Stress soothers – Kandy Shepherd
It’s been quite a stressful time for me in recent weeks. Our house is on the market and it was a frantic time getting it ready. Now there’s the constant pressure to keep it really tidy!
Amidst all that I had my next story to finish for Harlequin Mills & Boon. A severe bout of the flu took me out of action for a month, which put me behind on my deadline. (I caught the flu before I’d had a chance to get vaccinated.)
Thank heaven, I finally finished (just last night!) after long hours of BOC (butt on chair) and being very anti-social. Now I go through the nail-biting time of hoping my lovely editor likes the story...
Other stressful things have been happening too. So I thought I’d share some photos of things I love and think looking at might help to keep the blood pressure down! (Of course that's apart from the obvious stress releases like exercise, meditation, massage, binge TV and so on!) I’d love to hear what are your favourite stress relievers.
The first thing I turn to at stressful times is chocolate, which I really, really shouldn't do. All those stress-relieving nibbles and all that sitting down leads to a new stressor – getting fatter! Deadly, my dietitian daughter warns...
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| Chocolate is not what I should be turning to! |
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| The colours of these flowers soothe my soul! (Love the little cabbages.) |
I absolutely love the water, swimming in the sea and walking along a beach are among my favourite past-times. Both these beaches are in the far northern suburbs of Sydney and easily accessible. One reason this particular LoveCat likes living DownUnder!
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| This is Bungan Beach on Sydney's northern beaches, view from a house for sale (that we couldn't possibly afford, sadly!) |
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| Too chilly (winter Down Under) for me to swim but others are braving the waters at Mona Vale, another Sydney beach. |
Who isn't cheered up by a rainbow. This one was taken on a walk around our little farm when I was seeking inspiration for a plot point.
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| Stormy weather and a rainbow in the Blue Mountains |
Food I haven't had to cook myself (or clear up afterwards) is a cheer-up treat. This cafe breakfast of corn fritters really hit the spot.
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| That gorgeous green is a pea puree |
Of course my cats always bring joy, just looking at them makes me feel happy. Stroking them and listening to them purr are proven stress releasers.
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| My precious kitties taking up my entire side of the bed! From left: Alfie, Tabitha, Ivy |
Then there's spending time with my wonderful husband and gorgeous daughter. But they don't much like me posting pictures of them on social media!
What works for you when you need to distract yourself from stress? I'd love to read your comments!
