• Weight: 138.2 lbs.
• Workout C: 31 minutes, 32 seconds; next: Workout C, June 10
• Total inches: 125.4
• Protein: 137g (7g over target)
• Calories: 2,191

I’m exercising. I’m eating consistently. But I’m not fully taking care of myself.

Stress is a killer. It could be from poor health, financial woes, family problems, terrible work situation or mental anxiety. I’m certainly dealing with a full plate of stress in getting my conference together to launch in 6 weeks.

And while I can still function and be fairly productive, it’s not a lot of fun. Stress is eating me up.

It’s affecting my sleep. It’s affecting my outlook. It’s making me feel depressed.

I’ve been told to take care of myself, but I haven’t listened very well. (Which, of course, compounds the stress.)

I can do a few simple things to take better care of myself …

1. Write down my fears and my solutions. Believe it or not, I had already done this months ago. Today, I printed them out so I could see my fears on paper. They’re much less scary than banging around my head over and over.

2. Breathe deeply for 5 minutes. I have set a daily reminder on my phone.

3. Do alternate exercise breaks. I am lazy, and Project Bulk embraces that willingness to do as little as possible. However, getting out for a walk or stopping to do 25 minutes of yoga isn’t just a mental break. It will help me with the rest of my day and ease my overall stress.

4. Write. Writing is one of the most relaxing things I do. But it takes time, so I often put it aside when I’m in heavy work mode. I’ll just have to snag some time here and there to write a few blog posts, even if work related (see this post, for example).

My calm exterior often belies the stress simmering underneath. I don’t have to let it fester. I can choose to take care of myself.

How do you deal with your stress? Have at it in the comments.