Stress Less While Shopping

Follow these tips for stress-free shopping this holiday season.

How to cope with common shopping stressors:

Tune out noise. Tote an MP3 player and listen to calming songs to drown out screaming kids and Muzak.

Be nice to your feet. Skip stylish heels and slip into your workout shoes for a long trek around the mall.

Come clean. The last thing you need is a cold. Keep germs at bay by carrying hand sanitizer for times when you can’t easily wash up.

Watch your back. Don’t pull a muscle lugging hefty bags. Ask if the shopping center has locked storage, or make mini trips to the car.

Stay cool. Mall air can be overheated, so leave coats in the car.

Beware odor overload. Avoid headaches by steering clear of perfumeries and candle, soap and coffee shops.

Be e-smart. Shopping online? Take plenty of breaks to avoid eyestrain and wrist problems.

From Reader's Digest - December 2007

 

• • Stress Relief
• • Mind & Body
• • Stress
• • Shopping Guides

• Great Gifts That Are Fun to Make
• Family and friends will appreciate the extra thought put into these holiday gifts.
• 
• 79 Instant Stress-Busters
• Find immediate relaxation with these easy instant de-stressing techniques.
• 
• Stress at Work Could Be Killing You
• Stress management tips for the workplace.
• 
• Is Stress Making You Fat?
• It doesn't have to! Here's how to fight back like our ancestors did.
• 

“ Once a day, sit in a quiet, dim room, close your eyes, and focus on one word. This helps reduce stress and decreases your susceptibility to colds. ”

• See All Tips

• Be Inspired
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• 7 Amazing Stories, $700,000 to Charity
• Virginia Cervasio: Making It Matter
• PLUS:
• Quiz: What's Your Celebrity Cause IQ?

As he reviewed pilot crash reports, my Air Force military science professor stumbled upon this understated entry: "After catastrophic engine failure, I landed long. As I had no power, the landing gear failed to deploy and no braking was available. I bounced over the stone wall at the end of the runway, struck the trailer of a truck while crossing the perimeter road, crashed through the guardrail, grazed a large pine tree, ran over a tractor parked in the adjacent field, and hit another tree. Then I lost control." 

-- John D. Millard