United Brachial Plexus Network

I thought maybe we could all share ideas about how we destress in our lives. I know that living with this injury adds stresses, both for those injured, and for their families. What have you found that works for you?

I destress by going outside and birdwatching (or birding as it is now called). Holding the binoculars to my eyes has the added benefit of being good therapy.

And I'll admit it, I've caught the scrapbooking craze. I guess it comes from being an archivist. Saving memories and documenting them comes naturally.

How about you?

Nancy

I go to the Spa.....I only get to go once every few months, but I love it! Between working full time, and being a single parent of two boys, I look forward to any alone time I can possibly get and the Spa does the trick everytime.

I have quite few ways of destressing
I love to garden, do pottery,crafts, listen to music meditate and pray. I love comedy movies I hate reality movies, I want to be entertained and laugh. I love the day spa too!

I think the hobby I love the most is the potter's wheel. People kept discouraging me from trying it because no one thought I could do it but me! I guess because I am stubborn and OBPI I have this tendency to think I can do whatever I set my mind to and I found a way. I have a potters wheel and a kiln and it is very centering. It is considered good therapy for my hands and arms as well as my soul.
Kath

Good post, nancy!
I destress by gardening, reading, horseriding and walking. I don't do any of these things as often as I'd like but now I'm older I make myself walk because I can feel the benefits to my lopsided body. I've had a sore hip all week so yesterday I did a 2 hour walk involving 2 sections where I had to climb up steep hills about 500 metres-you know you've had a good walk when even the dog has to crash out when he gets home! But today, I feel great and my sore hip is much better. I've found bed rest makes all of my joint stuff actually worse, and walking is the most benefit, even more than the horseriding. Stress just goes out of the window when you're sweating like a pig and toiling up a dusty hillside, I love it.

Kath, funny you're saying that about enjoying funny movies rather than unfunny ones-in my paper today it says a study in the US has recently found that laughter really is good medicine, increases blood flow, makes the immune system work better, releases endorphins that help with pain etc. They tested people who watched funny movies against people who watched serious movies and found they had very healthy physical reactions and that it definitely did them good. Quite interesting I thought following on from kate's black humour post. Keep on laughing-I am! :0D

It kind of depends on the mood I am in and exactly how stressed I am. Mostly I love to turn up the music and dance.
Sometimes I like to just walk (if I have the time and the elements are with me!)

I like the Spa idea, however!!!

Peggy

I try to go to kickboxing once a week. It really helps to punch and kick the crap out of the bag while imagining the face of the individual that did this to my daughter! I'm still in the very angry phase, so this seems to help, at least for the hour I am there! Not much time to myself otherwise with two small children under the age of 3! Oh and on the way there, I play very loud music, not too often I am in the car alone

Shellie

Music and writing.

Music-I love listening to my favorite music. I will turn it up and clean. I will take a bath and turn it on. I will try to start a project around the house with my music on. It gives me energy. It makes me happy.

Writing-Whether it is a page or two that I am writing in Ella's journal or a poem, I love to write. I write a lot in Ella's journal. It helps take away the stresses that come along with this injury. I will save it for her when she is old enough to understand. I write about her injury and everything we do to help her. My feelings. Her surgery. Her appointments. Everything! I think I feel better b/c one day she can look back into this journal and see that I am telling her everything I know. Everything I did. Everything I could have possibly done for her.

~Krista~

I love to read! I read all the time. It is such a great escape. I also love to just gather the kids together on my lap and read to them for long periods of time. The closeness and the fun of enjoying books with them is such a pleasure.

I also find it fun, when I get time (which isn't that often!), to gather together my boxes of old letters and cards and read them - or look at old photo albums. They bring back so many great memories.

Janet