Stressed--what helps you? Let's help each other!

Being grateful and crying happy tears of joy!!!! Thank You God!!!!

Counting blessings–Too blessed to be stressed!

Hanging out with my six year old grandson watching him jump off the diving board and swimming in the deep end. I had my "street clothes" on so he had a blast doing cannon balls and getting me sopping wet. That was before he grabbed the hose and sprayed me good. He is all boy.

Laugh, laugh, and laugh some more.

This Summer hang out with the people we love and do the things we enjoy!

+Lyme, Thank you for opening up and sharing with us. Lyme can really be the pits. I remember when I was on abx, the first two times I was treated for Lyme and Co., some days I just stayed in bed as I was so sick. My prayer was one word, "Jesus" as that's all I could say sometimes.

So sorry for how bad you've been doing the past two years.

Glad the xanax, along with the other things you mention, help you "relax" and give you "feelings that make it worth living".

You say, "I do enjoy the bird songs and seeing the wildlife outdoors. Even snakes. I rejoice when I see turltes, oppossums, racoons, bob cats, deer, coyotes, bobcats, a skunk, etc." Sounds like you live in a beautiful area filled with wildlife. I'd enjoy it and rejoice in seeing those critters too...BUT not the snakes!

Again, thank you for sharing your heart. I'm praying for you and I'm sure others will too.

FYI, My recent relapse (I'm believing the third time is a charm) I decided not to go the abx route; instead, I am on Dr. J's (KS) protocol and responding well.

Great thread! A survival mechanism for me in the past as well as now is to take out quiet moments for myself. My quiet moments are vignettes of another life, a softer and more peaceful life. A favorite scenario is to curl up in a comfortable chair with a cup of tea, a chenille throw, and a calming book. On cold nights I sit by the fire, or snuggle with a hot water bottle. On summer nights, I open the window and let the cool evening air soothe me. Sometimes I keep a silk bag of fragrant lavender nearby, or a bud vase of fresh roses from our garden. Often I embellish the scene with meaningful vintage items - maybe my grandmother's antique teacup placed on a tatted doily, or maybe my father's weathered and worn leather bookmark to keep my place. But always there's the chair, the tea, the throw, and the book. No matter how I set it up, the intent is the same: to create a little haven where life in that instant is sublime and where, in the still of my thoughts, I feel the embrace of spiritual love.

Rose

daisyrlb - Thanks for your inspiring post. I needed to read that tonight; it's been a rough couple of days and am feeling really down. I appreciate a reminder to live in the moment. Without noticing, I find myself waiting to get better instead of really living right now. I know better, but I forget. Yours is the second thing I've encountered tonight with that message. Maybe I'm supposed to listen!

Isn't music transforming? Until I recently discovered smart phones (OMG) I was convinced the IPOD was one of the best inventions in my lifetime. The technology of playlists is something I could only dream of back in the days of LPs, 8 track tapes, and cassette tapes. I did a few "best of" cassettes, but what a hassle. Making CDs seemed cutting edge, but that was nothing compared to the wonder of IPOD. Yeah!

Made me smile to think of you and Gary sitting at Starbucks in the wee hours. We've done that plenty of times, too. I love that time of day.

Rose

I am eliminating the word "busy" (even in innuendos) from my life wherever I can...ie: vocabulary, schedule, etc.

For example:

On my Facebook page I HAD "Life goes by too fast, slow down?" That's not true. Life doesn't go by any faster, now, than it did the day I was born.

Instead of being too busy, I am using the "No" word more ...especially when talking to myself.

For example (and I admit I am so proud of myself-yikes, "Pride comes before the fall")...My hubby and I arrived home after being out of town for 12 days. We arrived home last Tuesday. I said, "No" to myself-and did not unpack our suitcases until Friday. There were other more fun things to do! It's not like we don't have a closet full of clothes!!!

I've had a saying taped to my laptop for years that reads, "There is enough time today to do what God wants me to do." That is the ultimate stress reducer, folks...and that's the truth from where I sit_quite_still...and loving it!!

Praying your day is filled with peace!

Post Edited (daisyrlb) : 8/3/2010 4:33:34 AM (GMT-6)

Daisyrlb, I always enjoy reading your posts. Even when you're saying you feel stressed, you do so in such a positive way! Makes me want to follow your example of focusing on the positive. Fresh rain, mmmmm. We don't get much of that here, especially in the summer, but I have fond memories of growing up in Maryland and of all the invigorating warm summer storms that thundered through, leaving the earth so fresh and clean.

In the spirit of sharing happy things, every Spring I usually go to the local nursery and spend a small fortune on flowers for our front courtyard planters. I stuff them in so that there is a profuse array of color and then I enjoy the flowers all summer long. This year we didn't have the money to do that and settled on planting seeds instead, some single varieties, and a couple packets of mixed. Well, the result has been glorious. With seeds I couldn't "decorate" by putting just the right flower in just the right space as I usually do, but the trade off is that all summer long we've had surprises as one seed or another realizes its destiny and provides us with a burst of color. The foliage is as dense as ever, and the show is not over yet. There is one plant we've been watching all summer long as it slowly developed its leaves (now wonderfully lush and green) waiting to see what will happen. If the flowers are anywhere near as delightful as the leaves are, we're in for a treat. It's kind of like slow motion fireworks.

Thanks for inspiring my first smile of the day!

Rose

I LOVE this thread, guys! Here's mine:

* Driving in my convertible, top down, and singing at the top of my lungs - this makes at least a few other people smile too, lol.
* Taking time to do my hair and makeup and dress nice for work - I vote its best to not look like crap when I feel like crap.
* On my good days, I hike - LOVE hiking. Last time I took pictures and hung them in my office.
* Daydreaming/Goal setting
* Eating good, beautiful, healthy From God foods.
* This is sooooo terrible, but I bought myself the movie Step-Brothers because any random 15 minutes of it will have me laughing so hard I almost pee my pants.
* A good cry is good for me as well.
* Praying in my car on my drive home. I pray in tongues too sometimes, which is really zen-ful.
* Visiting or calling my girlfriends.
* Doing something nice for someone else.

Sitting on the beach
Listening to ipod
Walking (when not too hot)
Reading a good book
Watching a good movie
Avoiding crowds

Lol - Rose - you reminded me of another one. Last month I got to go shopping (I'm a second hand store shopper too) without my 4 little boys in tow. It was like heaven! For 2 hours and $29 - you can't beat that!

I was giggling at one of your posts today where you said you had Lyme, unless it was politically correct to call is fibromyalgia now. I wasn't sure if you were being completely sarcastic with that.

I used to be so self conscious about the car singing with the top down, so I'd be all singing, singing, singing and then get to a stoplight and quiet, quiet, quiet. Then I got over it - cuz sometimes you're at a light at the BEST part. I'm a good singer so I was thinking I should just roll with it. Now I worry they won't like my music. Whatever, life is short - sing in the car!

vicparis - Today will pass...then we'll have tomorrow...it will pass, too. If you get really bad off, find my posting (on page 2 or 3 by now...) titled "Suicide is Not An Option". This disease plays with your mind as much as it does your body. Maybe I'm grateful for that now because that's how I finally knew to get help.

Hippy Hiker Chick - I smiled when I read your post. I like the praying in tongues part because several years ago I joined a church and I was the only new member that "failed Tongues 101". Decided that I probably had another gift since I couldn't manage that one.

Everybody Else - What an absolutely liberating thread...I love all the ideas.

OK, here's mine: Listening to rain on the tin roof of my potting shed. Watching the butterflies this year...the number of them is incredible. Talking to my cats (I think more of my cats than most people I know). Picking tomatoes and making juice (I share my juice with my 90 year old friend/neighbor). Going to Lowe's and finding shrubs & perenniels discounted to $1 (my yard's full of 'em). Going to GoodWill and yardsales (If it wasn't for that I'd be naked...I refuse to spend $30 for a pair of jeans when I can find them for $4.99...besides, I have to pay medical bills...). Looking at the white fluffy clouds and seeing if I can see a picture of something.

I think the big one right now is this forum. I've noticed myself answering people's questions with "I'll have to see what the forum says".... Thank you everybody for helping.

Rose- Remember I just got my sauna from CL!!! You mentioned supporting the green practice of recycling, but my big thing about second hand clothes is that the formaldehyde and other chemicals are washed out and won't be coming to my house.

I can almost see your desert sunset....enjoy!!