…………. And Breathe!

We all have times in our lives when we get stressed.  Life throws a spanner in the works, we have to deal with unexpected illness in a friend or family member,  the car stops working for no good reason, the budget is stretched so far that it snaps………..

As many of you will be aware, my family has been adjusting to a new set of circumstances with my son’s move to London and the attendant messing about with somewhere to live and starting his lectures.  It has been hugely stressful, and will probably continue to be so for quite a while yet.

I came across an article on the website of the American Institute of Stress.  It states “Just as stress is different for each of us there is no stress reduction strategy that is a panacea……….. Stress is an unavoidable consequence of life. There are some stresses like the loss of a loved one that you can’t hope to avoid and others that you can prevent or influence. The trick is in learning how to distinguish between the two so that you’re not constantly frustrated like Don Quixote tilting at windmills……..”

Knitting is one way to reduce stress.  I don’t know if it is the calm repetition of the same actions, the fact that you are actually achieving and creating, focus on one action, is it like a mantra as I work through the endless stitches – a fibre Hail Mary?  The article goes on to say “Many consider knitting to be the “new yoga”, since it provides similar benefits but can be practiced anywhere, whenever you want, and for any length of time. Like yoga, knitting forces those who practice it to slow down, take a break from the rush of everyday tasks, to look at the parts that make the whole, and to expand themselves both mentally and physically. ”

Whatever the mechanics of it, thank goodness for knitting!

If you have any stress bustng tips  - how about sharing?