Stress relief in Wuxi

Newly renovated change rooms at Better Fitness.

I like to think of myself as a proactive person - if I have a problem, I deal with it. So, to protect myself from going mad from stress during the somewhat tense work circumstances at the moment, I've resorted to several stress relief methods.

Skewers of garlic - look out boys of Wuxi!

First one - exercise. If I could find a way to bottle the endorphins from exercise, I wouldn't need to work again! Exercise seems to cure most stress related feelings. The gym has finally finished their renovations, so I can exercise without breathing in fumes of who knows what. My training is going reasonably well for the marathon. My heart and lungs are feeling really fit and strong, but sometimes my legs just seem to die on me and get really tired and sore. I am going in a race next week in Shanghai, so that will be a great place to test my fitness!

Only the best sushi in Wuxi.

Second one - food. Mostly healthy food, so that's okay. But it's food all the same - not really a good stress relief when you're training for a half marathon and attempting to get a 'bikini' body ready for a beach holiday! After the news on Monday, I headed to a local Japanese restaurant to debrief over endless rounds of sushi and Kirin beer. Yesterday, I was so desperate for chocolate, I biked to the closest convenience store and upon discovering their lack of chocolate, bought several varieties of chocolate biscuits. But, today, I'm back on track with my healthy diet, having a 'detox' day to kick start my system again.

Looking extremely sexy in the massage outfit - the price you pay for relaxation!

Third stress relief method is massage. On Monday night, after stuffing myself with sushi, it was off down the road for a head and shoulders massage, where I was very close to falling asleep. And the last stress reliever is meditation. I have been meditating on and off for about 18 months now and I can really feel the benefits, particularly during times of stress. So, now I just have to continue looking after my body and my mind and see what the future brings!