Stress

I handle stress badly.

I tend to either:

• Retreat into myself and hide. I curl up into a ball, sleep too much and avoid contact with everyone.

OR

• Spew out all of the ugliness that I feel! I yell, cry, stomp my feet and generally act like a 4 year old in need of a nap.

If I take the first approach I hurt myself, the second and I hurt those around me. My goal is to now handle stress better. I hope to continue growing and learning how to better handle it. Stress is inevitable in anyone's life. We are bombarded from every direction, and sometimes we have no control over it.

I have started a new thought process, if you will. I want to control things in my life, as I have stated before. Now it is time for me to control the way I respond to stress.

These are some of the steps that I am going to take:

• I will take walks, exercise has been shown to lower stress levels.
• I will laugh more regularly. Laughter can change your mood, even if it starts out forced.
• I will talk with friends, even when I want to hide and withdraw.
• I will blog more. Getting my thoughts out has already helped me conquer many anxieties.

If you would like to join me on this new quest, leave me a comment, "friend me" on Facebook or follow me on Twitter. We can start a wave of positivity!