Dealing with stress

This week has flown by. Perhaps because there's been one thing to do after the other!  I wouldn't have it any other way though:)

I had, and continue to have, these erg tests (all to be completed by this Sunday), and at work there's been a lot of prep for a big trade show coming up at the end of this month. It's the biggest Radiology trade show in North America, a really great environment to be in as some of the top and smartest Radiologists/Surgeons are there.

So needless to say, this has been a tough week to really put my energy into these tests.  Yesterday I did the 6000m test and got one score (which was a very slight personal best), and tried it again later in the evening around 6:45pm with my teammate Kathleen to see if I could go faster.  She is such one brave woman!!  She did the 6km test with me after only warming up for 5 minutes.  As much as I am not a fan of warming up, I definitely do not recommend this, but in our case we were limited with time as it was getting later and later in the evening, and I just wanted to get my second attempt over with!  In the end, the difference between both results was only 9 seconds, so that made me feel more positive about my fitness.  It is never easy to do a test, I always find myself closing my eyes and grunting by the second half.  But it's been easier to do tests and hard workout back to back since my recovery time has improved.  It's been great since I started drinking Shaklee Physique right after workouts (insert commercial right here, haha).  However if I want to get faster I'll need to really increase my strength, and no power drink can do that for me!  So on Sunday (once all these tests are done), I will begin with my new phase of weight training and keep you posted on progress.  Watch out, here comes the HulkJ.

But I do wonder, how do people cope with stress?  I know my schedule is quite packed, but there are so many people out there that juggle so much more!  It would be great if there was a magic pill (legal), but there isn’t.  I think it’s just important to be aware of your surroundings and know when you need to back off a bit.  I’m guilty of not always knowing when to back off, but I’m learning.

Here are some tricks I learned to decrease stress:

-          Do physical activity (boxing I’m sure would be great as an outlet for stress, but I chose to row)

-          When you feel anxious, rub your tummy in a circular motion (I see you all trying it…)

-          Listen to music you love, or in my case play the piano

-          Watch a comedy!  Laughter is one of the BEST ways to decrease stress!

So I wonder what I’m going to do to release some stress tonight….I’m going to go to NIAGARA with my mom and sister, and no doubt we will laugh a lot on our tripJ.  Spending time with them and getting out of the city will be a great way to clear the mind and relax before attempting my 2km erg test tomorrow afternoon:S  Wait!  What test do I speak of?  That’s right, I’m not going to think about it yet.  Going to relax and then focus on it (and rub my tummy) when the time comes tomorrow afternoon.

Here are a few facts about laughter and how it affects your health.  Good music too!

Until next time, relax, laugh and enjoy your Friday night…stress-free!