A Little Bit Stressed

If you don't know, I have a job that can been very stressful. I've been with child and family services as a social worker for about seven and a half years now. I've been through more cases than I care to think about and usually I think I handle things pretty well. But these last couple of months have been insane. Maybe it's because I am getting ready to go on vacation, but I don't think I am alone in my office with what seems to be a higher stress level than usual. In the last two months, I've taken a nine-year-old to the State Hospital, got a new severe physical abuse case and am trying to get this little one to her parents in another country - dealing with the red-tape of paperwork, another new case with a one-year-old (give or take a few months) with several broken bones that no one can explain and who has already been removed before, supervised visits with a family where mom still doesn't get it and can't understand the most basic visitation rules and the kids know how to run all over mom and do, had a judge order if this same mom started harassing me in any way I should contact the court so they could take care of it, had mother call me all sorts of names after telling me I hadn't done my job because I hadn't made her appointments for her and then storm out of the meeting flipping me off in the process, and then still had to do the normal monthly home visits, random court dates, logs and whatever other fun stuff comes with the job. Plus, there's been the normal (and much loved) stress of the holidays, trying to find the energy and desire to do things around the house (doesn't happen so much), fulfilling callings in church, and, oh yeah, to family members in and out of the hospital in the last two weeks. This would be why on my kind of days off (yep, I'm still working two jobs because I really do need the "fun" job) it can be really hard to leave my bed or get out of my pajamas. The dream day is any day with nothing on the calendar and much of that day is spent with a book - sometimes completely mindless, sometimes thought provoking. I am hoping that just writing it all down puts it out into the universe and lets it move on. If not, the vacation is in 39 days and I am so ready and in need!

Until then, any one have some great, cheap stress reduction ideas they'd like to share. I'm open to suggestions!