When I’m under a lot of stress, I use my entertainment hours (if I have any) to calm myself down.
When I’m stressed out and want to read a book, I almost always pick something dramatic and full of tension and suspense. It’s as if I want to remind myself that there are far worse problems out there than mine….like zombies, monsters,serial killers, madmen and ghosts. I especially love a writer who shows me an average person taking on the Big Bad Things and winning. If they can conquer the werewolf, then surely I can conquer my …insert problem here…
But when I decide to cope with my stress by watching a movie, I am completely the opposite. I want sweetness and light. I mean seriously sweet. Red velvet cake with sprinkles sweet. Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia ice cream sweet. Musicals and cute kids and sparkly costumes and flower-filled fairy fields and satin wedding dresses.
Taken together, those stress-relieving techniques can make me look pretty schizophrenic. Take yesterday, for instance. I sat in the family room with a few of my favorite people. By my side was my Dan Simmons horror novel, “Summer of Night,” in which a group of pre-teen boys ride their bikes to a showdown with the Forces of Evil. And on the TV was my favorite sweet-treat musical, “The Slipper and the Rose,” in which Richard Chamberlain’s Prince sings and dances to win Cinderella’s heart.
How about you? How do you calm down when the world is pressing in a little too hard? Do you go for the wild ride for total distraction? Or do you cuddle up to some warm fuzzies? I’d love to hear what works for you!
I love nothing more than to press play on itunes and rock out to the happiest, most upbeat songs I have. Then I turn off my music, pick up a Harlequin book and read it. And then I put it down and put the music back on. And then I might turn the music off and turn a tv show on. Usually I do this until one of them captures my attention completely.
Kristin, that’s such an awesome recipe! When I was writing, and other stresses were threatening to bring down the mood, I created a all-happy, all-bouncy iTunes playlist, and it really did the trick. Some songs are just too UP to let you continue being down!
Seriously! Most of the songs off the Mamma Mia soundtrack instantly bring a smile to my face, I can usually get lost in any Pink song, and Taylor Swift is just too happy and sunny, she just melts the stress away!
Fun, silly sitcoms for me, please! The Nanny and The Partridge Family are a couple that do it for me. Sure to make me laugh. As for Kristin’s method, interestingly, the first Partridge Familiy album or Captain & Tenille’s Greatest Hits can put me in a good mood too. Or Burl Ives’ The Little White Duck album. Those albums pull me back to teen, preteen, or even plain old kid stage, where even though problems might’ve seemed huge, they weren’t. And to a time when potential and possibilities seemed abundant and even endless. A good reminder!
For garden variety stress, I watch Castle episodes, Harry Potter movies or listen to sappy love songs (Gino Vanelli is great for those days). In the mountains, I read A Man For Her by Ann Evans and Babes in Arms by Kathleen O’brien. I’ve read those books a million times and love them. They make me happy while ensconsced in my favorite chair in front of my Colorado river rock fireplace. Even better with Biltmore wine:)
Really bad days in court are for vodka, Led Zeppelin or drum solos by Buddy Rich or Dave Weckl. Sometimes, practicing my own drum solos complete with pictures of the offending judges on my drumheads does the trick.
If the stress is off the charts, violent movies that should not be viewed by any normal human being. I don’t know why shooting things up and car chases appeal to one of my multiple personalities. Perhaps I’ve contracted a Steve McQueen gene or I simply need medication
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Thank you for your post, Kathleen. My stress-busters are my furry children, aka cats; my favorite YouTube music videos; reading (a wide range); and DVD movies and documentaries (ditto). And, of course, writing.
Debbie, The Partridge Family is one of those for me, too. And even The Monkees, although mostly I just like to think about those fantastic Mod Yardley of London commercials.
You’re so right, though. Being taken back to a simpler time is very therapeutic–even if we didn’t realize how much simpler it was!
Terri, I’m still smiling from the image of you pounding those drums decorated with pictures of the judges!
And, of course, from your nice comment about Babes In Arms. I look forward to the day when I can read one of Ann’s books again and have it take me to a happy place.
Plus, I so get it about the super violent movies. That’s your equivalent of my horror novels, don’t you think? When you see people facing that kind of trouble–and prevailing–it makes your problems seem like peanuts!
Mary Anne! The furry children are the best! It’s just darned hard to be down when the kitty is on the desk beside me, demanding my attention. Cats don’t know the meaning of the word stress, and it’s a pretty great role model!