to bed an hour earlier


Here’s some steps for your first MONTHS – Reducing Stress

FUN ways to lighten the load, many found online:
Play some music and Clean House, or cook something fun
Watch Aquarium Fish(You can even download a screen saver!)
Instead of saying “Yes”, Just say, “I’m sorry. I can't do this right now.”
Take a Walk With A Friend or relative
Sing Along With and/or dance to Music
Set Up a Home Spa for yourself
Cut Down On Some of Your Commitments
Play a Board or Card game
Walk Your Dog (Don’t try walking your Cat – NOT stress-less)
Try Breathing Exercises
Draw a Picture
Visit the Elderly
Work on Becoming An Optimist(sign up for an optimistic quote per day and other
motivational tidbits!)
Put a Puzzle together!
Try Focused Meditation
Take a Mini-Vacation
Write down your daily blessings!
Surround Yourself with Positive Energy (Books, music, CD’s, people!)
Take a Nap
Reduce Stress At Your Job
If you suffer from illness, grief, or other issues – find a GROUP to share with.
Take On A New Stress Relief Habit and Stick With It!
Plan a progressive meal – appetizer at one place, entrée at another, dessert at a third!
Have a theme or idea in mind – a nice surprise for a loved one!

My stress buster for the day: A limerick :)

An underlying WHY must be lurking
That my boss is often sales shirking
Spending much of her day
A- “twittering” away
Social NETworking in place of just...working

Hopping Down the Bunny Trail!

Happy Easter!

I was "twittering" this morning and came across one of my favorite "tweeters" blog about Easter. It sent me spinning down the bunny trail, lost in memories of my children growing up.
I asked permission, and she said I could share it with you all: (If you have children or grandchildren, you'll love this! Here's the link: Easter Ideas!

Last night I began planning for our own Easter Extravaganza this weekend. Without LITTLE ones, it's not as much fun as years ago, although the family dinner aspect is always nice. :) I decided to pull out my roll of butcher paper and "decorate it" for a bunnyish tableau. My 14 year old daughter comes in and drolled, "What, being cheap again this year?" (the tact of teenagers)

I said, "No...I'm being creative this year...") After a painful conversation in which she negatively critiqued all of my ideas (more like AXED) she DID end up coloring construction paper eggs I'd cut out. She deigned to help after all. Sigh.

My three boys were easier - I swear they were. We always colored more eggs than we could eat, and I saved the plastic shells from year to year. I'd also spent the year saving change, which would accompany the candy inside. I usually purchased from whoever stocked the cheapest candy - the kids didn't care - it was CANDY, something not normally purchased.

We have made the coconut bunny cakes (round pan, cut in half, put on edge) and the egg cakes and decorated cookies through the years. It was always important to "make memories." When my sweet little two year old girl picked up her basket for egg hunting, it didn't take long for the (then late teens) boys to gather up their own and "help". (To my satisfaction, I have PHOTOS) When weather was horrid - so often in Wisconsin, the bunny got crafty and hid eggs inside with clues, or I once even borrowed the junior high gym! The most talked about Easter was the year they woke up to three different color yarn strings - mazed through the tri-level house, eventually leading to their baskets. What fun to watch them!

Way back when I started babysitting my Sunday School teacher's kids at age 12, I began a life history of "treasure" hunts. They were geared to the intelligence, attention span, and interests of my children and their friends for the next 37 years...and counting. The clues have been everything from trivia questions, to rhymes, songs, even simply "look for something blue". I bet anything that as my grandchildren grow, my sons will be composing treasure-hunt ditties.

Start a memory trail for YOUR children! When special occasions come around it's a wonderful indulgence to sit and sip a cup of coffee/tea, and remember the smiles, the groans, and most of all, the laughter of kids at holiday.

The Recession Drops a Personalized Bomb

The Impending AX:
So last friday, my boss took me aside ten minutes before I was to leave for the weekend, letting me know that a business meeting was scheduled for Saturday and they were looking at ways to cut costs. In other words...I was low man on the totem pole and first to be axed if push came to shove.
This wasn't a surprise. She's been hinting about the subject since Thanksgiving. As an employer that spends much time in social networking, and less in sales calls and aggressive marketing, the writing was on the wall. As her "sales assistant" too few sales have been coming across the desk. However, I can have a full time job just updating files...but that doesn't bring in MONEY. Sure enough, on Monday, I was given the termination agreement - with a generous 30 days in which to find new employment, which was thoughtful.

The Job Search:
I've been searching for another possible job, and sending out my resume, since her first warning back in November. I haven't received one reply. Now, I'm an admin with 25 years experience - I know how to type, run an office, etc. NO CALLS. Of course, the papers are full of sad stories of job fairs - 2000 applicants for 200 jobs. People are out of work city wide. I don't think my lack of response is so much about me, as about jobs in Tucson. period.

Money and Whining:
My husband lost his temper this week because my ex didn't pay for child support again. He's now owing for TWO payments. I've been this route before and recovery takes some time through the Wisconsin Court system. Anyway, this income is significant because I have a mortgage and second mortgage on the townhome.

Without disclosing too many details, my daughter and I purchased a modest condo/townhome 6 years ago in a great town school district. Stability and all that. My husband bought his house before we were married with 100 percent financing. So, we're in that recession "threshold" situation.

I think back to my happy days at my church job -- until the Pastor resigned due to illness and it became clear that the Council's political view was to start over with new, and cheaper staff. So my 7 years of loyalty and above and beyond work ethic was for naught. I think about the past 6 months at the job I have now, where my two co-workers average at least 2 days sick a month, and sometimes more like ten, * I haven't missed for one entire sick day, and once again, I face the ax.

I remember my pastor's sermon about bad things happen to good people. I also remember hearing a lot of "what goes around, comes around." It gets hard to stay positive. I KNOW other people have it worse, but I'm standing in my own shoes this week, not someone elses.

Bread Winning Ability:
There are positives! I have a REALTOR's license, and I have two listings. I have an e-book planned, (however, I don't think an e-book on Frugal Children's Parties will make the best selling list) I sell handpainted items: garbage cans for $16.99, suitcases, furniture--I've advertised on Ebay and Craigslist for years. So, there are options, as there have been my whole life long.

I just thought as I was approaching 50 that life would have gained some stability and security. So why am I sharing this with you? I suppose it comes down to honesty. I'm not just some person blogging on optimism and happy thoughts and positivity - I have my valleys, and I have my moutain summits.

...Maybe I'll find a flower meadow in this lowland I'm wallowing right now. :)