de-stressing

Isn't it cool that "stressed" is "desserts" spelled backwards. So doesn't that give us license to indulge?

But seriously, the reason why desserts work to de-stress is because we let go when we go to our little candy corner. A stress management lecturer raised a glass of wine and asked his audience, "How heavy is this glass of wine?" People's answers ranged from 20 to 500 grams. But the lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes." The lecturer continues to say, "And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, the burden will be incredibly heavy and impossible to carry on. So as with the glass of wine, we have to put it down for a while and rest, before holding it again. So before returning home tonight, put the burden of work down: don't carry it home. You can pick it up again tomorrow."

So til then, just revel in everything else in your life that makes you happy. And if stress is keeping you from recognizing them...

... re-read your favorite book, stop and smell the roses, and look up at the moon tonight.

Photos from i'mjustsaying and heritage.