Stress Relief vs Release

Hello there!  It’s been a little longer than what I was hoping for to get this blog post out so Bear With Me Please as I have something I have been pondering about – Stress Relief vs Release.

We all have stress we deal with all the time and it is perfectly normal. Stress comes to us in varying ways and at varying times daily, during the holidays, starting a new job, buying a new house, retiring, etc the list goes on and on.   To some starting a new job is no big deal, to others however it may be very stressful. We handle our own stress uniquely, in ways that keep us afloat and whatever makes sense to us, which is how it should be.

In the world today there is so much to be stressed about.  So bear with me please as I walk through this. With all that is going on around us, natural disasters, federal government layoffs that may or may not be affecting you personally, the economy which could be impacting your financial future, political leaders, raising prices of groceries and/or fuel, do you seek relief or release?

To be honest I haven’t actually thought about it before, relief vs release.

Relief: something you do to ease pain (physical or mental) – i.e. medication, getting help when needed, knowing someone is safe.

Release: to be set free from bondage or confinement, to let go –  i.e. free from prison, releasing balloons, or releasing the brake.

Thinking about these two words made me stop and wonder, when I do things to deal with stress is it a relief or a release?  One of my most favorite activities is line dancing and every one of my peeps will agree that I get so much joy out of it. I have contemplated if it’s the music or the dancing itself that I love the most, and realistically… it is both. I absolutely love music and dancing.  Music speaks to my heart and dancing lets me express the passion I feel in it.

Music matches my emotions, I play according to how I feel at that time. Music is so powerful because it can actually change my mood as well. When I am stressed is when I find it the hardest to pick what playlist I want (yep, most of my music is saved and streamed on Spotify): rock and roll, country, pop, classical, or the classics…. I just keep looking until a song or artist piques my interest, what a relief. Ah, it’s a relief to find the music that will help me with my mood, my stress. I also know that I will be dancing this week, whether it’s line dancing at Wednesday’s class or headed out to some live music with my sweetheart on the weekend, I know it’s coming… what a relief.

So, that’s it, it’s a relief for me. But wait, if it’s a relief to listen to music and know I get to dance, wouldn’t it be a release to actually get to dance? I believe so. Dancing is a way for me to release the energy that has built up from all the stress I’ve felt bondage to. It’s a way to express myself and dance away the negativity of the day, moment, year… At least that’s the way I see it. 

What are your thoughts?  What do you do to relieve or release your stress?  I would love to hear your feedback on ways to conquer the confinement or bondage of stress, ways to ease the pain.