Feeling Stressed? Make a Mess!

Feeling stressed? Sometimes life can be overwhelming. And that's ok- as long as you've got a strategy to shimmy out from beneath it before it becomes a burden. Me? I get creative about it. It's about the only way I know how to decompress and get back to center. When I'm feeling overloaded I allow myself a mini sabbatical from life and I start writing. It doesn't matter what. I place the pen on the paper and see where it takes me. Do I have time? Usually not. But I learned that if you're going to resolve to make yourself a priority you've got to make the time. No one else is going do it for you, that's a promise. Creating with words is my thing. Maybe it's yours, too. No matter what your medium is, challenge yourself to produce something unusual and free of expectations today. This is your permission slip to:

• Be brave.
• Scribble.
• Spill it.
• Scrawl it.
• Smash it.
• Dump it.
• Color outside the lines.
• Enjoy.

 You'll feel lighter, accomplished and dare I say, pretty proud of yourself. And little do you know, you'll be getting in touch with your deepest self in the process. Seeing stuff that maybe you didn't even know you had in you. Remember, there are no rules. When you step away to admire your work, it may not look gorgeous- but at least it's out there where you can see it. And 'out there' is so much better than keeping it hidden 'in there'.  Whenever you release something, you create space for more of the wonder that life has to offer. Besides, you never know. What you create when you're feeling stressed could turn into your finest work; a masterpiece fueled by pure, unadulterated, raw emotion. Most of the time, those are the best ones. Stuck on your escape route? Doodle, sketch, finger paint, rubber stamp something, or grab your colored pencils and escape to a Secret Garden, an Enchanted Forest, or a Lost Ocean. 

How do you decompress? Let us know in the comments.