Chit Chat

I tend to stress about EVERYTHING. Work, upcoming projects, the job market, student loan debt, my family, my health, the future, needing more time, the cat I always see running around the grocery store parking lot, what is the right steps for me, not accomplishing enough, being a disappointment. I could fill volumes listing all of the things I worry about. During the last few years the stress has often been overwhelming and has lead to many hours spent crying and more than a few anxiety attacks.

To help unwind lately I have been unplugging more often. The need to always be pinning, tweeting, instagramming, and commenting, attempting to multitask, and spending all evening after getting home from the office and most of the weekend online can be very stressful. Especially when combined with all of the work there is to do, my never ending list of errands, and my huge desires to always be productive, to grow this little blog, and to connect with all of the amazing bloggers and readers. There is always so much to do that it wears me down and leaves me exhausted. At first I felt guilty shutting down after coming home from work but just taking a couple evenings a week to have a little me time and get in bed early has an amazing affect on my stress and energy levels. It isn't that I do anything significant during this time. In fact I usually spend it reading, catching up on a favorite television show, or enjoying a nice dinner but this time allows me to not feel as rushed, as nervous, or as frenzied.

Another thing that only takes a few minutes but has done wonders at eliminating daily stress is meditating. I had tried meditating several times in the past and was always unsuccessful. I was never able to shut off the rush of thoughts in my mind, the constructing of to do list, or the reviewing my day and what else I needed to get done. Then I downloaded this app. A guided 5 to 10 minute meditation really helps me focus and relax. Often I get most stressed at the end of my work day. I have about an 80 minute drive from my office to my home. During this time I often work myself up by thinking about everything that went wrong that day, my frustrations, the things I should have done better or should have gotten done but didn't, and all of the things I am unhappy or unsatisfied with. After pulling into my parking spot, turning this app on, and meditating for 5 minutes I feel much more calm before even walking through my front door.

How do you unwind?

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