Six No-Mess Ways To Depressurize

We're all under a Vesuvius amount of pressure these days. It's both performance-related and associated with all the BS that happens around us. Most of us learn to use stress as a motivator and eat pressure for breakfast. But sometimes it can sneak up on us and all of a sudden we have the mind version of a hernia going on, complete with things popping out that we'd really rather not have popping.

There are things that we can do to be proactive about the stickiness of out-of-control pressures. Here are my top six:
1) Stop listening to everyone. This is your permission to go about life ignoring other people. This includes people who go LOL a lot, online special interest discussion groups, listening to self-help/diet testimonials and is especially essential for protection against those who love talking to hear themselves talk. About 50% of your stress will go away instantly
2) Forget about deadlines. Don't set them and don't let others set them for you. Just work. And if someone should ask you when they're going to get something, begin sobbing uncontrollably. Do this often enough and they'll stop asking and you'll have more uninterrupted time to get stuff done
3) Don't exercise. I cannot emphasize this enough. All working out does is increase the chance of pulling something and creating more stress (and pain). Besides, we all know that exercise leads to hard anabolic-androgenic drugs. If you want to sublimate, it is much more time efficient to primal scream at inanimate objects (the kind that can't yell back). My favorite is the microwave
4) Never look into mirrors. Every time you look in the mirror you increase the chance you'll see something you don't like. The way your hair sits (or is missing). Your nose: it's either too big or just sitting there. The dark circles under your bloodshot eyes and the wrinkles that weren't there yesterday. So do away with the mirror-looking thing. And consider hanging out with ugly old folks. I'm available (for a price)
5) Sleep a lot. The unconscious mind is a wonderful thing. It doesn't cost anything, is easy on the ol' bod and it allows all the toxins that have built up in your brain (caused by thinking all day) to be cleaned away (I just heard that today). If sleeping is impractical, because you happen to be standing for instance, train your brain to zombie out or watch chick flicks (same thing), and
6) Be stupid on purpose. If your fear of making mistakes is putting you under pressure, make some on purpose (in private at first, if you have to). By getting used to not being perfect, even if you are perfect (and you are), you'll reset your perfection expectations and get over your fear. And when you get real brave you too can have a stupid blog (like this one).

So good luck with reducing the amount of unsightly stress in your life. Practice the handy tips above and discover the joy of a depressurized life. And remember, the less you shake up the pop can of life, the less time you'll spend wiping sticky stuff off the ceiling.