Tennis Ball: Key to Stress Relief

Ree Jackson
3 min readMar 18, 2019
Photo by Ben Hershey on Unsplash

I have spent a fortune on gadgets for trying to rid my life of stress.

My life is truly a gift, but I am balancing a job, a small business, and a family. Things get complicated. I’m looking for a way to take care of myself mentally and physically.

To deal with anxiety and the feeling of being overwhelmed, I sought all kinds of solutions. Bought nearly a dozen yoga mats. Inhaled untold numbers of essential oils with names like “Refresh,” “Breathe,” “Mindful.” Took classes to Learn how to belly breathe so I could calm my nervous system. Read book after book on how to find my path to peace.

This mad search for peace just created more stress, as I spent my time and money on stuff that just didn’t work. I was getting desperate.

Stress manifests itself in so many ways in my body. In the past, my hair has fallen out, I’ve suffered from digestive issues, and I feel generally worn out and run down. I was determined to find a solution for my problems.

Then, my solution magically appeared.

My yoga teacher asked me to attend a new workshop she was hosting. It was with a massage expert who would explain the value of “roll and release” self-care with foam rollers. She told me attendance was low and she was worried she would have to cancel the…

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Ree Jackson

Helping people through career trauma. Sharing thoughts on kindness, health, parenting, and politics too. Author of the ebook Reject Revolution. Be well.