Why the twitching?

Ever have one of your eyes start twitching for seemingly no reason? Twitching can be annoying, and most of the time twitching is associated with a high stress level. So this post is going to be about... STRESS REDUCTION! Yay!

I will share a bit of my personal experience over the weekend, and talk a bit about how running has changed my attitude and allowed me to lower my stress level. Over the weekend I ran the Grandfather Mountain Marathon in North Carolina. This was my first full marathon, and it happens to be one of the more difficult ones because of the many hills and the altitude. I trained in Florida, which is about as flat as it gets and not at all high altitude. So this made the race a bit challenging for me. However, the views during the race were splendid; I felt like I was in another country. The mountains, the trees, the fog... hard to explain. The beauty of nature definitely helped me get through the many miles of running.

Over the past few years, running has been a great stress reliever for me. There are many ways to relieve stress. If you are having eyelid twitching, try one or more of these potential stress relievers:

• Art (painting, pottery, sculpture)
  


• Music (ever play the drums? great way to get some anger out!)



• Meditation (great way to clear your mind)



• Yoga (and you get the added benefit of increased flexibility)



• Martial arts (The Ninja Turtles had the right idea)



• Gardening (for all those with a green thumb)



• Have a spa day (you deserve it!)
  

Different things work for different people. One person's stress reliever might actually cause stress for another person. So try a few different things to see what works best for you. We all have stress in our lives, and it's up to you to find ways to control that stress. Stress not only affects your eyes, but can have all kinds of health consequences. Do yourself a favor and take some time to figure out what relieves your stress.

I'll leave you with a bit of inspiration from Lance Armstrong's book: You have the power and the responsibility to make this day the best day possible, and then string the days of your life together in a way that brings you happiness.

Have a wonderful Tuesday.