Let’s face it. Life as an adult is stressful, especially these days with all the unrest in this country and the world.  Politics add stress.  Finances add stress.  Parenting adds stress. Social pressures to be perfect add stress.  What are we supposed to do to cope with all the stress in our lives?   I propose that we could find some hints for dealing with life from our pasts. I was certainly less affected by stress when I was five. Maybe there is something we can remember from childhood or observe in our own little ones that could help us to unplug from and deal with all the outside forces that stress us out.

I have a bit of an artistic bent so for me, crayons are the way to go. I new box of crayons brings me right back to childhood.  The possibilities are endless. A blank piece of paper or a coloring book and I am in the zone. I often feel like I don’t have to time for such a frivolous activity but I have come to the conclusion that it is the frivolities that I must make time for. When I pick up a crayon, I stop focussing on what worries me and I start deciding on the right color for the puppy’s nose or the flower petals. I stop worrying about the dishes and the laundry for a few minutes and focus on a simple activity that is good for my soul.  Even ten minutes has a calming effect.  There is a reason that adult coloring books now exist. They are therapeutic.

When I was young, my mom used to send us outside to play – probably so we wouldn’t mess up the house- but I think she had a good idea. Playing outside is good for the mind, body and soul. Playing outside is different things to different people. Go for a walk. Sit on the porch with a book. Plant some flowers.  Heck, play tag with your kids if your kids will get off their phones and your knees can take it. All these activities can be great stress relievers. Forget about the responsibilities of adulthood for half an hour.  They will still be there when you go back inside.

I would also like to start a movement to bring back the sleepover.  Some of my best childhood memories involve staying up half the night with friends, eating pizza and talking about everything that was important to us at the time. There may be some differences now. We may want to upgrade to not sleep on the floor and we may want to improve the menu.  Well… maybe not.  We need to spend time with our friends.  We still have stuff to talk about.  Maybe stuff that isn’t meant to be discussed in passing at church or the mall but real stuff that matters to us, that weighs on us, that can only be said in the presence of people you love and trust. Having those folks around helps us to feel better and restores a sense of calm and it’s fun.  We need fun.

Take a nap.  You are going to need one after the sleepover anyway. I have a lot of trouble relaxing enough to take a nap during the day.  There is so much I am trying to get done. But I am making an attempt to at least sit and do nothing once in a while without feeling guilty about what I am not doing while I am sitting. If I grab my crayons or a book and I am doing a little something, I feel a little better about it. Baby steps. We know that naps are good for our little ones.  There is not an age cap on naps.  Life is less stressful on more sleep.

In order to survive adulthood, we must escape from it once in a while. Lately, the world has brought fear and uncertainty to the forefront. We can’t ignore that fact, but we can try to cope by holding on to the simple things that can bring so much joy and comfort to our lives.