101 (+1) Ways to Cope with Stress

First let me say that I didn’t come up with this list. I found it in a local advertisement for a hospital. But we do stay way too stressed out and this list holds some practical, simple ways to make your life less crazy. But in writing this post I have to say that NOT HAVING A BLOG would help me cope with stress! Just trying to format these posts makes me crazy sometimes! Somebody, somewhere, sometime must have prayed for me to have more patience. They better hope I don’t find out who they are 😉

1. Get up 18 minutes early
2. Prepare for the morning the night before
3. Avoid tight fitting clothes
4. Avoid relying on chemical aids (I can attest personally to this one—Trouble with a capital T!
5. Set appointments ahead
6. Don’t rely on your memory…write it down
7. Practice preventative maintenance
8. Make duplicate keys
9. Say “no” more often
10. Set priorities in your life
    
11. Avoid negative people (Some days this means I can’t look in the mirror)
12. Use time wisely
13. Simplify meal times (“Kids, go jump in the car”)
14. Always make copies of important papers (and then remember where you put them)
15. Anticipate your need
16. Repair anything that doesn’t work properly (In my house this means call a handyman, or we’ll end up paying more in the long run)
17. Ask for help with the jobs you don’t like (Or just don’t do them)
18. Break large tasks into small portions
19. Look at challenges differently
20. Unclutter your life (That one alone would cure my stress)
21. Smile
22. Prepare for rain
23. Tickle a baby
24. Pet a friendly dog or cat (or one of the horses (ahem—great danes) that live in my house)
    
25. Don’t know all the answers (No matter how badly I want to)
26. Look for the silver lining
27. Say something nice to someone (especially your significant other…we neglect them all too often)
28. Teach a kid to fly a kite (right after you teach yourself!)
29. Walk in the rain
30. Schedule play time into every day
31. Take a bubble bath (I’m especially good at that one!)
32. Be aware of the decisions you make
33. Believe in yourself
34. Stop saying negative things to yourself
35. Visualize yourself winning
36. Develop your sense of humor
37. Stop thinking tomorrow will be a better day
38. Have goals for yourself
39. Dance a jig
40. Say hello to a stranger
41. Ask a friend for a hug
42. Look up at the stars
43. Practice breathing slowly
44. Learn to whistle a tune (Or just watch Andy Griffith)
45. Read a poem
46. Listen to a symphony
47. Watch a ballet
48. Read a story curled up in bed
49. Do a brand new thing
50. Stop a bad habit
51. Buy yourself a flower
52. Take stock of your achievements
53. Find support from others
54. Ask someone to be your “vent” partner (I got one of those just this week!)
55. Do it today
56. Work at being cheerful and optomistic
57. Put safety first
58. Do everything in moderation
59. Pay attention to your appearance
60. Strive for excellence not perfection (I needed this one a LONG time ago)
61. Stretch your limits a little each day
62. Look at a work of art
63. Hum a tune
64. Maintain your weight
65. Plant a tree
66. Feed the bird
67. Practice grace under pressure
68. Stand up and stretch
69. Always have a plan “B”
70. Learn a new doodle
71. Memorize a joke
72. Be responsible for you feelings
73. Learn to meet your own needs
74. Become a better listener
75. Know your limitations and let others know them too
76. Tell someone to have a good day in pig latin
77. Throw a paper airplane
78. Exercise every day
79. Learn the words to a new song
80. Get to work early
81. Clean out a closet
82. Play patty-cake with a toddler
83. Go on a picnic
84. Take a different route to work
85. Leave work early  (with permission, of course)
86. Put air freshener in your car
87. Watch a movie and eat popcorn
88. Write a note to a far-away friend
89. Go to a ball game and scream
90. Cook a meal and eat it by candlelight
91. Recognize the importance of unconditional love
92. Remember that stress is an attitude
93. Keep a journal
94. Practice a gigantic smile (but don’t creep people out!)
95. Remember you always have options
96. Have a support network of people, place, and things
97. Stop trying to “fix” other people
98. Get enough sleep (which I need to go do right now!)
99. Talk less and listen more
100. Freely praise other people
101. Relax and take one day at a time…you have the rest of your life to live
102. And I MUST add one more…PRAY, PRAY, and PRAY some more!