What do You do for stress?

[anne27]

My life has gotten incredibly stressful in the past month or so and every day some other little aggravation seems to crop up to add to the pile. I'm figuring my brain is due anytime now to melt and start leaking out my ears.

Looking for good suggestions on stress relievers.

What do you do to ease stress? What works and what doesn't?

[mn freak]

Music has always helped me feel better after a long shitty day. Just listen to your favorite album, louder the better (if able). Within the first 3-4 songs, you should be feeling better.

[arana]

A nice hot bath or shower, music, some wonderful smelling bath soaps, candles, a massage if you can get someone to do you or go to a salon and treat yourself .... anything to help your mind not think about what's stressing you out for at least a few minutes is good. Also a good laugh helps relieve a lot of tension. Go to a comedy club with a friend or spouse and just have a good ole time.

[Herbwoman39]

Deep breathing in the moment, reading a good book, music cranked to sing-along volume, a nice relaxing essential oils blend in the diffuser, sometimes reverting to primal scream therapy helps too.

Definitely make a little time every day to spend alone with no interruptions.

[kitten]

When it gets to be too much, I write it down and really get it all down. I then tear up the paper and let it all go for awhile. Then, I can think about the problem realistically.

For the daily grind stress, I allow myself at least 30 minutes a day just for me. This advice was given by some very good friends on this site. I work or sit in my garden, read, take karate lessons once a week, listen to music and dance, watch comedy and laugh.

hugs and I know you will get through it all,

[raistkit]

i agree with kitten. nice to know someone else out there writes their thoughts down. i find when i read what i've written it's usually something i wouldn't have wan't to say. hindsight is 20 20. you never forget words spoken in anger, wether you are the reciever or the speaker. yes i find tearing up the paper afterwards very thearaputic. also a bubble bath and a good rub down with lotion with lotion, even if it's just me doing the rub down. for over 25 yrs i've been taking one hour a day to myself. my entire family knows the line "unless your pants are on fire i don't want to hear it, get back to me in an hour", and yeah i've got a lot of family, not sure which is the worst the 50yr old or the 2yr old lol.

kit

[TaylorMade]

I work out three times a week. That has been my main "ventilation". Previously, I would write in my Live Journal or writing prose/poetry. Sometimes, masturbation before bed is a great way to relieve stress.

*Taylor*

[Herbwoman39]

I just saw an article that says that watching fish in an aquarium can be relaxing. Also playing with or snuggling your pet is very much a stress reliever.

[m.in.heels&hose]

i like most here, tend to write my problems and frustrations down, and i do keep them in a journal, so i can go back at a later date to see how im doing

if i still feel the way i did when i wrote things, then i know i havent improved much

a "quick fix" for me, is to engross myself in something i enjoy doing, and i can get my mind off things, and into what im doing (this is where my numerous hobbies come in handy)

hope i could "shed some light" for you

good luck, and please let us know if we were of any help to you

m.in.heels&hose

[wanderingrichard]

yeah, music, definitely... along with sessions [ build up to marathon level] on your nordic track or treadmill, or out walking at a fast pace... at least 3-4 times a week.. add in the long soaks, oils, if ya can afford it a day spa trip..... don't veg tho.. thats the worst thing ya can do..

[FalconAngel]

If you are good at meditation, that can help. Drink tea as well.

Mostly, for me, it's sex that's the best stress reliever. Well, that and video games.

[JoyJoyHollywood]

Sex. That, in my experiance, is the best way to relax. And not fast and hard-very long and very slow. Personally if I'm in a relationship and I really need to just break away from what's bothering me, I usually go to my partner.

And if I don't have a partner I go into the bathroom with a bottle of vodka, run a very hot, very bubble-lishes bath, put Duran Duran on the portable cd player I have next to the tub, make sure my cigarettes are next to a dry washcloth so they won't get wet while I'm smoking, light as many candles as we've got left from the last hurricane season, get naked, get in, drink some, listen, smoke, run more hot water when it gets too cool and emerge three hours latter feeling if not better, slightly more able to cope.

[chook]

Drink heaps of beer



Cheers Chook

[darkeyes]

make love

[biwords]

Exercise, good sleep hygiene, and anti-stress breathing techniques. Here's one of the best-known of the latter:

1.
Sit quietly in a comfortable position.

2.
Close your eyes.

3.
Deeply relax all your muscles,
beginning at your feet and progressing up to your face.
Keep them relaxed.

4.
Breathe through your nose.
Become aware of your breathing.
As you breathe out, say the word, "ONE",
silently to yourself. For example,
breathe IN ... OUT, "ONE",- IN .. OUT, "ONE", etc.
Breathe easily and naturally.

5.
Continue for 10 to 20 minutes.
You may open your eyes to check the time, but do not use an alarm.
When you finish, sit quietly for several minutes,
at first with your eyes closed and later with your eyes opened.
Do not stand up for a few minutes..

6.
Do not worry about whether you are successful
in achieving a deep level of relaxation.
Maintain a passive attitude and permit relaxation to occur at its own pace.
When distracting thoughts occur,
try to ignore them by not dwelling upon them
and return to repeating "ONE."
With practice, the response should come with little effort.
Practice the technique once or twice daily,
but not within two hours after any meal,
since the digestive processes seem to interfere with
the elicitation of the Relaxation Response.


- The Relaxation Response, Herbert Benson, M.D.

[darkeyes]

Will jus stick 2 my method Wordsie! More fun!!!

[rissababynta]

i am an EXTREMELY stressed out individual so i've dabbled with lots of things, including cutting. of course i do not suggest that as it leaves you scarred up which tends to just make you feel worse. not to mention that it's, i don't know, not good!. but sometimes when i am feeling so bad that i want to feel that phsyical pain, instead of finding a razor blade and doing it in a negative way, i run to my favorite piercing/tattoo shop and get a little something done. i get the phsycial relief that i crave but end up with something beautiful that i will enjoy having. FYI: this is just for people who can relate to the whole cutting problem. i'm not saying that everyone who is stressed should go out and hurt themselves!



when the stress isn't too bad though i tend to write it all down in a journal, hop on the piano and write a song, walk around the house singing my all time favorite songs, play with my kids, meditate or i hop on the computer and talk to some friends to get my mind off of the matter. if the opportunity is available, i will DEFINITELY have sex as well

[biwords]

Will jus stick 2 my method Wordsie! More fun!!!

No argument there, Fran -- but when it's the lack of sex that's causing the stress................................!

[darkeyes]

Wy else u think me has Rog an a huge store of battries!

[country60]

All the things that everyone has suggested here are good viable suggestions, but, for me there is one thing that has always worked best. It is free and easy to do, I mastrabate to completion and it always makes me feel better. Relief comes in many forms and this is what works for me.

country60

[the mage]

Take long walks in the forest....
then make love....

[flbaldeagle]

[object Object] Grab your Ipod (or walkman if you're technologically impaired, as I am) play your favorites and take a long walk then a hot shower. Cuddling helps(with pets or people) . If there is no partner, sex with yourself is the safest sex, and it works. If all else fails, a double scotch on the rocks works wonders.

[elian]

Tech Support!

When I want lots of stress I sit behind a desk piled with papers stacked three inches thick and hold the phone on my ear for three hours straight while someone on the other end describes how they just lost a 25 page report that took them 3 months to write and how can I help them get it back?

[DiamondDog]

I clean, exercise/meditate, write, and I take a nap.

[FerSureMaybe]

I have a tendency to get extremely stressed as well. I got a stress ball my sophomore year in HS just for school, and I always kept it in my bag.

But some other things:
--Music is definately good.
--Find that person in your life that always tends to cheer you up and give them a call or a visit when you're feeling down. Lot of times I've had to have my best friend rescue me.
--Writing. Sometimes, I'll just write and write. I start out probably pushing the pen through about 3 layers of paper, and then by the end of it, just feel less tense.

And if you do get really stressed, and you're in a situation that's making it worse, there's nothing wrong with just..leaving, or excusing yourself to the bathroom or something where you can take a few minutes to breathe.

But, yea. Just some things.

[lastlaf44]

I get together with my friends. If I'm stressed or feeling down, I'll just sit around and worry/mope if I'm left alone. Also, friends let you vent at them...coupled with a few pints and pub food...consistently great results! :D

[junior8]

I tend to work and exercise and the stress seems to melt away.Also getting a nice full body massage helps as well as a nice night of some good old sexual fun.

[anne27]

Thanks so much, folks!

I'm always amazed at how the people here rally to help virtual (pun not intended) strangers. We have an awesome bunch of people on this site.

[12voltman59]

I like to go out on a boat-whether its a powered one, a sailboat or one of my kayaks--baring that--at least go sit down by the water and just watch it----

[Seigun]

If I'm stressed, it usually means that there's a lot on my mind that I feel like I can't express, or there is a lot physically happening that I feel like I can't tackle.

I go out to find the nearest relaxing place (bed, outside in the yard, in the car at the park, etc.) and rest while listening to some music, or nothing at all.

Over the past month or so, I've started using a simple ritual with a candle, a stick of incense and a blank book. It was nothing I planned, but just started doing out of the blue. It's done a lot to help ease my mind so that I can sleep through the night and wake up without any burdens on my mind.

Of course, if things get *really* bad (like stress plus insomnia ) There's always valerian root.