We all have it; we live with it daily: stress. As America's #1 health problem, surveys, reports and studies have been done concerning this epidemic. Meditation, massages and reading are some of the many ways for you to alleviate stress levels. Doctors hand out pills; insurance rates go up; you pay to learn meditation, to talk to a therapist or for a massage therapist to give you a massage. Day after day, week after week . . . this is a never-ending cycle. The fact is you need to, and can, control your stress simply and cost effectively.
Rest is what we do to let stress subside. Doing fun things that we enjoy in our leisure time compensates us for the unpleasant stress we experience at work, bringing some balance back into life. This is particularly important if we routinely experience unpleasant levels of stress. (Permission from, Mind Tools material is published by Mind Tools Ltd of Signal House, Station Road, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 8DY, United Kingdom)
So lets get this straight, you have stress. You want to get rid of stress. To rid yourself of stress you must rest! OK that is simple enough. Now how does this relate to you and outdoor furniture? Remember when you were much younger, before life's stressors attached themselves to you? Riding a bike, going fishing, swimming, playing with friends? Having a seat next to Grandpa and Grandma, listening to their stories? How relaxed they looked, how fascinating the experience was?
I have fond memories of summers gone by of my Grandparent's property on a small little lake in northern Michigan, all it had was a boat house, a dock, a fire pit, and of course the picnic table, and a few lounge chairs. The chairs weren't fancy, really quite simple, the old style fold up chairs, and then there was Grandma's favorite outdoor patio wood chair. I didn't know the name of the style then, but I knew it was hers, if she was around no one sat in it, except her. That chair now belongs to my Uncle Richard, I know he has had to work on it, some regluing, some added screws, a new varnish job. But it does bring back those old memories still to this day. I go visit my uncle, to relieve stress, to visit those good old days and memories of simpler times. We all would love to go back in time. I know you do, or want to, don't you...
Whether it is a chair, a swing, lounger or any kind of outdoor furniture, they do allow you to relax, to enjoy life, to feel good again. Read a book, sit and bask in the warmth of the sun, a cool drink at your side, the sound of the wind, hearing natures sounds or just a good old fashioned nap will do what you need, rest and relieve yourself of stress. Now that you are feeling a little better, time for a new wake up call!
Here is a typical situation, each fall you have to put the furniture away into storage for the bad weather of winter. If you live in an area that doesn't have snow, you don't have to but you do cover it for all the rain and cold. Every spring you pull it out again, clean it, maybe paint or varnish it, reweb the webbing, tighten the screws, fix it up for the summer again. Every 2-10 years you have to replace it, because of age. Plastic furniture gets brittle, metal gets rusty, oak and cedar does rot out eventually, aluminum gets wore out, bent or worse...breaks. This adds stress to your life, even if it is just for a short time. True, summer time does allow most of that stress to disappear. Now then the cost of replacement, repairs, your time getting it ready, and the extra space used for storage does add up! For example a good cedar adirondack chair costs close to $300 and lasts for about 4 years, if you don't do anything at all except use it, about $77 dollars a year plus upkeep, varnish, your time, etc. A good oak chair will cost a little more, around $350 and lasts about 6 years. Let us say we treat it just the same as the cedar chair, now you have about $60 a year plus varnish, paint, upkeep and so on. Hmmm sounds a bit costly to me. Still sounds like stress to me.
OK time to really get rid of stress, outdoor furniture made from teak wood, yep that really expensive stuff. That same style chair, the adirondack, in teak it costs around $660! Wow that is expensive! Oh my I'm having a heart attack...oh nope just a bad attempt at humor. Seriously, yes teak is expensive, but here is something for you to think about, ready? Teak lasts 75 years, leave it outside, don't even cover it, don't varnish it, don't do anything but clean it now and then, and enjoy! This means more room in that storage shed for other stuff, you don't have to pack it away, or pull it out any more! Just wash it down now and then. Less stress...hmmm...virtually no work, more time to relax, to enjoy life....OK wait a minute you might be asking about now, hey he told me about how much that other stuff cost me a year and he hasn't said a thing about this teak stuff and how expensive it is...OK, OK one adirondack chair made from teak, less then $9.00 a year and no work!
Less stress means you can live longer, less heart problems, less to worry about diabetes, less headaches, less muscle aches. See, any outdoor furniture that you use will allow you to release stress, that is a given. Teak outdoor furniture will relieve more stress, easier for you.
Is this a blatant article about my products? Yes it is, but I want you to think about releasing some of that stress you are feeling. Read, walk, relax, take up a hobby, stop and smell some roses, no rushing around, no pushing yourself to the limit. Just sit down, relax and enjoy your life!
I want to personally thank you for reading this. Hopefully you will get a bit of a laugh and something new to think about.
Sincerely,
Bruce Gokey
Co-Owner of vanbar's outdoor patio furniture
vanbar's outdoor patio furniture, All Rights Reserved. VanBar grants unlimited license to reproduce this article, unaltered, on websites and e-zines, with the condition that all links and this notice are preserved.
shuttle to Midway Beardstown .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareSuccess in recovery, or rather, staying in recovery, is dependent... Read More
Punch a pillowScream into a pillowTurn on your favorite music... Read More
We've all been there, right? We find ourselves living with... Read More
In our article about Exercise & Stress, we looked at... Read More
There is one sure fire medicine that cures all difficulty... Read More
Over the years I've collected scores of comics and cartoons... Read More
As tools for change are discussed, one tool - that... Read More
* Play Romane's stress control seminar recordings, and read "The... Read More
Have you ever said the words, "This job/my life is... Read More
Do you ever fret? In today's materialistic age, sometimes fretting... Read More
If you find symptoms of anxiety disorder in any of... Read More
Stress can affect virtually any part of the body and... Read More
One of the best ways to combat stress and depression... Read More
Self-Care Strategies:Substantial breakfast daily Regular sleeping habits (minimum of 7... Read More
Question 1"How do I get more time to play?"Answer: Schedule... Read More
Many people recognise the warning signs that stress may be... Read More
More than two-thirds of visits to doctors' surgeries are for... Read More
Everyone knows that stress isn't good - that it can... Read More
Stress. The word brings to mind many different definitions doesn't... Read More
Did you ever feel like your "get-up-and-go" got up and... Read More
What do you do when you wake up in the... Read More
Learning methods of stress elimination is a vital skill in... Read More
ExcusesWe all have them. It amazes me how creative I... Read More
Who hasn't experienced "worry" at one time or another? Almost... Read More
Are you a "worry wart?" Is that term familiar to... Read More
Green Bay Hummer H2 SUV rentals ..Voice: Bill!Bill: I thought I heard a voice.Voice: Bill! This... Read More
The Mask of "I've Got It All Together"It's so easy... Read More
Elizabeth, 32, cried during anger management class as she told... Read More
Everyone knows that stress isn't good - that it can... Read More
Adversity is an unavoidable part of life. Death of a... Read More
Do you have the desire for a stress free life?... Read More
Why is it that some people become totally stressed when... Read More
Learning methods of stress elimination is a vital skill in... Read More
Meditation, relaxation and visualisation are the standard recommendations for reducing... Read More
Seems like more and more they are all around us.... Read More
Quote of the week"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." Leonardo da... Read More
All people experience stress and anxiety in one form or... Read More
Something the successful business person needs is - lots of... Read More
Did you know that more than half of our adult... Read More
Let's face it! The majority of our time is either... Read More
Marshal John Kruger acted by Arnold Schwarzenegger (who else) in... Read More
In the fast-paced world that we live in today, it... Read More
Of all the sources of stress in our lives, faulty... Read More
Ask a hundred different people how to deal with stress... Read More
Q. I have just recently come to recognize that I... Read More
You probably think I'm wacko, but it's true - stress... Read More
If you find symptoms of anxiety disorder in any of... Read More
When was the last time you took a day just... Read More
Panic.Heart racing. Palms sweating. Breathing rapid and shallow. Mouth dry.... Read More
IntroductionTime magazine called stress the "The Epidemic of the Eighties".... Read More
Stress Management |