What do you do to get your mind off problems?

[TPaul]

Hey everyone,
I am wondering what others do to take thier mind off the struggles that are part of our daily life?

I personally would probably fall apart if not for my part time Antique booths and my love of decorating. I truly can lose myself in shopping for bargains for my booths and and in a different world when working a decorating project. At the antique mall where I work part time I do all of the displays for the shop owner and have other dealers hire me redo thier booths. I am just beginning to start a staging and interior decorating business. Interior Arrangements is my new company. I have staged a large display area, really large for a pharmacy in a town near where I live. Have a large guest room that I will be doing soon for the owner of the pharmacy where I did thier store. Have several jobs in the works from those that see my work at the mall and want me to work on thier homes.

I truly think that if I did not have this way to get my mind off of how things can be at home, that I would never be able to cope.

Looking forward to hearing what others do to help them
T. Paul
Idecor8

 

[Star*]

I scrub elephants at the zoo.

 

[KTMom91]

Read, pet my dog, watch the toy panthers tear through the house, walk in water...

 

[gcvmom]

I tend our tiny flock of chickens, garden, come to this site, help out with various school activities/booster clubs. Stuff like that. Used to sell/buy on eBay, but that takes too much time and money I don't have either of right now.

 

[flutterby]

My pets and playing a word game or euchre online. I've been playing euchre since I was 7, so it's like a "comfort food" kinda game.

Well, and a twisted sense of humor, too.

 

[compassion]

take aromotherapy baths in sea salt daily, mediate, read, play with the puppies.

 

[AnnieO]

I draw - on graph paper as I cannot draw a straight line to save my donkey (sorry Star)... Or make things from craft foam, hot glue & fabric paint.

Or I cook.

 

[hearts and roses]

Hot baths with salts - I only do this once in a while, but I do like it. I usually get in my jammies and go to bed right after. The salts make me drowsy and relaxed.

Read - I find escaping into a really great book satisfying in shutting everything and everyone else out!

Walk in woods with my dogs - getting in touch with nature really helps me to appreciate my life and the lives of others. And watching my dogs have a grand ol' time running and swimming in the river is the best!

Poke around the library or book store - I could hang around for HOURS just checking out magazines and new books.

Meet a friend for coffee or dinner a couple of times a month - I have a friend I go to WW meetings with every Saturday and then we go out for coffee. It's good for both of us. And tonight I am meeting another friend for dinner. We only meet every couple of months, but it's great to catch up on each other.

 

[BusynMember]

Take my three doggies on rides and to the dog park.

WRITE! I'm an erotica romance writer (no, it's not porn) and am published by one of the bigger e-pub houses. That takes a lot of my time.

READ. I read anything/everything.

Come here and go to a few other sites. Also like to read Craig's List.

On Sunday's, watch football all day.

 

[Star*]

I handle Hippos......

 

[TerryJ2]

Sleep.

Oh, Star!!!

... excuse me while I go antiquing with-TPaul.

 

[Wiped Out]

*Exercise-it really helps with the stress a difficult child brings!

*Reading-Love to read and am member of a book club so it also helps me get out once a month.

*Watch football-well especially Michigan football!! Go Blue!

*Veg out to old Law and Order Reruns.

*Come here!

*Talk on phone with friends and my sister.

*Cook-only when I have time or it adds to my stress!

*Nap-seriously I think it helps husband and I deal with all the stress!

*Work-I teach-no time to think of problems with difficult child while I'm at work. This year it's a great stress reliever because I have such a great class, last year not so much.

 

[Lothlorien]

Listen to audiobooks. I can travel to some other place while I'm doing laundry, dishes or cleaning. That's how I get my mind off of the stress.

 

[Nomad]

Work
Read
Exercise
Talk with- friends
Talk with- husband
Cook
Shop
Clean
Do something on my "to do" list
Warm Bath
Shower/do my hair
Play with my dog/take dog for a walk
Get my nails done
Take a quick nap and then do something fun afterwards

 

[Hound dog]

Come here.

Go to school. (be surprised at how being in class and having homework/studying helps prevent you from worrying about things)

Play my sims game.

Love on the furbabies.

Play with the grandkids.

Take a loooooong walk.

 

[graceupongrace]

Run. Hard to do some days, but it really helps.

Read/study. Daisylover is right!

Volunteer.

Have coffee or lunch with friends (and don't talk about difficult child), just to be "normal" for an hour.

 

[ThreeShadows]

Well, when I'm really blue I usually cook up a cauldron of soup and then get on my broom...

Seriously though, Chardonnay helps .
I come here.

I garden.

I birdwatch, they kick their babies out of the nest without looking back, no regrets, wish I could do that...

I cook.

I come here.

I do difficult crosswords.

I used to go to antiques auctions until hypomanic husband got us into major financial problems, so I had to give up that passion . I can NEVER let you near my husband, too dangerous...

I'm happy that you have a creative outlet. We have all types of interesting things here but are totally incapable of figuring out the decorating part! Doesn't every one need a blunderbuss, jacobean furniture, swords, dueling pistols, an 1820's tiger maple bed from NH (with the original tester)? Nothing fits together because it's all from different periods.

The people on this board have a wicked sense of humor, they have developed it to in order to survive the difficult children. That helps me survive all this chaos!

 

[totoro]

I don't (chomp-chomp) even know (chomp-chomp) what you are saying.

Ummm, yummm, Donut

 

[gcvmom]

I don't (chomp-chomp) even know (chomp-chomp) what you are saying.

Ummm, yummm, Donut

Hey! That was MYYYY donut!

OMG I've been craving Krispy Kreme for two weeks now and THERE AREN'T ANY AROUND HERE ANYMORE!!!!!!! GAH!

 

[Abbey]

I write and read. Or I annoy my neighbor or imaginary friends.

Abbey