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