That's just so much to deal with. I guess the opposite side of it is you won't be bored. :)

How I deal with stress depends on the stress. Sometimes I eat. Sometimes I avoid, and watch TV or read to shut out the reality that's bothering me. Sometimes if I am very wound up, I will work myself into physical exhaustion in the garden or on some other manual task.

Sometimes I shop. :) Nothing like spending money to make you feel like you have control over the world -- until you get the bill, of course.

Writing stress for me means, like you, writing like a maniac until the stress is gone.

Did I mention eating?

There's always sex as well, though stress can take a toll there, depending.

Whatever you do, I hope you manage to find some peace of mind...

Sam

Stress can be a good thing... as you are saying it permits to write like a maniac which is very positive!

However, it is always nice to have some very short period of times when we can relax, even in hectic times... sleeping helps me, because when I wake up I am refreshed and also I am quite productive!

Oh, Sarah, this is bringing back some vivid memories of when John & I got married; he proposed to me a week before I was offered a job overseas. I was told I needed to report to my new assignment in just six weeks and that if I wanted to bring him, we'd need to be married...so my mom threw a wedding together in just four weeks, we packed up all our worldly goods and moved to Europe. He'd given up a great career to come with me, but over there he had no job and was pretty much turned away by everyone. We had no car, no money, no place to call our own, and for those first five months, until we found a permanent place to live and could get our household goods delivered, had to wear whatever clothing we'd packed into those four suitcases (think woolens, when it was rapidly morphing into summer). I'd come home from work every night thinking, "Tonight's the night he won't be there. He'll call and say he's at the airport, heading back to Boston." But he hung in there, and eventually things did get better. But I remember thinking that if I could just get through one day at a time...one hour at a time...one minute at a time...

And I drank a lot of wine, LOL!!

If you can keep your sense of humor, that's more than half the battle, I think. That, and a few bottles of good wine! Good luck with everything!

I'm with Sam--you're making my blood pressure go up! Yowza!

It sounds like you've got tons on your plate and probably just need to put your head down and work through it as best you can--one thing at a time (or three!) and in a month, you'll be on the other side of this, having a spa day with your freshly massaged and pedicured feet up and a lovely glass of something in hand while someone finishes up your mani...

I'm generally terrible at dealing with stress. I either eat a ton and drink caffeine, which then makes it really hard to sleep; or if it's sufficiently insane, I manage to forget to eat, and then rip someone's head off for something insignificant because I'm famished--basically I'm bonkers! Sometimes a long hot shower is helpful, and a few deep breaths.

All the best!!

ETA, wow, Karen--what you accomplished is nothing short of amazing!

My cure for stress (which works sometimes and not others) is to curl up with a book and read ( I can lose myself in a book and ignore everything going on around me). At other times I go to bed and sleep for a while.

I'm with Sam and Karen - sex and wine... lots of both :-D

When I'm stressed, all I want to do is curl up and forget life. When that doesn't work, my control-freak tendencies come into play and I try and organize everything within my control just to feel like I have some semblance of say in the craziness. (obviously I'm good at fooling myself LOL).

Hugs on all the craziness!!! Maybe if you wear the shoes alot during the changes, they'll be easier to deal with? I mean... good shoes make a lot of things easier, right?

The best way to relax from stress is to read a good book, while some nice music is playing in the background. Helps a lot for me and in the last few months I had to do it again

Sarah -- good luck with the next few weeks. That's some crazy stress. My only remedy and it always works for me is give yourself an hour for exercise whenever you can. Even 20 minutes. Anything to get some endorphins going --- good luck.

Molly O'Keefe
Harlequin Superromance
Baby Makes Three 11/07 RT TOP PICK!!
A Man Worth Keeping 04/08

What do I do? I usually escape with a quilt and a good book. What actually helps and so I should actually do it instead? Exercise. Sex or otherwise. LOL!

Good luck with everything the next few weeks, Sarah!! Your schedule sounds totally like something I would get myself into. :-D

Speaking of 4 letter words I read somewhere that every time you say the word diet you should wash your mouth out with chocolate. I liked that idea. Talking a walk outside sometimes clears my head or calling a good friend. Good luck and take care of yourself

Reading is my stress reliever...always has been! That is why I love authors so much...they give me plenty of great books to read!

I take a long bubblebath with a good book.

Sarah, Sending Lots of HUGS your way. Hugs from friends and people who care, always help me to relieve at least some of the stress that life brings my way. When Hugs don't work, I call a friend and invite them to go shopping with me. A day out with a good friend, and lunch at a nice restaurant usually does the trick.

I hope you find at least some time to relax and enjoy the Holiday season. I'm wishing you all the best, and I hope that the New Year brings you all that you wish for. Hugs, Mads