Freeky Friday: Stress Busters

<center><a href=http://www.facebook.com/pages/Freekware/128889363837099" target="_blank"><img alt="Freeky Friday" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcFaHrADcAFqGCYQj6Sq9IhVJcw9I0t-CtGbw-lwFZs424zxBvjLXkpYpmt1SAwUx47S4JH6QsgkPonVIxsDpGMUu6DPCaRKRkiCv_GpFG74o7Q3NF1G3ulHT78jiP8R4zk2VCuJmJ44I/"/></a></center>

Welcome back to another Freeky Friday! This week's topic:

What's your secret weapon for stress relief?

For those of you who just found my blog and/or haven't listened to a word I've ever said, I am a grad student. Needless to say, I'm pretty much always stressed out, so I've had to develop a pretty versatile arsenal of stress-busting tactics. Many of these strategies involve running away and socializing, but since that's not always within my control, I thought I'd use today's post to talk about things that I do, specifically, without the help of my lovely companions. With apologies that all of my posts lately tend to be lists, I'd like to present to you my Top 5 Secret Weapons for Stress Relief, in no particular order.

Central Park

Sometimes, you just need to get out of the house. Now some people will tell you that I don't like nature. They are wrong. I like nature - when it is neatly contained between 59th and 110th Streets and 5th Avenue and Central Park West. I love that Central Park has a million different places for me to relax, some closer to me and far less touristy than the ones you're told to visit. Whether I'm walking around the Ramble or enjoying a free spontaneous show at Bethesda Terrace, it is my favorite.

A Good Book

(Source: Lambda Literary)

Sometimes it is raining and you still need to get out of the house. This is when I usually hide in a bakery or a Whole Foods with a book that is conveniently broken up into short stories or unrelated chapters. That way, I can drop it at any time and pick it up whenever I am no longer blind from reading so much for school. I finished Bossypants in about a day. I've been working on I Shudder since spring break, and loving every minute of it. Demetri Martin's This Is A Book is next.

Stress Baking

Sometimes you just need to create. This is by far what I am best known for. In fact, I have a whole blog about it. Baking calms me down. It is consistent. It is repetitive. Even if it is not perfect, it is delicious. And most of all, it is a crowd pleaser. Nothing makes me happier than making my friends smile. Bonus: Hand mixing batter and running around my kitchen like a crazy person is the only workout I consistently enjoy.

Instant Netflix

(Source: Beta News)

Sometimes you do not want to get out of bed. This is my automatic, go-to stress buster. My TV is hooked up to my Blu-ray player, so I watch Netflix more than I watch actual, aired television. From movies I've never seen to episodes of 30 Rock I can recite by memory, my Instant Queue is ridic, and I'm always up for suggestions.

Fruit Ninja

(Source - Fruit Ninja)

And finally, sometimes you just need a 90-second, on the spot, no matter what you're doing stress reliever. Fruit Ninja is by far my favorite app on my iPhone for exactly this reason. What could be better than slicing up apples with your fingers that are somehow magically ninja blades? A lot of the time, you're in an anxiety-inducing situation that you cannot escape from, but nine times out of ten, you can take sixty seconds to slice up some fruit, take a deep breath, and return to your consciousness.

Are you getting freeky this Friday? Tell us your secret stress-busting weapon! You can participate in three different ways:

• Write a blog post using the badge html above, then comment on my post with a link to your post
• Tweet your answer using the tag #FreekyFriday
• "Like" the Freekware Facebook page, then comment on there with your answer.

This is the last Friday in June, so it's your last chance to enter to win some Brownie-covered Oreos as well as a contribution to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in your name. Remember, if you blog, tweet, and comment on Facebook, you'll be entered three times!

Winners for June's Freeky Friday will be announced Monday, June 27th at 10:00 am, Eastern time.


Next Friday (7/1) starts a whole new freekin' month! Your topic:

What's your favorite Fourth of July memory?
(For our international Freeks, we still want to hear about your favorite summer memories!)

A new month means a new giveaway! Every time you post, tweet or comment in the month of July, you'll be entered to win some Peanut Butter S'mores Bites and a contribution to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in your name. There are five Fridays in July, so if you blog, tweet, and comment every week, you'll be entered fifteen times!

Hop to it, Freek Nation! See you next week!