Who You Gonna Call? Stressbusters!

This is my no-fail list of some of the things that will make me smile or brighten my mood when I am stressed or feeling blue:

Light a candle. I love the light and flicker they give but I absolutely adore the smell when you put them out. It smells of celebrations and good memories. It never fails to lift my spirits.

Page through picture albums or look at my pictures on the computer. Seeing my family and friends and other photos I've taken makes me happy.

Bird watch. There's just something about sitting at my window and watching the birds that eases my worries. I guess maybe because I know they don't worry because their Provider has promised to watch over them. The birds are always a good reminder for me.

Listen to music. It's very hard to feel poorly when U2's "Desire" is cranked to 11 on the speakers.

Take pictures. When I am looking through the lens, I am focused on my subject rather than myself. Sometimes taking my focus off of me, me, me makes me feel better.

Perform a small act of kindness for someone else. It could be as simple as holding a door for someone or letting the person behind you in the check-out go ahead of you. It's that focus thing again.

Write. I have been known to write pages and pages of stream of consciousness stuff and then run it all through the shredder. It's amazing how freeing just pouring out all of the junk and then destroying it can be.

Call a friend. There's that me-focus thing again. I know that when I call a loved one and find out how things are going in their lives, I will come away from that conversation lighter.

Pray. This may not be the first thing I listed, but sometimes it is the first thing I do.

Nap. Yeah. I love to sleep and sometimes a 30 minute power nap is enough to jump start my batteries.

Clean. I know that I've shocked you with this one. But if I'm feeling particularly under the gun about something, cleaning and tidying a room not only helps me focus by decluttering my space, but it gives me a sense of accomplishment when it may be the ONLY thing I accomplish in a day.

Play with someone. Sometimes it's a child, sometimes it's the dog, but either way I'm in a better place when the play is over.

Watch television. I don't watch a lot of t.v. but sometimes when I am needing a lift, I can find something that is guaranteed to make me laugh--The Andy Griffith Show, Cheers, Seinfeld, 30 Rock, or even Barney Miller. (I was too young to appreciate this show when I was younger. Cracks me up now, though. I can see why my parents liked it.)

So there you have it. Some of the things I do when I'm stressed. Right now I'm thinking of doing them all. Ahem.

What do you do to help lift your spirits or ease your tension? Does it involve chocolate? If it does, will you invite me?