If you know me, you know that I’m a worrier. When I was younger, worry lead to the nervous habit of chewing my nails. Even now a good barometer of my stress level is to look at the sides of my thumbs – when I’m really stressed, I claw at my thumbs until I’m bleeding without even realizing I’m doing it.
Fortunately, I’ve recognized my problems with nerves/worry and have developed coping mechanisms like:
- Exercise. Running was my first athletic way to release stress. I don’t generally run more than a couple miles an outing and nobody will ever accuse me of running fast, but blasting music on my headphones and the repetition of the movement is really soothing. Lately, I’ve upped the ante and started kickboxing. Want to relieve stress? There’s nothing better than hitting the heavy bag for me!
- Journal writing. It’s really cathartic to write something down and get it out. If it’s something you don’t want to share with anyone else, a journal is a great private release.
- Staying busy. When I’m stressed, I clean. You can definitely track my emotional ups and downs by the cleanliness of my house! And when that doesn’t work, there’s always more crocheting or knitting. Again for me, repetitive motions are always soothing.
What do you do to cope with nerves and worry? I’d love to hear what works for you!
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