Ignoring Stress

Sometimes we try to ignore stress so we can get things done. Sometimes when we ignore stress our body reminds us that what we were really doing was ignoring our body! When I got home from work today, instead of resting and eating lunch, I ate a protein bar, drove Danielle over to school, and then went shopping at Target. I had a long list of things I needed to pick up, starting with a desperate need for socks for Michael - he probably didn't care about new socks, but his Mom couldn't stand the sight of those crunchy, gray things anymore! After an hour in the store it was time for Danielle to get picked up, but I couldn't find the last few items on my list. I was at a different Target than usual so I criss-crossed the store several times trying to find what I was looking for.

After I finally made it out to my car, I noticed that a spool of ribbon that I was going to buy was laying on the bottom shelf of the cart. Great, I hadn't paid for it! I just really wanted to just throw it in the car and go pick up Danielle. One little voice in my head said: "No one would know...I've been over charged so many times at this store anyway... it's just one spool of ribbon... you'd have to walk all the way back into the store... " However, the other little voice in my head said "be a good example" so, of course, I ignored the first voice and schlepped back into Target and paid for the ribbon. I was a half hour late picking up Danielle, but she was fine.

It was a pretty warm day today and I was now hot, sweaty, and suddenly very tired, hungry, and kinda irritable too. :) I guess that protein bar only lasted so long. When we got home it was time to go through the mail, let the dog out to go pee, and oh look, the trash needs to get taken out. Gosh, I should really vacuum the floor...man that slipcover on the couch needs straightening again... yep, it's been a few days since I've dusted... did I run any wash last night?... hmm, dishes in the sink and crumbs on the counter... I really need to eat something for lunch... when am I going to make that poster for Danielle and wrap that gift?... I told Dayle I'd clean out that cabinet so he can use it for the computer... hungry, I need lunch... I should check my email... lunch, sit, eat...

So, I finally sat and ate. Then I sat and read my scriptures. Then I sat and ignored the bills, the floor, the slipcover, and the dust. That took just 15 minutes and I was feeling better. I read somewhere that just 15 minutes a day doing something for yourself -- a quiet moment, meditation, deep breathing, laying on the floor with your legs resting on a chair/couch, complete relaxation, NO INPUT from TV, computers, cellphones, etc. -- can significantly reduce your stress.

I went outside and watered the flowers, but that was a stress-reducer for me as well. It was a beautiful day outside and the smell of water and dirt makes me happy for some reason. I know when I was a teenager my mom, who was raising three teenagers on her own, was always outside spraying off the driveway and watering the plants. I thought she did it cause she wanted healthy plants, but I think it was a stress-reducer for her too. We always had very healthy plants!

So some things are healthy to ignore -- dust, sloppy slipcover, the vacuuming -- but we just can't ignore our bodies 'cuz it looks like that just leads to more stress!

Right now Danielle is talking on and on about whether or not she should use the blue folder or the green folder for her class notes...oh, and yeah, mom do you know what a monomer is? Mom, the reason we have villi and microvilli in our intestinal tracts is to increase the surface area for absorption of nutrients....on and on and on she goes... I want to ignore her so I can get this blog done, but that might not be one of those healthy things to ignore so I guess I'll stop typing and start listening! Good night.