We overdid ourselves today with five “not so simple” tasks: 1) Get helpers to reassemble our fridge, move it back into the kitchen, and hook it up to water, etc. 2) Move the downstairs rug & pad up into the dining room 3) Move the living room rug and pad back to its place 4) Hang a few pictures back on the wall in the hallway and entry 5) Vacuum the new floors in the living room, dining room, and kitchen & dust everything
It was harder than it sounds – even with wonderful helpers!!
I am going to go to Bob with #8 and then Take you up on #5
Which of those 9 pieces of advice do you think will work best for you today?
Tomorrow gotta clean that fridge and put stuff back into it (Oh – it’ll be so nice to have it accessible again!)
Good night!
Thanks for visiting JanBeek today… See ya tomorrow (God willing)…
Trying to arrange for a trip abroad in this COVID world today will guarantee stress.
Today I used links sent to me by a friend who just returned from a trip to Canada and from our daughter who is planning to join us next week in London, and I tried to make the arrangements for the COVID tests required. Oh me, oh my! Can they make it more difficult?
Seems to me they are just trying to send us senior citizens over the sanity edge ridge into complete derangement!
Not only do we have to have proof of our vaccines, but we have to prove we tested negative within 72 hours of our departure from the USA to London. Then when we arrive in the UK, we have to have a test there within 2 days – and it has to be ordered in advance. We have to prove (before we leave the US) that we have ordered the 2 day test to be delivered to our place of destination in London. Oh bludder!! And none of these tests are free, of course!
So, I took a break from all that computer stuff and spent some time with a few friends… a great antidote to hysteria and complete lunacy!
Back at home, I let my mind wander as I checked out some of my favorite bloggers. That was definitely a stress reliever! I especially enjoyed reading:
Are you looking for ways to embrace stressing less? Here’s a helpful list I found:
I’m smiling now … just asked for and got that hug. It’s soooo good to have Bob back home again! He returned Wednesday night from his fishing trip in Alaska, and I was quite worried about him.
We spent a lot of yesterday at our medical center here in Ennis, trying to see how we can reduce his fluid retention, get his kidneys and heart functioning normally, and help him prepare for the trip to be with our daughter next week. See why I am posting EMBRACE STRESSING LESS ?
What do you do to reduce stress? Try playing this video in the background while you go about your next task.
“Come to me all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find much rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.”
I totally agree with Marva. Watching less news is a GREAT way to reduce stress. But, don’t be an ostrich. Total lack of information can be a miserable stress inducer!
In my conversation with my friend over lunch yesterday, she reminded me that I need to set boundaries. She suggested that if there is too much drama, conflict or stress in my life, it is because I have not set my own boundaries. I have allowed those elements to invade my peace.
Choices
Do you have drama, conflict, or stress in your life? Is there a way to eliminate those negatives and invite only positives in my life? What choices do I have?
Sometimes the stress and drama come from family, dearly beloved family. Does setting boundaries mean I should eliminate them from my life? Would that make me happier? Does having a cozy home, good food, and limiting my contacts to only “Happy People” mean I would have a better life?
No, my choice is to love those family members unconditionally – and invite them into my “cozy home” and share with them my “good food” and if they are not “happy people,” then pray that my patience, generosity, and love offered unconditionally can bring them some joy.
Sharing
Sharing what we have is what the “Christmas Spirit” is all about. You may not be able to eliminate the drama, conflict, and stress in your life. Not unless you want to alienate those people God has placed in your life … those people who create troublesome circumstances in their own lives as well as yours.
Is that what Jesus teaches? Only deal with happy people? Is that what He did? Think about it.
Groucho Marx was one of my favorite comedians. He and Red Skelton always made my dad laugh. I can still remember him sitting in front of our black and white picture on the TV back in the late 40s, laughing til his eyes were teary at Groucho’s jokes. As I recall a few I am reminded that humor really is a way to share kindness because when we laugh, the “endorfins” brighten our spirit and feed the corners of our brains.
As I grow older, I remember it’s important to Lighten up and laugh more often! Groucho said,
“Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend, inside a dog, it’s too dark to read.”
“Those are my principles, and if you don’t like them… well, I have others.”
“Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedies.”
“Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana.”
“I’ve had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn’t it.”
Don’t you love that Santa picture? Reminds me that everyday is a gift… And we shouldn’t wait for once a year to open it. Keep the sparkle alive as you grow older – And make every day a day of … kindness … gratitude … and remembering why you walked into that room!
Here are a half a dozen suggestions that work for me:
1. I Pray –
My faith in the Lord, knowing the Holy Spirit always is with me, is my first line of defense. I simply ask for His Peace to overcome the distress that is causing my stress. Usually that works if I just sit quietly long enough… and smile as I wait for His peace and confidence to flow through me. I know He is in charge – and He has my best interests at heart.
2. Take a walk or a ride
Go into nature and while I’m out and about, notice the beauty. Let the peacefulness of nature wash over me.
3. Reach out to friends.
Share my concerns with others and solicit their help. In the process, look for ways I can help them. Nothing makes me feel happier than being able to help another. My own stresses dissolve in the process.
4. Count my blessings.
Take my mind off the area that’s causing stress and remember all the areas of goodness & success in my life. Rejuvenate the “I can do this” spirit in me.
5. Put on some crazy music 🎶
… and let the theory of Music Therapy (the ISO Principle) wash over me as I gradually change crazy to rhythmic to slower, peaceful music. Watch … wait, and feel my mood change with the mood of the 🎵 music 🎼
6. Color!
Let the act of changing black and white to joyful color succeed in changing my stressful mindset to one of colorful positivity instead.
Which of those half a dozen ideas might work best for you?
