Simple Relaxation & Stress Relief
Tara Crooks

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In this day and age, relaxation seems to be either a myth or
something sold on late night television. Seems stress is the
way to go. If you don't want to be stressed someone has
something to sell you that will make you less stressed, but
then again the debt of the sale will put you in another
stressful situation.

Stress affects more and more people now because of our
increasingly fast-paced society. The faster technology gets,
the faster our lives seem to get, and the more pressure and
stress we feel. We have a cell phone, an ipod, a pda, a
desktop, a laptop, even a cd player keeping us busy. We
schedule ourselves so thin we can't see straight. Our
working hours are no where near 9 to 5. Then we throw in
family time, t-ball practice, dance lessons, neighborhood
parties, and seriously who has time to relax? It's a chaotic
mess.

Political correctness lends itself to writing articles on
exercising, meditation, or even medication. Goal setting
would be an answer. How about eating well and making a to-do
list? Get real. Even the though of all of that addition to
my day makes me want to stress.

Would you like to know what regular people, in real life,
are doing for relaxation? They are going back to the basics
of life. They are enjoying simple things like playing a
game, going for a walk, or having a picnic.

Did you know that laughing promotes relaxation? How hard is
it to laugh? Numerous studies show that it lowers blood
pressure, lightens depression, strengthens the immune
system, and reduces stress.

How about going shopping, watching a movie, or surfing the
net? These have all been dubbed "time wasters" by many. I
disagree. We have to have down time in our lives. We have to
have time that we are doing something we enjoy. We have to
have time we can "waste". Frankly we need the mindless time
to let our guard down and our stress roll off our shoulders.
We need to relax!

If you play the game of time management, schedule in your
relaxation. You can schedule a massage, go camping, or even
attend or play in a sporting event. These are other very
popular ways regular people are reducing stress.

Grab a bubble bath and one hour of quiet time. Slip into the
hot-tub after work. Have a glass of wine or a bowl of ice
cream. Allow yourself a treat, and make sure to take the
time to enjoy it!

Did you know having a pet can actually help you reduce
stress? Research shows that, when conducting a task that's
stressful, people actually experienced less stress when
their pets were with them than when a supportive friend or
even their spouse was present. It has also been proven that
simply caressing your pet is a stress reducer.

When all else fails and you're simply exhausted, opt for the
good old-fashioned way to relax. Lay down flat on your back,
snuggle up with your pillow, and take a nap!
Tara Crooks, or "Household 6″ in the Crooks' family,
is best known for her ability to motivate and empower
others. Tara's journey with the military began in 1998 when
she and her husband PCS'd to their first duty station, Ft
Hood. She currently owns and operates two highly successful
websites, www.ArmyWifeTalkRadio.com and
www.AdvertisingMoms.com. . Featured in Military Spouse
Magazine, ClubMom.com, Stars & Stripes Newspaper,
Military.com, Army.com and more, Army Wife Talk Radio is the
original internet talk radio program for military wives. The
tagline, Our Life, Our Family, Our Soldier, says it all.
Tara does a weekly internet talk radio broadcast from the
website that features up to date information, tips, and
empowerment for spouses. Advertising Moms is a network of
work from home business owners that Tara mentors and coaches
on a daily basis.