Things To Do While You're Sick/Stressed:

Ah! Fall...Thanksgiving...Winter...Christmas...New Year's...What a wonderfully awesome, yet stressful time of the year. This is my favorite time of the year, as it is for so many other people. But, it is also a really busy time of the year with planning family festivities, finals and other unexpected turns like getting sick. Here are a few ways I like to deal with stress or boredom while sick:

I watch a lot of Netflix; there's nothing like watching your favorite shows or getting obsessed with one you've never seen before. If nothing else, at least it gets your mind off of the problem for a little while. But, you know what makes it even better? A cup of hot tea...No matter what the weather is like outside, it's just proven that it instantly cheers you up.

Talking to my best friends always picks me up when I'm feeling down, even if they don't necessarily have the words to say anything profound or tell me what I need to hear. They always listen to my rants, and just being able to let go of everything without being judged is an incredible feeling. Or even just watching the show can make me feel better, because I feel like my friends are right there with me. 

Bike riding is probably the number one stress reliever for me! There is NOTHING better than putting on my headphones to listen to something really fun and upbeat, while enjoying nature. Nothing else clears my mind out quite like a nice ride around my neighborhood. 

I love losing myself in a book; getting close to the characters and even becoming one of the characters as the story goes along, feeling my heart break, crying tears of joy or sadness or rejoicing in the end, because the happy ending has come along.

I also love to get really artsy. I tune everything else out, put on a good movie or crank up some tunes, while cutting, gluing and making collages of some sort. Or, I'll grab my journal and laptop and just write for hours...Believe me, it is possible.

It never hurts to look at pictures of Ian Somerhalder and border collie's. I mean, just look at those faces. My day is instantly better having seen them, and puts me in a better mood. Try it; you're welcome. 

I've found out that watching Ellen also lifts your spirits too. There have been many meltdowns over the years about school and life, but watching Ellen, whether she's making Amy do some crazy thing in a haunted house, giving things away to people who really deserve them or scaring Kellie Pickler...Somehow she just makes you feel at ease, like there is still some good left in this world, and things get better, even if you're stuck in a tough place.

The last and probably the best thing that I can do when I'm stressed out is spend some quality quiet time with God. When I finally stop freaking out over whatever lame situation I'm in or worrying about whatever needs to get done and just give it to God, I feel so much better. Is the problem gone? No. But, I have learned to not always want to control the situation and to just let some things go. I always feel at peace after diving into the word and talking to God, rather than just stewing over it in my mind. 

That's all for now,

Shelby

What are some of your best stress relievers?