Fun Ways To De-Stress

1. Go shopping. Even if you can't afford to buy something, window-shopping offers glimpses into the world of possibilities. Slowly walk or drive past your favorite shops. Study the latest trends and the newest products, checking for size, color, and design. Enjoy the store window dressings and watch for sales for the next time you get paid. Visit an expensive store just to see what it's like. Daydreaming will push stressful events from your mind.

2. Sample a delicacy. Stop at an exclusive grocery store, delicatessen, or bakery to see if samples are available. Often you can try a pricey lunchmeat or specialty sandwich. Or look for day-old versions of a costly item for the chance to savor it at an affordable price. Purchase one piece of a quality chocolate, like Godiva, rather than an entire pound or box. Feel pampered; you deserve it. Or crawl into a hot bath or shower, using your best bathing crystals that you were saving for a good occasion. This is it.

3. Pay a visit. Stop by to see an old friend, a lonely neighbor, or a new acquaintance, after calling first. Take a treat that you both can share or a small gift as a token of friendship. Reflect on past events, current dilemmas, or future hopes. Sharing special moments with a friend can be fun and fulfilling. Above all, find ways to share a laugh. Humor reduces your blood pressure and helps to control stress.

4. Go out on the town. Look for last minute reduced tickets to an entertaining event, like a concert, art exhibit, or foreign film. Then dress up in your finest, wearing clothes, jewelry, and cosmetics you can't wear at other times. Make a last-minute date with a friend or go alone and have a good time either way. Leave your routine life behind as you do something exciting for a change, becoming the glamorous person who's in charge of her or his life.

5. Pull out the old photos. Looking over family pictures can bring back rich memories of times past. Youthful images of yourself or others can warm the heart and melt stress. Read old diaries to recall how things were. If times were worse, you can rejoice that the present is better. If the past was good, enjoy those wonderful memories and hope for the future. Savor pictures of long-gone friends and family. Call or write to someone you haven't seen for a while.

Don't let stress pull you down and keep you there. Do something fun and different to enjoy life and ignore all those petty little grievances that can hold you back.