Reduce Stress with Spontaneity

By Dave Balch Blogger

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A friend of mine had just graduated from medical school. She was celebrating with a fellow student who had also just graduated, and they were at a nice restaurant.

When it came to dessert, there were about six choices and they just couldn’t decide.

My friend came up with a brilliant idea: “Let’s get all of them!”

That’s what they did and they got to taste them all. They didn’t finish them all, of course, but they did get to taste them all, giggling with glee at their “naughtiness.”

Expensive? Not really. Figure four extra desserts (they would have ordered two anyway) at about $7 each, so about $34 or so with tax and tip.

That’s only about $17 each. A pretty good price for a rompin’ good time, giving themselves a special wild and crazy treat, and creating a great story they can enjoy for years to come!

When I heard about that I thought it was a wonderful example of spontaneity that could be applied as a stress reducer. When you are stressed, perhaps doing something spontaneous just might relieve some of the pressure.

Go to a movie in the middle of the day. Stop at the mall on your way home from work. Get yourself a special treat of some sort, like an ice cream cone or your favorite candy bar.

The choices are endless. The feeling you get, though, is that wonderful feeling that you did something special for yourself.

This can also apply to doing things for others. We have a friend who just turned 80, so we took her out for dinner. We had a pleasant meal, and when it came time for dessert I let my wife and our friend agonize over what they wanted.

When the server came for our order I said, “One of each!” (You knew that was coming, didn’t you??)

The extra desserts: about $25. The fun and exhilaration of doing something spontaneous and out of the ordinary: priceless!

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Edited by Jody Smith

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We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.