Guest Post: Stress Relief for Nerds

Hi you all.  I’m so honored to have a guest post from Lindsay or Summit Sandwiches today.  This girl is witty, hilarious and adventurous, aka everything I wish I was.  Plus she is a Colorado girl just like me!  What I love most about Lindsay is the versatility of her posts and how down-to-Earth she seems when she writes them.  But don’t take my word for it, see for yourself 😛 

Hey there, all you lovely folks!

My name is Lindsay, and I write a blog called Summit Sandwiches. One of the biggest focuses of my blog is something I like to call “happy living.” Encompassed in this term is anything and everything that makes me smile, elicits spontaneous laughter, and makes me feel more connected to the world around me. As you might have guessed from my blog’s name, mountain summits are one of the cornerstones of my vision of happy living! 🙂

One of the reasons I love climbing mountains so much is because hiking is a HUGE stress reliever for me. Getting outside is one of the things that makes me happiest. But what if the outdoors isn’t your thing? Never fear, friends.

I’d like to offer up a few more “happy living” tips to help reduce your stress levels. While I’m sure many of you already practice that tried and true stress relieving practice of exercise, I thought I’d show you a few unconventional stress relievers that I’ve practiced through the years. 🙂 Trust me, it never hurts to have a solid repertoire of ways to relieve stress.

Without further ado, here are Lindsay’s Top 5 Totally Nerdy But Totally Awesome Stress Relieving Behaviors:

1) Having a dance party by yourself in your room

I’m serious about this one. It’s possibly one of the greatest relievers in the world. Create a playlist of dance-able hits on your i-tunes, and then proceed to shake your groove thang without a care in the world. Dance like there’s no tomorrow. Not only will you work up a sweat, but I swear, you will just feel happier afterward. You will not resist smiling by the end of your solo dance party. It’s practically guaranteed. Just for the record, one of my all-time favorite solo dance party songs is Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”....I dare you to dance to it and not rejoice in its 80s fabulosity.

2) Skipping around the block

When was the last time you skipped around? Probably when you were 10, right? Well, you need to get back on that childhood bandwagon and fast! After one of my runs recently, I randomly skipped around my neighborhood, and while I did receive a few funny looks from the neighbors, I had a BLAST doing it. It’s hard to hold onto stress and tension when you’re frolicking about your neighborhood, having as much fun as all the little kids at the local playground.

3) Taking a spin in the car and having an epic sing-a-long session to the radio

I realize not everyone finds driving to be relaxing….but if you do, then this tip is for you! I have to commute 25 minutes to work everyday, and I enjoy it because it gives me time to belt my heart out to my favorite songs on the radio. Sometimes, pouring my heart and soul into a Celine Dion ballad as I take a joyride is the perfect stress reliever. If I notice I’m holding emotions in my body, verbalizing them through song lyrics often helps me release that pent up emotion…and boy does it feel so much better afterward. Not to mention, who doesn’t like pretending like they’re a lead singer on Broadway? I don’t care if you think you’re a terrible singer; in the confines of your car, you’re a star!

4) Going to a bookstore for an hour or two

There are few places as warm and inviting as lovely as a bookstore. Bonus points go to bookstores with attached coffee shops! Reading is one of my favorite pastimes, and I think bookstores are one of the most relaxing places on the planet. The second I enter the doors of a bookstore, I can feel my breathing grow deeper, and the pace of my life seems to slow down. For an hour or two, I can escape from the crazy pace of regular life and lose myself in the book stacks. And don’t forget to purchase a soy latte while you browse! Instant stress relief, people. 🙂

5) Picking up a puzzle

I’m a big fan of crossword puzzles, but any sort of mind puzzle- from word jumbles to Su Doku to jigsaw puzzles- work as perfect stress relievers. Puzzles inspire you to think in creative ways, and they can enable you to focus on something else beyond the things that may be stressing you out. Puzzles transport your mind to another place, and for that reason alone, puzzles are PERFECT stress relievers. Might I recommend the New York Times crossword puzzles? 🙂 Just remember to start off easy with the Monday edition instead of the Sunday!

Soooo….if you ever find that your daily round of exercise isn’t enough to combat your stress, try one of these tips. I hope they make you smile! And remember, having an adventure in the great outdoors never fails to kick my stress levels in the booty. It might do the same for you too. 🙂

Thank you so much, Lindsay!  I am definitely guilty of having solo dance parties and rocking out in the car.  Glad we’re on the same page 🙂