It's All In Your Head
I read a long article about stress and burnout in the Buffalo News. The article explained that diet and exercise plays an important part in reducing stress levels, and keeping oneself on the straight and narrow.
It didn't say anything about the Yankees having to play on the West Coast, waking up a couple of hours before the alarm, a full work schedule, and a new puppy.
Through the years I've been pretty adept at working my way through stress, but through the years I've also been able to figure out ways to handle my problems. The difficulties presented this year don't seem to have any quick answers and must learned to be lived through. Yet short of breaking into song, there are a few fool-proof ways to get to my happy place, right?
Well, today is Bruce's 60th birthday - in and of itself Bruce's birthday was always a chance to raise a glass - "Did you have a beer for Bruce?" was the question I'd get every September 23rd. I most likely will today, but he's on the cover of AARP this month - as my niece Nicole so succinctly put it the other day - "He's older then dirt." Knowing that Bruce is now 60 is stressful in and of itself.
Yet music has always been one thing that I've used to bust myself out of a bad mood. Perhaps I can try that today. I'll leave the Nebraska album home.
Food is also a good way to break the bitter mood. Pasta and a little seafood on a Wednesday night might just do the trick.
People tell me that running is a way to battle through malaise, but that doesn't seem to be on the agenda in the coming months. The problem I have with simply running is that with each step I wonder: "Why the hell am I running?"
The article in the News explained that a number of different vitamins helped do the trick. All good advice, I suppose, but when the stress article is sandwiched between the health care debate, the sinking economy, the 12 murders of the day, the DWI, poor Donte Whitner (the Bills player) losing $400,000 worth of jewelry...ah what the hell can you do?
And $400,000 worth of jewelry?
Quick, what could the burglars steal of yours that would be worth $400,000. I'd have to return home to find the house, the cars, the garage, the lawn furniture, the computers, the X-Box, and my front teeth missing.
Whitner didn't deserve to be robbed, but if you have $400,000 in jewelry, you probably don't have the stress of waking up two hours before the dawn to trudge through construction sites to prepare written reports one after another after another after another.
Yet I digress. How to handle the stress?
The answer seems to be right here in front of me. In fact, I hear them stirring in other parts of the house as I type.
Soon enough there will be laughter from the rooms below as Sam chases Paris, or Jake tells a joke, or as Matt turns on Sports Center to gather information about how and why the Bills are the team to beat this year.
Oh, yeah, and cut down on the caffeine.
Happy Birthday, Boss.
It didn't say anything about the Yankees having to play on the West Coast, waking up a couple of hours before the alarm, a full work schedule, and a new puppy.
Through the years I've been pretty adept at working my way through stress, but through the years I've also been able to figure out ways to handle my problems. The difficulties presented this year don't seem to have any quick answers and must learned to be lived through. Yet short of breaking into song, there are a few fool-proof ways to get to my happy place, right?
Well, today is Bruce's 60th birthday - in and of itself Bruce's birthday was always a chance to raise a glass - "Did you have a beer for Bruce?" was the question I'd get every September 23rd. I most likely will today, but he's on the cover of AARP this month - as my niece Nicole so succinctly put it the other day - "He's older then dirt." Knowing that Bruce is now 60 is stressful in and of itself.
Yet music has always been one thing that I've used to bust myself out of a bad mood. Perhaps I can try that today. I'll leave the Nebraska album home.
Food is also a good way to break the bitter mood. Pasta and a little seafood on a Wednesday night might just do the trick.
People tell me that running is a way to battle through malaise, but that doesn't seem to be on the agenda in the coming months. The problem I have with simply running is that with each step I wonder: "Why the hell am I running?"
The article in the News explained that a number of different vitamins helped do the trick. All good advice, I suppose, but when the stress article is sandwiched between the health care debate, the sinking economy, the 12 murders of the day, the DWI, poor Donte Whitner (the Bills player) losing $400,000 worth of jewelry...ah what the hell can you do?
And $400,000 worth of jewelry?
Quick, what could the burglars steal of yours that would be worth $400,000. I'd have to return home to find the house, the cars, the garage, the lawn furniture, the computers, the X-Box, and my front teeth missing.
Whitner didn't deserve to be robbed, but if you have $400,000 in jewelry, you probably don't have the stress of waking up two hours before the dawn to trudge through construction sites to prepare written reports one after another after another after another.
Yet I digress. How to handle the stress?
The answer seems to be right here in front of me. In fact, I hear them stirring in other parts of the house as I type.
Soon enough there will be laughter from the rooms below as Sam chases Paris, or Jake tells a joke, or as Matt turns on Sports Center to gather information about how and why the Bills are the team to beat this year.
Oh, yeah, and cut down on the caffeine.
Happy Birthday, Boss.
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