Stress

[Rowan]

I often become stressed at work and always end up being concerned about the future. I am fearful of disease I might get down the line, im afraid of terminal illness and every now and then I get thinking about it, and I start stressing. I find myself relieving stress by thinking about those who are less fortunate than me, and that tends to do the job quite nicely. I also jack off. but obviously theres a time and place for that.

We all get stressed out sometimes, perhaps even often. Stress is known to cause a plethora of health issues, though this varies from person to person. What stresses you out and how does stress effect your health? What ways do you deal with your stress?

[loaf]

I get stressed when my dog takes a giant shit on the rug. It was such a nice rug, man.

[noxious.sunshine]

I relieve stress by taking Klonopin. XD

Or drinking.

Standard answers.

But all joking aside, stress & worry are a commonplace problem with not just me, but my parents as well. The 3 of us are a Trio of Worriers - but my dad is the worst. Stress & worry affects my dad's depression greatly, so he eats a bunch of Xanax (actually Alpralozam), drinks his Budweiser, watches TV, does nothing, and gripes about anything and everything he can think of while reminding (mostly) me that he's not going to live another year. Which in turn stresses me out even more 'cuz I'm the only one of us kids that gives a shit.

SPOILER!!:

But I digress. Stuff like that runs in my family in general. I just happened to get the short end of the straw when it comes to overall health & wellness. I'm probably the Prime Candidate for Breast Cancer, Alzheimer's (which I swear is already developing), Dementia, Diabetes, Heart Attack, Alcoholism (my dad's mom had that problem. I, however, do not.), Stroke, blah blah blah. And yes, it worries me a lot. So what do I do? I pretend it's not really an issue and go by the whole "Ignorance is Bliss" motto and just refuse to go to the Dr. 'cuz I -don't- wanna know. I'd rather live my life as worry & stress-free as possible.

Besides. I don't have insurance. I ain't payin' for that shit out of pocket. Are you nuts?

[Crescent]

Dancing, Running, Boxing, Drinking (green) Tea, Playing FFVII or DMC3, Playing with my dog, Green-tea soy icecream, cruising with friends.. In the EXTREME rare case that any of these options are not cutting it then Sex.

[Odin1199]

Also sex. Helps cure alot of stress and alot of other things (associated with nerves especially) as well as prolongs life in general.

Cardio stuff, like walking at least for 40m a day and running are very helpful as well.

[OceanEyes28]

I am always a nicer person after an intense workout.

Also a guilty pleasure when I'm having a bad day is Green Day. And I know it's only cool to say you like their old stuff or whatever, but 21st Century Breakdown makes me soooo happy when I can blast it in my car. The anger just melts away. Same can be said for Andrew W.K. I don't even care what you think.

Or I do something productive like clean or study something.

I stress about how I don't really like my job, how I'm getting older and not living the life I thought I'd be living by now, how I don't travel as much as I want to, how maybe I'll never travel as much as I want to, am I settling down too quickly, etc etc

I remind myself that there is still time for me to figure it out, and that most of this is coming from too much ego, and I need to chill the hell out and enjoy what's in front of me at this moment before it's gone.

[noxious.sunshine]

30 comes quicker than you think.

oooh. that probably -didn't- help. My bad.

[SuperSabin]

The way I deal with stress is to take deep breaths and let it out. I have a unique breathing technique that I do to help relax me. I also pray about what I am stressed about and ask the Lord I worship for support on whatever is bothering me. Closing your eyes and imagining yourself in a quiet, open place, gentle breeze, and water flowing can also help.

[Rowan]

I'm actually curious about breathing techniques. Supposedly you are supposed to breath from your belly, in the sense that your belly expands, as opposed to your chest/sternum area. I have always noticed that my chest expands when I breath. Perhaps its because of my asthma, but I would like to know if breathing in a certain way can help relieve stress, and if you breath from your chest or belly.

[Taco-Calamitous]

I curse under my breath (or very not under my breath if I am particularly lacking in inhibitions at the time) listen to music, or divulge my stressors to sympathetic ears. Exercise is good too. Also reminding myself that I'm not going to die from this, probably.

But I found out today that I'm going to brief two meetings next week, one of my speech classes from college doesn't count so I have to take another one, my room was inspected, and I have almost enough votes to be one of the people who goes in the dunk tank at the flight picnic Monday. I don't particularly want any of those things, haha.

Also, my choir teacher in college talked a bit about breathing techniques. Supposedly if you were nervous, and took some deep breaths before you went out, you'd calm down and perform better or something. Anyhoo...

Wuv, Yer Mom

[OceanEyes28]

Rowan:
Try lying down with your arms and legs stretched out so that you make an X. Close your eyes and observe your breath. I usually picture it pouring into my torso and filling me up like a bowl. It passes by your ribs and pools in your belly and then swells to your chest, then it spills out again. You might also try some intercostal stretches first to open up the sides of your rib cage and make breathing easier. Try a child's pose with your arms stretched out in front. Move your hands to one side and then breathe into the side of your ribs being stretched. If you're curious, sit up between sides and place your arms out in front of you (like you're doing the macarena) to see how there's a difference in length. Do the other side.

These are a couple things my voice classes had us do to relax and improve our breathing.

[Alpha]

It took me the last six hours to work out that one of Alisyn's guilty pleasures is the band Green Day and not a day of getting high.

[OceanEyes28]

[Yoko]

Stress is when you think you're okay, but then you realize you forgot your bra while you're driving and are already halfway to work.

How do I deal with it? Wear a sweater.

Work has been stressing me out lately, my ways of dealing with are not conventional, however I'm not running to the nearest convenience store to buy a pack of smokes to take the edge off. I'm also not drinking. I stopped back in March. Sometimes you have to roll with the punches and don't stress over the uncertainty of the future. I find sleep is a good stress reliever. Or talking it out with a friend or coworker.

[Freya]

As I'm stressed right now, I appreciate all the postings in here, but I don't really think breathing techniques would help me. I wouldn't be able to concentrate long enough for them.

I usually just get stressed before exams or when I'm arguing with someone. (I just can't take fighting with someone, really :/ )
What I normally do is... singing. Somehow, when I sing, I can push every emotion out of me. (That really sounds awkward...) After that, I'm way more relaxed. Still, I haven't done that in a year now. (Which is mostly due to the fact that my brother's girlfriend wanted my singstar games in April and still hasn't given them back <_<)

Another activity that gets me relaxed is sex. But I won't go into detail now.

Back when I was younger, I also wrote stories when I wanted to relax. Haven't done that in many years, mostly because I'm trying to write something good, not just my own emotions. Would perhaps be a good idea to read all those stories now, but I don't have THAT much time. Anyways, for all you writers on here, that'd be a good way to handle stress.

Alternatively: I should definitely learn more. Then I probably wouldn't be all that stressed before exams *coughs*

[seanb]

As soon as stress pops his head around the corner, I raise a clenched fist at him and tell him to **** right back where he came from.
Its took me years to be able to do it, and it works 99% of the time... which is good news for me, cos now i spend my days striding round as a very happy man.

Don't worry! be happy!

**** it , it'l all work itself out

[che]

I like all of you.

I think everyone's pretty much covered how I deal with stress already. Sleep, talking it out, listening to music, breathing techniques, tea. I think one thing that hasn't been covered is laughing. Making myself laugh is by far the best way for me to relieve stress. It probably releases some endorphins or something scientifically fascinating that naturally makes you feel better, kinda like sex.

I don't like, just force myself to laugh, like this:



...but sitting down and actively trying to watch, read, or listen to something funny will eventually take your mind off of whatever is bothering you. And once you're laughing, its all gravy baby.

[Rowan]

Lost my temper a couple of days ago. I don't think I can live at home anymore.

[NikkiLinkle]

I sleep when I'm stressed or have anxieties. I'm having a slight anxiety thing right now. I'm trying to breathe and I will not sleep because I've slept enough today so I'ma just go out and go to the movies or something. Sitting around brooding about stuff for me is the worst. So I try to make myself do something.. read, music, movies, go for a walk, talk about things to friends. I also try to appreciate the simplicities of life and the things and people I do have NOW. We all want more, but try to be happy with you and what you have NOW. But most importantly I try to find the cause of my stress and try to figure out how to change or erase that cause from my life or change my attitude. Sometimes it is all about your attitude. We are all strong capable people and we will all get through whatever stresses come our way.

[Rocky]

I would think I would underperfomr at sex if i was stressed, not that I would have any experience at it but it seems like I would be super nervous and just fail at it lol. but playing softball with friends was a good stress reliever today, and so was beer LOL

[Tallulah]

I just got a car and have found that driving is something of a stress-buster. Concentrating on driving safely and properly is a distraction from other matters, at least for me. I'm on vacation from work for the next few days, and the previous week, and found that driving is kind of fun.

It might be a different matter when the novelty wears off, though.

[Taco-Calamitous]

True, driving can be a lot of fun.I enjoy mostly driving when there's no one else around and no stop lights or other traffic controllers. I like driving on the freeway listening to energetic music. It CAN be stressful when you're driving somewhere you've never been, have to make lots of turns, and the area is busy. Especially if you have a short time period in which you're supposed to get from point A to point B. And there's a stranger in your car who you're driving. (Heh, one of my old jobs... never got comfortable with it, and then I was in an accident and was like "I'm done.") Anyhoo...

Wuv, Yer Mom

[Azuteor]

I stress out a lot about my education, career, and graduating on time. After getting dismissed after my first semester of nursing school, I was stressed out over 9000 and felt awful. I plan to go back or enter an entry-masters program, but it'll take me a year to get in either of those. By that time, most of my friends will graduate and I'm here still studying. They'll get to move on. I'd be finished by the time I'm 24!

I'm good now and thankfully, my grades and GPA are still pretty good. I've been finishing healthcare vocational programs during the summer so I can mature, work, and gain hospital experience while I take classes. I've been exercising frequently too. The way I deal with stress is rant about it to my family and friends. It's great to have a support group you know you can trust.

I also draw, play video games, practice bass, etc etc. :3

[noxious.sunshine]

I think everyone knows how I deal with stress.

DRINKS!

No on a serious level, having a glass of -RED- wine (gross) has a lot of antioxidants from the grapes and any kind of wine drunk early enough - not to excess - helps with stress.

[Unknown Entity]

I've been under a lot of stress of late. I have this really annoying co-worker (who isn't even a bad guy - he's just naturally annoying and doesn't know he's doing it). When I'm shifted with him, I feel like there's a constant itch/nag/irritation somewhere in my skull, and all I want to do is smash my face into the counter a million times, but even that won't help. Last week, I turned up to a shift not expecting him to be there, but he'd received some more hours from somewhere, and was just sitting there with his back to me, and all I wanted to do was cry and commence the face smashing into the counter. ><

How do I deal with it? I don't. I ignore him mostly, but I still get this boiling rage deep inside. Every now and then, I'll do a job that puts me as far away from him as possible. That, and breaks help, but nothing helps as much as getting the **** home at the end of the day, screaming into a pillow, popping a painkiller and chatting to my boyfriend about daisy chains and shit while I kill stuff in a video game. Or rant down twitter. Both works.

If you have a beach near you, watching waves is nice. Also, rock balancing gives you something to concentrate on, and is really quite satisfying. Below is one I prepared last week, in Brighton.

One rock... two rock... three rock...:

[Kurt Zisa]

I tend to bottle it up which isn't very good. If i'm at work everything starts piling up I might slam something like the dishwasher door if no-one's around, or just say "****it****it****it" over and over in my head.

Video games are a good way of keeping calm. I usually try to think of where I'm up to in a game, and what I need to do next, etc. Playing them helps a lot too.

[noxious.sunshine]

I'm always stressed. I just never show it.

I just can't sleep or I sleep too much to deal with it.

Xanax can't even help this girl out.

[Azuteor]

I've been under a lot of stress of late. I have this really annoying co-worker (who isn't even a bad guy - he's just naturally annoying and doesn't know he's doing it). When I'm shifted with him, I feel like there's a constant itch/nag/irritation somewhere in my skull, and all I want to do is smash my face into the counter a million times, but even that won't help.

I'm curious; what kinds of things does your co-worker do that irritates you?

I knew someone like that in my world history class in my sophomore year of college. This guy is really smart. However, he's the type that always has to question what the professor says and ALWAYS has to have an intellectual conversation with EVERYONE. Granted, I didn't mind it at first. Asking questions and having intellectual conversations is a good thing, but damnit man, please STFU. I could tell that most people in the class were exasperated.

Like your co-worker, he's a good guy. Hell, I even learned a thing or two from the guy. He just isn't the type of person I'd hang out with. We talked about music at first, which wasn't all that bad until he insulted my choice of instrument and intelligence. Thanks to my troll of a girlfriend (ex now), we had lunch together right when we ran to each other at the university center. /shootself

It couldn't get any worse when he added my friend, who sat in front of me, and I on Facebook. I lost my cool and became uncharacteristically cold.

He quieted down towards the end of the semester. I think he caught on.