How Do I Handle Stress?

“Enjoy the pressure. Enjoy the stress. Enjoy being uncomfortable. And don’t shy away from it, embrace it.” – Gary Woodland

When I read about how to handle stress, the most common thing said is just block it out of your mind. To me, ignoring what is causing you stress might not help you find a solution to deal with it. I have found that by ignoring my problems, it only makes it worse. Some things that cause stress such as national and world news might not be something we can solve, but we could find a way to address it with our own means by either being involved with politics or charity. When it comes to stress in our personal lives, I find that ignoring it doesn’t make it better. I have found that by taking the time to process what stresses me out it helps me deal with the issue better.

Here is how I process my stress.

🚴‍♂️ I try to ride my bicycle at least once a week. I typically ride on the weekends because of my work schedule. A little exercise goes a long way.

📷 I use photography as a means to express myself. The feeling of capturing a great photo gives me a sense of accomplishment and motivation.

✍️ I write often as a way to get my thoughts about life and myself out. This allows me the opportunity to process what and how I am feeling.

🎧I try to select positive music when I am feeling stressed. I often listen to worship music that I hear at church.

🔌I unplug. I do things outside and in nature to help me focus better.

🏫Every week my family and I attend church. We worship there, and we are involved by volunteering every other week.

One of my favorite parks to visit in Charlotte is the green. I took a simple ride straight down the rail trail in Southend, and rode to Uptown Charlotte. I stopped at The Green. It’s a small urban park with a theme of promoting literacy.