This is a guest post from Chelle who writes about relationships on her blog itmightbelove.com.

Recently I noticed Damien asked a question in his post about what we want and what we need:

What is your “thing” you can do today to relax your body and awaken your creativity?

Having a similiarly hectic life to everyone else I try to at least once a day do something to help me relax and clear my head - otherwise I would probably be spinning in circles most of the time. Most of the things you can do to find inspiration and clear your mind don’t take a lot of effort or time to do.
Here are 25 Ways to Find Inspiration, Relax, and Clear Your Mind:

1. Music: No matter what my mood is or what I need to get done, music is a BIG source of inspiration. There’s music to fit any mood and sometimes just hearing certain songs can make you feel good. Playing guitar or piano (even if you’re not necessarily a rock star!) is another great creative outlet to find a little inspiration and/or clear your head.

2. Nature: The world is a beautiful place, and yet most of the time we’re too busy to enjoy it. Whether you decide to watch the sky or just go for a walk in the woods, it can instantly make you feel less stressed and help get that creativity going again.

3. People Watching: Sometimes its easy to be overwhelmed by the people we encounter daily through work or school or our families. But watching complete strangers can give you the opportunity to view life from someone else’s eyes. You can guess what they might be thinking or feeling or going through. You might find some ideas pretty easily by watching someone else for just a few minutes.

4. Take a Road Trip: A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to drive 2 hours in a car all by myself. No kids screaming – just me, my car, and the open road. It was amazing! It was the first time I had driven that long by myself – I forgot how much a road trip could instantly clear your mind and inspire you!

5. Photographs: Thanks to the power of the internet, there are millions of photos to take a look at and use for inspiration. If you like to take photographs, why not take a day sight seeing and snapping shots? Taking some time to go out and take pictures can be a great source for inspiration and relaxation.

6. Dreams: Dreams can be very powerful in giving you insight in your life. If you have problems remembering dreams, all you need to do is get into a habit of writing about what your dreams were – even if very hazy or foggy at first. You’ll start remembering very vivid details before long. Understanding your dreams is one step to understanding yourself better – and even if the dream is complete nonsense it may give you a few good ideas! A good night’s rest can do wonders as well!

7. Great Food: Inspiration can come from waking up your senses and taste is no exception. Maybe its comfort food or something exquisite. Sometimes ice cream makes everything all better too. If you tend to be overindulgent a lot, cutting back to healthier eating habits can also help improve your mood and help you concentrate.

8. Aromatherapy: Sure, a lot of people will roll their eyes at the thought of candles and incense and all of that. But smell is another important sense that when stimulated can help you instantly relax. Recently I used an old real estate trick to put a few teaspoons of vanilla on a pan in the oven to warm. The whole house radiated of a warm fuzzy baking cookies smell that put everyone instantly in a good mood. Lavender is also another smell that most people respond well too.

9. Touch: While we’re on the subject of the senses, touch is another that we often forget to nurture. Whether you hold someone’s hand, sign up for a day at a local spa for a massage, rub your dog’s belly, or just wear you most favorite worn out t-shirt– the things your body touches and come into contact with can have a big affect on your mood and your creativity.

10. Close Family/Friends: The people we are the closest to are typically the ones we take for granted the most. Take a time-out and really listen to them what they are thinking about or doing. You’ll be surprised at how inspiring it might be to see what they have to say or a different perspective on a situation you’re in.

11. Online Forums: If I’m ever stuck on a blog post idea or need somewhere to let off some steam, online forums are great for this! Complete strangers love to talk about their problems and listen to yours. One of the nicest communities I’ve met are the folks over at MyLot – but there are plenty of other great boards too. Sometimes listening to other people’s problems and trying to offer solutions can help you clear your head, give you a place to vent, and get new perspectives you hadn’t thought of before.

12. Magazines & Newspapers: With everything online anymore, we forget about the thrill of a magazine coming in the mail or opening up the Sunday paper and spreading it across the table or couch. I like magazines and newspapers because they are perfect for my short attention span and they are also full of recent events and opinions to help inspire you.

13. Brainstorm: Sometimes a good brainstorm can help you think of new ideas and thoughts. You can list pros and cons if you are trying to make a decision, or you can map it out with a list of ideas and cloud bubbles.

14. Paint, Draw, Color: I am lucky that by being a mom I have a full arsenal of crayons, water colors, and markers at my disposal. Anytime the kids get restless or I feel like we need to calm down we sit down and paint or color. Instant relaxation!

15. Hydrotherapy: A hot bath or shower, a soak in a hot tub, maybe even a few laps around a pool can all do wonders in relaxing you and helping you think clearly. Haven’t you ever heard anyone say “I do my best thinking in the shower?”

16. Break the Monotony: Most days follow a routine of some sorts. Routines are usually good – you’re more organized and better prepared to handle the stress that’s bound to come your way. But every so once inawhile, take a break from your routine. Do something entirely spontaneous. You’ll find yourself rejuvenated again.

17. Exercise: It wasn’t until about 6 months ago I realized exercise wasn’t a chore but an instant pick me up. I usually workout to my list of 100 workout songs - afterwards I always feel much more relaxed.

18. Do Nothing: Sometimes when you’re so caught up in the hustle and bustle of everything, what you really need is some do nothing time. Think about how much time you spend doing absolutely nothing – there’s a good chance you’re not giving yourself a break if you’re feeling overwhelmed or stressed out. Take an hour (or maybe even a whole day) and do absolutely nothing.

19. Clean House: Damien suggested this a few times and I completely agree. Clutter and disorganization can make you feel overwhelmed instantly. Whether you decide to organize the files on your computer or to clean out the garage or do dishes by hand in the sink doesn’t matter – sometimes just cleaning things out can help you clear your mind and give you a sense of order and control.

20. Write: Writing has always been an excellent way to relax and be inspired, unless you’re experiencing writers block of course! Sometimes keeping a daily or weekly journal can help you sort out thoughts and ideas and feel better – as well as take a look back at what you’ve done which can be inspiration. If writer block is a problem, I’m a big fan of “freewriting” – you set a timer for 5 minutes and just write non stop for that 5 minutes. Sure, you might find yourself writing a lot of nonsense – but you might also find a few great gems of ideas in there as well.

21. Add Some Greenery: You don’t have to have a green thumb to enjoy gardening. A few low maintenance house plants or doing some landscaping or even mowing the grass can all provide an outlet to escape the usual stress and help you clear your mind.

22. Meditate: Spending some time to quietly reflect and clear your head can work wonders as well. Learning how to meditate can really make a big difference on your ability to

23. Do a Puzzle: It doesn’t matter if you do a jigsaw puzzle or a crossword puzzle – puzzle solving is a great way to exercise your brain and help you get your mind off the more important things for a little while and help you relax.

24. Laugh: There’s been proof that laughter is perhaps the best medicine and even good for you – but it’s a good chance you’re not laughing enough. Next time everything goes wrong don’t start yelling – laugh. Make sure you find something funny at least once a day. I try to do this with my totally pointless blog about stupid stuff.

25. Get Your Frustrations Out: One of our biggest problems is we tend to bottle up emotions or feelings. It’s not intentionally usually, but the day to day aggravation can eventually make you feel like you might just snap. So go ahead and take some time at a batting cage or golf range, punch a pillow, or scream at the top of your lungs. You’ll feel better that you did!

Do you feel inspired yet? There’s a ton of things you can do that can instantly make you feel better and at peace with the world. Most aren’t hard to do - you just need to make sure you put things like these on your priority list right up there with “get dressed today” and “feed kids”. Giving yourself some space and time can help you move from feeling like you can’t get anything done to feeling like you can conquer all.

Some of you know me as the invisible blogger here and some of you know me a bit better than that.  Probably only a few of you know me as Sarah Riley’s husband.  Let me tell you that life with her is far more exciting than my best post getting picked up or any success in any other area of life as a teacher or otherwise.

She’s the BEST folks.

I have this blog called “Postcards from the Funny Farm” where I spend way too much time trying to make $5 (or less) for every 5 hours I spend there :)  My wife is very supportive and helpful to my blogging “part time job.”  We have been through so much together figuring out how to do it and why we do it and whether we should do it.  All you see is the posts but there is a lot behind the scenes and Sarah is so instrumental in the great stuff I do here.

We also make blogs and slideshows for other people on occasion. She does the artwork through Photoshop and is an absolute genius with that.  I do the coding/layout stuff and writing consulting.

If interested in consigning our services, let me know …we’re cheap,

but that isn’t why I am writing this post  today.  You see, this is the weekend of our 6th wedding anniversary (actual anniv. is 11/9/02) and I’m finding ways today to let her know she is very special to me.  I thought, why not start with the thing I do the most and arguably the best (sad huh?)  ;)

disclaimer: I am far from a perfect husband but I do play one here when I write about myself  Be forewarned. ;)

I’ll tell you a funny bitterseet story that Sarah and I were reminiscing about the other day.  When we started dating c.August 2002, we were at my apartment for one of the first times and she had parked her car halfway into my garage.  Stupidly, I put the garage door down and it creamed her car, especially the fiberglass targa.  So embarrassing and I felt so bad for her and her car.  To make things better, I rented a truck with a cool cab in the back and we ended up driving to Sea World that weekend to forget about the car repairs underway.  That trip ended up being the place we decided to get married.  I’ll never forget how a faulty garage door and sea breezy air would one day turn into las vegas suites and a changed life.

I love you Sarah, you are my miracle I prayed for since I was 17, and I can’t wait for us to go out tonight!

To my readers:  Consider this question, if you had a blog as cool as mine (LOL) and a family as cool as what you see below, would you feel lucky? If you’d like to visit Sarah’s blog she is also quite a writer and photo pro.

My 3 kids rehearsing the night before Halloween.

Along the rows of Adelanto where I teach, there are rows and rows of foreclosed homes. The damage in the varies from the windows being busted out to the trashcans laying askew on the driveway week after week. My overly creative mind, sometimes to its own detriment, can’t help but imagine the stories:

This is where she dreamt of more for her life …

This is where he first held her hand …

This is where grandma passed away.

You can imagine a lot more if you try.  I watched mt oldest daughter Isabella take her first steps at our last house we used to rent.  While I wouldn’t have liked to stay there, it would be great to age and grow old in the same house where all your wonderful memories happened.  Imagine if my daughter could hang her tire chains on the place I put mine.

So how much heartache is going on out there with millions losing their mortgages?  I’ll bet it isn’t the signing over of the place that gets them the most.  More than that, it’s got to be the memories they are being crow-barred away from.  I am so thankful I have a good job and I can pay my mortgage.  But, in an economy like this, is it wise to hand on to object memories like houses?  Maybe it’s wiser to see it more as large brick of wood once on a truck and now in another shape.  Not much more, and not much less.

Got a hero?  How about someone you look up to for their amazing vision?  Whether it’s Ben Franklin or your Aunt Tilly, we want to hear about it!  Write a post about a person with amazing vision and get it published here at my ongoing Blog Carnival.  The deadline for edition 4 is November 2, 2008 at 2pm. Submit yours through the widget below:

Walt Disney - Wikipedia

I’ve run two blog carnival editions here at Postcards from the Funny Farm on innovation and inspiration. The title is “Amazing Vision” and the posts have been about people with just that. I’m running a third edition because the time is now for greatness.

Our country and world is needier than ever for leaders and great visionaries to come out and help it to a better place. I feel in my small way by having this carnival I am showing the wisdom of invention that can save us from the trouble we are in. I’ve written about Walt Disney, and Ray Kroc (McDonalds), Rod Serling, and many many other innovative and creative thinkers.

I will be contributing a post to the carnival as well. If you are an innovator or know of one, please write about it and submit it to this carnival. You’ll get a link back and even better, you’ll join a growing community of the “Amazing Visions” blog carnival community.  I hope you consider getting your post in before Monday.  My “vision” is that this will be the kind of post people will sip coffee or tea as they read and get mammoth inspiration.  I’ll be publishing this edition by Tuesday.  Below are some relevant links.

• More details and a link to submit your post to my “Amazing Vision” Blog Carnival.
• Link to past editions and the inspiring posts for my “Amazing Vision” Blog Carnival.
• My recent guest post at FuelmyBlog on Blog Carnivals.

Has anyone ever really inspired you?

This is a great way to get your writing more exposure. Plus, you contribute to a Blog Carnival that will inspire people to be great. The deadline for submissions is this Sunday at 2pm.

To read more about the blog carnival and/or submit your post, click on Walt: