I'm happy to report that I have gone to the gym two nights in a row. On Tuesday night, my friend's friend taught us this series of 12 exercises using free weights. So last night, I did a half hour on the treadmill then did the series. I'm happy to be a member of the going to the gym club, but not liking the mindset I have about my own body recently thats causing me to go (namely, yes my stomach is flat but it's not as attractive because it's not toned, etc). I need to not compare myself to other people and remember my self-respect... I have lost it in the last two weeks, but that's another story. It's not permanent though.

A asked in her blog what people do to relieve stress. I found out a while back that my blood has too much oxygen in it -- the balance is off. This is caused by taking shallow breaths a lot, which people do when they are stressed (like mini-hyperventilating). So I learned a breathing exercise that I probably do throughout the day every day (at least during the work week). It's based on the same concept of blowing into a paper bag when you have a panic attack-- you want more carbon dioxide in your system to have a calming effect (and restore the balance in your blood). So what you do is purse your lips like a straw and blow the air out through your mouth somewhat forcefully. Since there is just a small opening for the air to exit, this forces back some of the carbon dioxide, which is a good thing. It looks funny though, but it works.