How do you deal with stress?

[VWEvo]

Originally posted by max_boost
Take care of yourself baygirl.

This is a serious post from yours truly

For myself, it's never one thing, it's a combination of everything. I spend every day reading something inspirational to broaden my perspective. I joke around a lot because I don't take things seriously or personally. I do care but I get mistaken for not giving a shit.

"Happy people don't have the best of everything, they make the best of everything".

In no random order.

1. Talk about it. Get it out. Don't keep it inside. Allow yourself time to heal.
2. Surround yourself with friends and family who care for you and support you.
3. Focus on things that are important and don't get overwhelmed.
4. Establish a routine and keep yourself busy, kids, exercise, sex, yoga, meditating, read etc.

Great post MAX, you nailed it perfectly. Love the quote!!!

[A790]

I read for an hour a night. I moved things around in my schedule to make sure that happens.

Find little things that make you happy. Sing in the shower. Learn to play piano. Freestyle rap when you're driving to work. Whatever puts a smile on your face, do more of it.

Find a passion project. Something you can focus on so that it drowns out the other stuff.

[natty54]

Originally posted by VWEvo


Great post MAX, you nailed it perfectly. Love the quote!!!

Yes this is great

Could also look at a few counseling sessions, excersise is very helpful as well.

Could also look into anxiety / depression meds. Might just help to get you over the hump

[cancer man]

First is it stress or depression? Easily confused.

Stress my wife had it and she chopped wood or did artwork, Depression lots of talking to your friends and family. If that doesn't help bump it up a notch.

[msommers]

I go rock climbing, hiking, just any time in the mountains. Call me a hippy but I feel something spiritual and positive about being out there. Photography helps me a lot because it's another activity I put all my thinking into it and all the other crap disappears, at least for a little while.

Lately with so much happening all at once I'm finding that writing down a list helps to stay organized and all the thoughts swirling in my mind are now on the paper for review.

Essentially, staying organized lets me see everything out in front of me and I can prioritize. Exercise is huge and I need to get my diet back on track.

[spike98]

Apparently i need to get a hobby...

[sr20s14zenki]

Occupy your mind with something else. I go to my garage and work on a car, or play video games, or fix shit around the house.

[rx7boi]

I watch movies or go out with friends, rant a little bit, talk about fun shit.

[lilmira]

Yeah find something to do that will occupy your mind. I just hop onto my bicycle. Before I know it, my mind is already off the things that bother me. Spending time with friends, shits and giggles over beer is great too but I find that's becoming harder and harder with everyone having their own lives. Everyone needs a break.

[baygirl]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Reading them I realized part of the problem is I am not keeping my mind occupied, so am dwelling on things. I have decided to find a hobby, and maybe someone to talk too for help with the grieving process(I realize that part of the reason stress is getting to me is that I am not allowing myself to grieve properly).

[ExtraSlow]

Sometime you have to say things out loud to really let the thoughts out of your head.

[Xtrema]

Some people destress by alone time. Some like to get together with people to do random shit.

Exercise is almost universal. I felt much better when I started biking to work. Much better than coped up in a gym.

Everyone is different. Try and find your way.

EDIT: If you are grieving a lost, you need to keep your mind occupied or it will turn into depression. You need more interactions with others and things to do to keep mind off it.

[reiRei]

I have 2 extremes when it comes to dealing with stress, highly physical and then the other is highly mental.

Physically, I play roller derby, and along with that also train for it several days a week with a personal trainer. Hitting a bitch, doing battle ropes or just intense physical exertion is such a good way to relax.

Mentally, I do crafts. I make cards and lately I've been working on a scrapbook. It's actually nice to just slow down and do things offline and also to look back on the positive memories that we get to make.

A thing I've noticed that everyone seems to dwell on such negative things, if you can take even just a small shred of time in the day look around and notice the positive things you have around you it makes even the smallest of differences.

[Lex350]

For me I have a few things that help with stress:

During my divorce I got back in to riding a bicycle. I was determined not to use booze as a release. Bought a road bike and I usually ride about 120kms a week

Playing guitar always makes me feel better. The louder, the better.

[Kobe]

Originally posted by baygirl
Since June life has been craptastic, and I am having trouble dealing with all the stress. It is affecting my health(constantly stomach sick), I can't sleep and I feel like I am going to slap the next person to piss me off. It isn't as simple as removing the things causing me stress, as some of the events have been pretty life changing(losing my dad, ending a friendship), and I can't kill the exes for obvious reasons. I try to stay positive, tell myself it can always be worse, but to be honest I am at the end of my rope here. Any one have any suggestions for dealing with stress: book suggestions, ways to work through it etc?

Sucks sometimes my good friend/old room mate ended up commiting suicide a few weeks back becuase of poker, nobody saw it coming not even his brother.

Opening up and telling others you respect/trust why your stressed/depressed helps a ton, as everyone mentioned exercise is great, I love going on the treadmill and running till i sweat when listening 2 music, I feel like walking you just think about the issues more.


The main thing is opening up even if its 2 spikers or a therapist, whoever you feel comfortable with and know you won't get judged.

As others mentioned stress and depression are two different things and two different ways to cope with it (Exercise and talking to someone works for both)

[Tik-Tok]

Definitely see a Dr./therapist, if it's depression, relieving stress is like putting a bandaid on a gunshot wound.

If it's just stress, try reading, working out, yoga (not just for treehuggers/hipsters anymore!)? Maybe even just getting out on your own for an hour a day, without kids/Spikers.

[Bladeh]

Bitch to my co-worker on the 20 min drive to work/home ( he probably gets tired of my rants)

Hit some golf balls at the range, the person/s head giving me stress is a golf ball.

[schurchill39]

The Mrs. is a stress case so its been a 5 year struggle to try and help her find coping mechanisms. She recently picked up sewing and has been going hard at quilting. I made her a little quilting/crafts table and she will sit and quilt all day if I don't go pester her. She puts on netflix and half watches it while creating something. Its turned into a full blown hobby where she researches it, looks for deals on fabrics, figures out what to make people and then spends countless hours executing it. I've definitely noticed a difference in her stress levels since she's picked up quilting.

[OTown]

Hobby. Any hobby. You need something that really takes your mind off of things and gets you in a different state of mind.

[bigbadboss101]

For me I would say play sports, exercise, beach vacation where there is not agenda or rush to do anything, and spend time with loved one.