Amy's Favorite Stress Busters

Stress sucks! Literally. It sucks the life right out of you. Study after study has shown that people who are stressed out have shorter lifespans than people who aren't as stressed.

Stress coaxes you to do things you might not ordinarily do such as skip your workouts, snap at family and friends, eat junk food, skip sleep, etc. It's bad news all the way around.

That said, in my opinion there are two kinds of stress. The kind that makes you unable to concentrate on anything except for your desire to kill everything. I call this the Everything Must Die kind of stress. And then there's the stress that makes you feel sick and tired and run down so that all you want to do is sleep. I call this the I Feel Crappy Stress.

With that said, here are some of my favorite stress busters.

Everything Must Die Stress Busters

• Get some music pumping and beat the stuffing out of a punching bag and a speed bag. "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor is great. The rhythm works well for punches and it makes you feel like Rocky.
• Go mountain biking UP some gnarly hill.
• Go road biking UP several gnarly hills.
• Get in the car and SCREAM at the top of my lungs without going anywhere. (I can't scream in my apartment or I'd really freak the neighbors out.)
• Go to a butt kicking kickboxing class.
• Carry a backpack that's way too heavy up a mountain that's way too steep.
• Go climb the indoor rock wall at our gym.
• Do a killer weight lifting workout.
  
• Go dirt bike riding.
  
• Run as fast as I can for as long as I can.
• Swim as fast as I can for as long as I can.
• Deep clean something that requires a LOT of scrubbing.
• Anything that gets my heart rate way up and requires a huge amount of energy expenditure.
  

I Feel Crappy Stress Busters

• Write in my journal.
• Sing and dance like I'm a superstar.
• Take a bath and read a trashy novel.
• Sit in the hot tub.
• Float in the pool.
  
• Swing as high as I can on a swing in the park.
• Read a magazine cover to cover.
• Play the piano.
  
• Practice deep breathing and visualization techniques.
  
• Work on a fun project I can get lost in, such as an animation.
• Make a couple loaves of homemade whole grain bread.
• Sit down with a cup of jasmine tea and a good adventure book.
  
• Vent about life to a friend or family member.
• Brush the dog.
  
• Do light cleaning.
• Go for a really mellow road or mountain bike ride.
• Go for a meandering walk or a hike somewhere quiet and away from people, traffic, the city. Enjoy the wildlife.
  
• Get a massage.
• Go horseback riding.
• Take a long drive and explore a new place.
• Do my nails.
• Get my hair done.