Video Games!!!

"How old are you?"

You have no idea how many times Russell asked me that before he figured out that I was just engaging in a distraction technique. Now, he tells me to go whack someone (in Mafia Wars).

While I am playing games, I am not thinking about anything except the motions of my hands and the images on the screen. Contemplate distraction...

• No worrying.
• No "what if".
• No stress.

Is there a secret to it? Well, of course there is. If there weren't, your psychiatrist would have told you about it and lost his fee.

Choose a distraction which builds self-esteem or confidence, does not cause anxiety or stress and engages or (in my case) disengages your brain. Need some suggestions?

• Video games where you play free style (no opponents or timers)
• Meditation (sense of well being)
• Exercise which does not cause pain (sense of self-confidence)
• Hobbies, especially ones which craft a finished product (sense of accomplishment)
• Visiting, especially someone who has no one else or is having a hard time (sense of perspective)
• Reading
• Driving with the window down or the sunroof open
• Bathing, especially using aromatherapy
• Massage or salon care
• Journaling, blogging or writing
• Pet care, brushing and petting

Need some things to avoid?

• Eating, and cooking unless you are doing it for someone else
• Drinking alcohol (It is a depressant.)
• Narcotics, prescribed or illegal
• Speeding
• Visiting people who contribute to your anxiety or stress

If you are stressed, how are your children feeling? Remember, children (and pets) are very attuned to your stress level. Since they depend on you, take care of their mental health as well.

Schedule regular exercise and social activities for and with your children. Use stress relieving deep pressure or massage while you speak to them. Cuddle.

Play. Yes, strap on an eye patch and make yourself a cardboard sword (or grab a pool noodle) and live the pirate life with your children. Who cares how ridiculous you look? Your children do. They know to trust your guidance when THEY can relate to your inner child.

So, when you are tired of being an adult...stop.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with return to the mental time when the only thing you worried about was being caught (even before the forensic science boom) putting the muddy shoe prints on your mother's freshly mopped linoleum.

Chin up,
Ann Marie

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