Like many of you, I have a very full life on my plate right now: teaching second graders, mother of two teenagers, getting married in ten days….

Now, I am not complaining. I have a rich life and I am never bored, that’s for sure.

To have a lot to do can cause tension and stress if  we let it. I find that if I don’t consciously make myself release that tension in some way, I get headaches, irritable, forgetful, and sometimes outright silly (I think my mind will insist on taking a break with or without me!).

Today, on this wonderful Wacky Wednesday (yes, I am a second grade school teacher, can you tell?), I offer you these 18 tension tamers:

1. Laugh as much as you can today. Even faking it until you make it works. Do a “laughter meditation” and laugh non stop for three minutes. Whether we are “faking it” or not, the action of laughing releases feel good chemicals in our body. Try it!

2. Set an intention for your day to not take anything (including yourself) too seriously today.

3. When was the last time you skipped, jumped rope, or played with a hula hoop?

4. Look at funny pictures or videos. I love the animal ones out there on the internet. Guaranteed to make you smile!

5. Tickle loved ones and be tickled.

6. Grab your kid, pet, a good friend, colleague, spouse- and hug them!

7. Smile

8. Exercise! Move your body today. Take breaks from your desk. It is amazing what a little moving around will do for the stress we store in our bodies.

9. Stretch

10. Breathe deeply. I love doing this when I am driving. It makes me a more calm and safe driver. I also try to think about all that I appreciate in my life while I take these deep ”Buddha belly” breaths.

11. Read something humorous.

12. Watch a relaxing show on Television that you enjoy or a light hearted movie.

13. Take a bath.

14. Get outside and enjoy some fresh air and natural scenery.

15. If anything starts stressing you remember “it too shall pass”.

16. Write in your journal.

17. Do anything creative where you lose yourself in “the flow” of the creative process.

18. Whistle while you work. Think of some good things about your job today as you work. Focus on those. 

Do you want to feel light or heavy? Happy or not?  Relaxed or tense? The choice is yours.

Happy Wacky Wednesday, all.

Debra

Related Posts:

• Eight ways to make this a great day
• Adults need to play too! A journal exercise
• Three wishes for you…
• Remembering to play
• Oh, to be more childlike: Ten lessons we can learn from children