Five Faves: My 5 Favorite things to do when I'm stressed
Five Faves: My 5 Favorite things to do when I'm stressed
Small rewards lift your spirits!
In today's post, I'm sharing the small things I do each week or throughout the month that lift my spirits on rough days. Or, just because.
Not every day is stressful, and sometimes we deserve to pamper ourselves in ways that make us happy to reduce and manage stress.
Here are my five favorite things to do:
1. Get my favorite drink from Sonic
When I head out to do errands and allergy shots twice a week, I get a refreshing Route 44 Sprite Zero made “dirty" with cream, lime, and vanilla. It's half-price all day when you use the app!
2. Visit a local nursery to walk amongst the plants.
I love retail therapy but not in the way you might think. I'm a free spirit who loves plants, crystals, rocks, books, and creative things more than clothes and makeup.
My local nursery has a “Rock Shop" full of plants, crystals, rocks, and locally made jewelry. (I love beaded bracelets and unique rings.)
Sometimes I browse and sometimes I buy something for $3-5. Just enough to reward myself without overspending.
I'm currently keeping this little guy alive that I bought a few months ago for $3. I see it every day on my kitchen windowsill and it makes me smile.
Speaking of books and creative stuff, I love to…
3. Visit a local bookstore, thrift store book section, or the library.
I am an avid reader with more books in my To Be Read (TBR) list than I'll ever have time to read in my lifetime. It doesn't stop me from looking for more!
My local library sells books they're getting rid of for $1.25 so I always have a little bit of cash on hand to buy a few books when I visit.
My latest find was Eat, Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert which is on my Amazon list. (Yes, the one made into a movie starring Julia Roberts, which I haven't seen yet.)
I found it for $1.99 at the local thrift store that supports the women's shelter. Win/Win!!
Next up, hobbies!
As someone with ADHD, I am never without hobbies and supplies to do them. Now, finishing them is another issue.
But, the act of doing them is sometimes enough to scratch the itch of renewing my spirits.
4. Choose a hobby to do from my collection.
Sometimes I feel like coloring. Other days I want to paint, journal, or crochet.
These coloring pages I pasted to my office wall warm my heart every time I see them.
(And yes, there’s a Hello Kitty coloring page in the mix, two actually but one is out of frame. I’ve started including the pages my granddaughters color for me.)
I colored these, plus many others, over months and years while going through the stress of helping raise my twin grandsons with multiple special needs.
Getting lost in coloring helped my traumatized brain and body relax and escape for a little while.
I'd mostly color while sitting in the car line waiting for them to get out of school.
Note: You don’t have to be a parent or caregiver to be stressed out! You can benefit from these recommended resources too.
Please, pass this on if you know someone who is a parent or caregiver looking for coping strategies, tools, and resources to stress less and enjoy life more.
Other times, I would take it outside and color while they rode their bikes and scooters up and down our street on nice spring and fall days.
Instead of reminding me of a difficult time in my life, they're gentle, colorful reminders that I persevered and made it through to a brighter side.
I also enjoy shopping online or looking at the local dollar stores for a new little craft. Scrapbooking is my most recent hobby I'm starting.
My sister-in-law gifted me this beautiful journal and that's what I decided to do with it. (Thank you, Kim!)
Lastly, I like to…
5. Cook something new from one of my cookbooks.
I have a small collection of cookbooks and I look through them every once in a while on my creative cooking days.
I have more not photographed, but these are my main go-to cookbooks.
Of course, you have to have Betty Crocker and Better Homes and Gardens cookbooks in your collection! Those are classic staples.
This meatloaf recipe from the Better Homes and Garden cookbook I made recently was AMAZING.
I made one substitution. I switched out half the red meat with ground turkey sausage. So moist and delicious!
These five activities are just some of the things I do to keep my spirits up throughout the week and month.
Having a list of things to do and look forward to, especially on stressful days, is crucial.
Think of it like a toolbox.
When you need to “repair” your mood, you're not floundering around trying to find something to help you cope.
You have a curated list of things you can reach for in your “calming" toolkit.
Leave me a comment with one thing you like to do to lift your spirits. I'd love to know! Maybe it's something I've never thought of.
If you’re struggling to figure out what you can do to help you manage your stress, I’m here to help.
Book a free consultation today and let’s get started!
Your friend,
Dawn-Renée💓
Remember to pass this on to someone you know who could benefit from these tips!
Plant saver here. I've been known to rescue abandoned plants that I don't really want to grow, just because I can't watch them die. I've also killed a few plants that didn't deserve it, mostly due to my knowledge gaps. Each one taught me something.
Dawn - you've listed quite a few of my favorite things to do as well! Cooking, going to the bookstore, and working on a nourishing hobby are definitely activities that help me reconnect to myself.
I love the idea of heading to a nursery just to walk among plants!! I'll make a note to try that out next time...hope you're enjoying a beautiful weekend!