When I find myself flipping out and wanting to chew my fingernails to bloody stubs, I have to take a step back from my life, notice the beautiful things around me and look for the first thing I can find that takes me away from my source of stress. Cups of hot tea with milk and honey, bubble baths and great books can all create journeys through life without being concerned about tests, men or friendships. Pets are spectacular for these journeys as well. I have two cats that have never known stress in all of their nine lives. They spend their days sleeping, eating cat food and wandering aimlessly from one sunny spot to another.
Experts say that owning a cat can significantly reduce stress.
I think they reduce my stress by forcing me to notice that life can continue without the incessant need to be perfect. I hate saying this, but maybe it is the media that has put too much pressure on everyone. From huge Hollywood stars to the dentist next door, there is immense scrutiny. The perfection seen on television on a daily basis is blinding. Women in Hollywood are suddenly a wispy remnant of what might have been a human form at some point.