<p>skiing
knitting
fresh squeezed ruby red texas grapefruit with vodka</p>
<p>not necessarily in that order</p>
<p>Take 1-2 mile walks around my/nearby neighborhoods while listening to my media player, playing with my guitars, read, watching movies, etc.</p>
<p>Scratch myself</p>
<p>sudoku and CC for me.</p>
<p>I do not know what is it stress, never felt it, I am close to retiremen age, I guess I will miss it in my life. I believe that what is helping me to stay this way is to be the most disconnected person. My cell is staying in my car and is turned off. I refused having other electronic devices on me and hate listenning to music during my exercise (2 hrs /day every day). I also have a great hobby, activity that I love as after work and on the weekends and I do not listen to anything either at that time. I do not understand how people are constantly bombarded with info or blasting music, when they have time to think thru what is going on in their lives, how they can be connected to thier surroundings and people around them at the moment if they are connected to the rest of the world all the time. Just thinking about it makes it very clear to me that this would cause artificially created stress in my life. I have a need to be by myself and do what I love to do, not always chasing that list (I do not do lists either, that would be very stressful, I imagine).</p>
<p>I drink glass of good red wine and then I go to the backyard and scream at the squirrels. </p>
<p>But if it’s the weekend, I hike with my easel strapped to my back and paint.</p>
<p>A hot bath with with fragrant stuff.</p>
<p>MiamiDAP- if you are so disconnected, why are you on CC?</p>
<p>I run, but it is usually before the stressful workday. After work I sometimes run or go home to my house, husband and Golden Retriever and cats. I have started a new routine since we moved into our new house 6 weeks ago. As soon as I get home (well, maybe after I feed the cats), I go out onto our incredible deck no matter what the weather, look out over the trees and take a few deep breaths. I wish I could still go to hot yoga, but I just can’t fit it in right now. I manage to make my running a source of increased stress much of the time, since I have mileage and training goals. :)</p>
<p>I swim for relaxing. Did yoga in the 90’s but now I have no interest.</p>
<p>I am about to head out for a massage. I love my deep tissue massage.</p>
<p>Up until now I was either walking or working out at the gym, but my knee is very unhappy at the moment and my plans will probably be changing, as it is currently hard to walk and get up and down the stairs. Its not even weight bearing for the first two steps (yes, I know I should go get it looked at-- will get around to it…) I have several bottles of wine and sparkly en route from our recent trip to sonoma. But wine puts me right to sleep. Its almost embarasing.</p>
<p>CC is of course a constant source of both stress and relaxtion, depending on whats being discussed/shared/argued/bantered.</p>
<p>Honestly, the most relaxing thing I do is watch some TV shows. H and I really enjoy settling in on the couch/recliners just like old people and watching Blue Bloods, Revenge, Army Wives etc. My real passion is Vanderbilt basketball, but that is NOT relaxing!</p>
<p>A great way to de-stress is to turn off all news. The news is always all bad, the sky is falling everyday type stuff. Averting my eyes when I drive past gas station’s price signs helps also.</p>
<p>ballroom dancing, cuddling with my golden, listing to S2 play the saxophone, watching cooking shows</p>
<p>wow! 34 responses and only one (see EK4’s post #11) reference to what we call “relaxation therapy” :D</p>
<p>I take Jazzercise at my local community center. I try to get there five mornings a week. In the afternoon, if it’s nice out I walk downtown in my college town and have lunch. Evenings, I like a hot bath, a glass of red wine and a good book. My problem is I snack too much so perhaps I eat to relieve stress also.</p>
<p>Read.
Walk my dog.
Soak in the jacuzzi.
Drink wine.</p>
<p>Based on the mood and stress level, I choose to do one of the following:</p>
<ol>
<li>Watch Comedy clips and laugh & laugh & laugh… </li>
<li>Yoga</li>
<li>Walk</li>
</ol>
<p>Walk outside with ipod in nice weather.
Walk on treadmill inside when it’s not nice, while streaming a movie or TV show on Netflix.
Play piano and/or read.
Join in with the wine drinkers!</p>
<p>Had a pre-dinner Manhattan and appys
Stuffed sole with crab meat
With a 2006 Joel Gott cab
Welcome weekend!!!’</p>
<p>Thecheckbook:</p>
<p>I’m with you! :)</p>
<p>I eat too. Especially chocolate. Oh yeah, chocolate chip cookies too! :D</p>
<p>Watch comedy central stand up comedians, watch stupid shows like “The Bachelor”, sometimes try new recipes, bake stuff and freeze it…go to the gym (I hate to go, but I really do feel better afterwards!), read magazines…</p>