Got this from somewhere I cannot remember… De-stressing tips

* Allow yourself some private time each day, even a minimum of a half hour.

Hmm… if possible, I want to get rid of the computer in our room.

* Pray and meditate.

I always do pray… but not meditate.

* Take a long walk. Exercise that relaxes and gives new perspectives

I only take a walk at the mall when I badly need some shopping (grocery shopping included). Otherwise, I go home straight from office.

* Buy a bouquet of flowers for yourself. Or pick one from your garden.

I bought a single rose for myself on Valentine’s day.

* Turn off the phone, and allow your answering machine to pick up your calls. This is a mindsaver.

Hmmm… no answering machine.

* Snuggle up with a good book.

I’ve stopped reading books lately, just articles… mostly online.

* Put on your favorite music. You can even turn it up loud, and dance; if you have toddlers they love this, too.

Aw, I love music. I always sing – that’s one way of putting my little one to sleep.

* Call a friend, and settle in with a hot cup of tea, give yourself time to enjoy the conversation.

Yep, one friend doesn’t approve of my not going out and not rewarding myself from time to time. I’ve always been a homebody, it’s one way of carrying on the old traditions. Neither do I like too much attention nor spending so much by frequent night-outs or dine-outs.

* Run the hot water, pour in bath salts, and luxuriate in your tub for a long, fragrant soak at the end of the day.

Hmmm… no bath tub.

* Indulge in getting (or giving) a massage.

I’m used to getting the traditional massage.

* Fix a little favorite comfort food.

Yep.

* Recall favorite memories, and allow yourself to recreate that feeling with loved ones, or a special moment in your life.

I don’t get to meditate a lot. Maybe I lost ‘it’ somewhere, sometime in the past.

* Write. In your journal, or a love letter to anyone you love, or a poem to express yourself

I used to write a diary on paper. (I think I still have the old ones back at my parents’ home.) I used to write poems, anything else. But I still pitch in my ideas whenever I’m having ‘it’.

* Treat yourself to a trip to the salon, a manicure and a pedicure, a shampoo and styling, nothing too different, maybe, but just for the fun.

Yeah, I do that whenever I feel I have to but nothing fancy. I’m not the kind who invests so much on my looks.

* . Rent a great video. Or better yet, go to the library, and borrow it with some good books

The last vcd I rented was Pretty Woman. Of course, I’ve seen that before. It’s one of those movies that I can watch over and over again.

* New Books! There are times only a Borders or Barnes and Noble store will do! Spend the afternoon, on your own or with a friend.

No more books for the moment. I think I need a new pair of glasses; it’s been a year that I haven’t worn one.

* Start a Blessings journal, and take time for God.

I always take time for God. Nothing has changed and nothing ever will.

* Go outside: to the beach, hike in the park, walk in the neighborhood. Bask in the sunshine, examine the trees and the flowers, make up pictures in the clouds, delight in the day.

I will. Promise.

By the way, here are some photos on the christening of Raj on October 14, 2007 …

More pics here.