My war on stress
I'm over letting stress control my days - unless I want to use it as an excuse to eat ice cream, like I did yesterday and today. Other than that, I'm trying to move past it.
One thing I've been pretty good at is leaving work right as the second hand hits 5:30. Once It is 5:27, my computer is shutting down and I'm packing my cell into my purse. 5:29 hits and I'm putting on my coat and pushing my chair in. 5:30 and I am flipping off the light switch and fleeing down the hall. Please don't get me wrong, my job is interesting and somewhat fulfilling. I just live by the code that I work to live and not live to work.
Unfortunate, my stress doesn't stay behind in my office, waiting for me to return. If I don't make a concious effort to turn my brain away from work thoughts, its with me all night. Which brings me to my first attack on stress - no longer thinking about work away from the office.
My friend Colleen and I had a conversation about only living in the present - and that is what I've been doing. Whenever my mind wanders to the pile of things I have to do tomorrow, I stop and focus on what I'm currently doing. Whether that be washing dishes, taking my dog for a walk, or sewing. It has made a huge difference for me.
My other attack on stress has been meal planning. These last two weeks have been awful - there has been nothing but junk in my apartment, leading to me eating all junk, which leads to being constantly hungry and eating more junk.
Determined to gain nutritious food back in my kitchen, I started looking for a few new recipes. I've got a lot - but I needed something I can make once and then use in different ways. Enter parents.com - this website for parents, but I like it for the recipe section. I found this beautiful article "quick and easy supper spin offs: 3-in-1 dinners." Perfect!
I just cooked a turkey roast in my slow cooker, tomorrow I'll use it for a Tuscan White Bean Soup and the day after that will be a Turkey & veggie frittata. It is so nice to eat real food again!
Oh - and I packaged my fruit and veggies into serving size zip lock bags that I take to work. That has also helped me eat better.
Here are a few other stress-busters I'm trying to use:
One thing I've been pretty good at is leaving work right as the second hand hits 5:30. Once It is 5:27, my computer is shutting down and I'm packing my cell into my purse. 5:29 hits and I'm putting on my coat and pushing my chair in. 5:30 and I am flipping off the light switch and fleeing down the hall. Please don't get me wrong, my job is interesting and somewhat fulfilling. I just live by the code that I work to live and not live to work.
Unfortunate, my stress doesn't stay behind in my office, waiting for me to return. If I don't make a concious effort to turn my brain away from work thoughts, its with me all night. Which brings me to my first attack on stress - no longer thinking about work away from the office.
My friend Colleen and I had a conversation about only living in the present - and that is what I've been doing. Whenever my mind wanders to the pile of things I have to do tomorrow, I stop and focus on what I'm currently doing. Whether that be washing dishes, taking my dog for a walk, or sewing. It has made a huge difference for me.
My other attack on stress has been meal planning. These last two weeks have been awful - there has been nothing but junk in my apartment, leading to me eating all junk, which leads to being constantly hungry and eating more junk.
Determined to gain nutritious food back in my kitchen, I started looking for a few new recipes. I've got a lot - but I needed something I can make once and then use in different ways. Enter parents.com - this website for parents, but I like it for the recipe section. I found this beautiful article "quick and easy supper spin offs: 3-in-1 dinners." Perfect!
I just cooked a turkey roast in my slow cooker, tomorrow I'll use it for a Tuscan White Bean Soup and the day after that will be a Turkey & veggie frittata. It is so nice to eat real food again!
Oh - and I packaged my fruit and veggies into serving size zip lock bags that I take to work. That has also helped me eat better.
Here are a few other stress-busters I'm trying to use:
- saying no,
- walking my dog on my lunch break,
- use my time at work more efficiently,
- reading a book for fun and my scriptures before falling asleep,
- going to bed early,
- blow drying my hair and wearing makeup (I just feel better)
- Getting outside of Savannah on weekends (even if it is just to Fort Pulaski or Tybee Island)
- "Smelling the Roses" so to speak
- Spending my evenings at home
Comments
And why aren't Italian Sodas on that list?