Comments on: Destressing Step 4: Find Relaxing Activities

By: Janet Ann Collins

Janet Ann Collins — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:31:44 +0000

I’m with you, Janet. Walking the dog, looking at beautiful views, and reading are what keep my brain from exploding.

By: janetgrant

janetgrant — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:57:09 +0000

Rich, I love your cake hobby! I wish I saw cooking/baking as recreational, but our family is filled with foodies (sweet teeth, meat teeth, fish teeth–all manner of food is enjoyed); so preparing meals is taken very seriously. Everyone is sympathetic if a meal falls short, but I still feel the importance of placing a winner of a dish on the table. In other words, I’m feelin’ the stress.

By: Marti

Marti — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:12:01 +0000

Almost-daily walks (2-3 miles or more) have proved a huge de-stressor for me for nearly twelve years now. While I walk, I pray. The combination of physical exercise with spiritual nourishment brings peace.

And Janet? Our Aussie sounds much like yours. Long, brisk, regular walks make her a peaceful, contented girl. I must be an Aussie, too!

By: Rich Gerberding

Rich Gerberding — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:49:48 +0000

This is very timely. For a number of years I’ve struggled with not having a “hobby”. The closest I had was men’s ministry filling my spare time, but not the most relaxing thing. I’ve found I really enjoy cake decorating – after too many episodes of Ace of Cakes, Cake Boss, Cake Challenge, etc, my wife and I made a grill cake for my birthday last summer and several since. Only having a couple people over for the Super Bowl but will have an over the top cake. It’s great trying new things and what’s nice is I don’t have a sweet tooth (I have the meat tooth in the family) so it’s not a big temptation to break the diet for.

Pat Morley of Man in the Mirror gave a talk years ago about needing a hobby for recreation, and it was great seeing him last week and telling him how much that talk has haunted me but how good it feels to have that recreational hobby now!

Rich Gerberding

By: janetgrant

janetgrant — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 18:50:12 +0000

LeAnne, you’re so right about preparing and sipping tea. It’s such a refined and quieting experience. I make tea for everyone in the office each afternoon. It feels so civilized, even in a maddeningly frantic day.

By: LeAnne Hardy

LeAnne Hardy — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 18:17:45 +0000

Ice skating! I get my best plot ideas on the way to the rink. Hot tubs and beautiful views are good too. Also the process of making and drinking a cup of tea.

By: Lori Benton

Lori Benton — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:09:01 +0000

Reading–it puts me to sleep in about fifteen minutes, so I always end my day that way.

Riding the exercise bike, while reading or watching a good program.

Hiking with my husband, our dog, and our bows. Shooting arrows at tin cans left on logging roads is very relaxing, and each can is a nickel deposit, if we don’t obliterate them with our arrows first.

Baking while listening to a good audio book.

Doing something creative with my hands, like scrapbooking, beading or painting, while listening to an audio book.

By: Sue Harrison

Sue Harrison — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:02:26 +0000

After a long, cold winter day, I love to relax in the sauna.

Sue Harrison

By: Linda Rue

Linda Rue — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:45:25 +0000

I have a daycare in my home as well as freelance for mags and newspapers. I find that writing on my novel relaxes me, (weird, I know) and reading this blog with my feet up like now…but my major tranquil time is spent on the back of my horse on a trail ride or out in the woods, walking my dogs. I let my mind rest from all obligations during these special times and I find that when I get back to work, I can incorporate what I was feeling or thinking about or something that occured in a story I’m writing. LOL! It seems that my mind is always at work no matter how hard I try to give it a break!