Dealing with stress

[Ice]

I'm just so stressed out right now, it's crazy. It's really starting to get to me. Anyone have any good natural techniques (please no substances) to releave stress? I just can't seem to.

[Reverend Joe]

Stay the hell away from the compter. It literally numbs your mind with prolongued use, and buries your problems, thereby exaserbating them.

Other than that? I find a small amount of pot helps; that, or a small amount of alcohol.

[Ice]

Stay the hell away from the compter. It literally numbs your mind with prolongued use, and buries your problems, thereby exaserbating them.

Other than that? I find a small amount of pot helps; that, or a small amount of alcohol.

Good advice.

[Uesugi Kenshin]

I find that listening to music helps, but don't let it bury your problems. I may be different in that I think a lot about my problems while listening to music, and in that way find a way to deal with the stress and its causes. Give it a try.

[Lemur]

When I'm stressed out I play with my dogs, or play with my son. It's hard to let life get to you when you're faced with the sort of primal joy those creatures have going on. You say: "I'm stressed about the bills." Dog says: "Yaay! Tether toy! Wanna pull pull pull on the tether toy! Play with me!"

Or, to go with the spawn example, you say: "I'm angry about that thing Mike said at the office." And your little child says: "Hoooray! Daddy's on the carpet! Play bear, daddy! You're the bear, and I'm going to jump on you! Yeeeee!"

Those are my two major stress-reducers. A nice cup of tea or coffee never hurt anybody, as well.

Oh, and I forgot one -- reading. Pick up a good book with a page-turning plot, and all of your troubles fade into the background. An hour with a good novel and I've shed all my cares.

Hope something in this thread is useful to ya.

[InsaneApache]

If you get really stressed you could try some breathing (yoga) exercises. It works like this. Breathe in for 3 seconds, hold for 3 seconds, breathe out for 3 seconds, hold for 3 seconds. You can keep this up for a long time and it helps regain the chemical equalibrium in the blood.

You could just sit in a quiet room and close your eyes and do this, it works wonders.

Alternatively you could get one of those relaxation tapes they sell in alternative therapy outlets, they are good for low level stress.

I could be flippant and suggest things like alcohol and cannabis, but these only give the illusion that they are helping with the stress, a bit like a bandaid on a cut.

It is better to find out why you are getting stressed and deal with the cause, rather than the symptons.

But I found the breathing exercises a good way to cool down anyway.

Hope that helps.