How do YOU deal with psychological stress?

1) Meditate
2) Talk to the old ball & chain
3) Talk to myself
4) Come to ATS to bare all my "pathological" thinking that isn't "classified"
5) Music - play, listen, write
6) Reading on various subjects (not doom and gloom stuff)
7) Programming
8) Smoking
9) Espresso

reply to post by EnlightenUp


coffee and cigs. My favorite past time. well, coffee cigs and writing a good story. Well said!

Originally posted by Mr. Toodles
Something occured to me today. What would be the healthiest way to deal with our decaying world? Seems that video games continue to rise in popularity in ALL age ranges. But for me, Video games just don't quite do it. I go to work everyday, I pay my bills and I deal with what needs to be dealt with first. But I really do not like the way our world is going. And video games was a solution for a long time. Seems even video games are not sufficient anymore.

With the rise of violence in the world, the content of entertainment continues to get more violent as well. Psychologically this is creating a more violent population. It is like a domino effect and I see no end in sight.

I grow tired of this world and even more tired with the world of Video games. Literature and writing my OWN worlds seems to have done the trick.

I have heard from many counselors that writing things down often alleviates alot of stress, pain, depression etc. Never believed it up until about 2 months ago. Since then I have become involved with alot of writing outlets here on ATS as well as some outside of the site.

The point in this thread is to ask this:
What would everyone consider to be their "escape" from the madness? Mine is literature and music. Creating my own worlds seems to be more than sufficient to keep me a happy person.

My advice? Two words, Spiritual Journey!!

To realize that you can create peace everywhere around you, to the point where you understand the world how the heart does, when you reach that state of mind, you will understand all.

Blessings!

Good thread!

I deal with stress as a pre-emtive thing -- I start each and every moring with about 30 minutes of Tai Chi in the sand, by the sea. It just settles me for the day. I follow that with some streatching to keep my ol' ligaments, muscles and tendons relatively flexible. I've been doing this for more than 25 years.

Overall, I think laughter and humor are the lubricants that squeeze us through the human experience. I like making people laugh, and I know it has improved their day, if only by a small increment.

Totally relate to those that talked about playing guitar to defrag oneself. Especially when I fire up the Ibanez and the Peavy and the microphone and chase the intrusive wild roosters to parts unknown......... those are destressing moments. Roosters don't particularly care for Stone Temple Pilots, Korn, and GenX -- or so it would seem by their speedy departure.

IF, however, I arrive home with a trundleload of stresses that I wish to INstantlly dispell, I go work the heavy bag. It's a homemade bag with a core of sand, and it's 250 lbs. You work that bad boy fairly hard for 15 minutes, and your arms and legs are trembling. If I'm really jacked up, I can work it for 20-30 minutes.

A nap usually follows.

[edit on 27/8/09 by argentus]

reply to post by angelx666


LMAO! I am not sure if that is allowed...but funny nonetheless...


reply to post by argentus


Sounds like an excellent way to work out the stress. I like the sand bag idea. Reminds me of that commercial lol. I will have to get one

When I lived in the U.S., I would sometimes get off work, go home and change, and drive up to Humboldt County to my favorite plinking spot, and unload a couple hundred rounds. I always found precision shooting, particularly long-distance to be ultimately far more stress-relieving than throwing lead downstream at a rapid rate.

I went to a place outside of Sedona, AZ, once, and drove a Volkswagon
Squareback there. They allowed me to pay a tithing, and fill that worthless, undependable pieoe of CRAP full of lead/copper. One of the best anti-stress moments of my life. That ****ing car would haunt me no more! I hitchhiked home and smiled all the way.

I believe that most homes and ALL businesses should have a Rock 'em Sock 'em room wherein people that are at odds walk into it, pick up poofy foam weapons and thump the snot out of each other. I believe a giant portion of the world's woes could be solved in this simple fashion.

reply to post by Mr. Toodles


M'Bride and I started out to make our own heavy bag. We took about 150 lbs. of sand and put it in a nylong bag (that's about an eight-inch cylinder four-foot long). We wrapped that with duct tape, to keep the right shape. We put that inside a large army duffle bag, and stuffed the perimeter with scrap rags, t-shirts, old clothes. I jammed the fabric down with a piece of wood, and the dang thing ended up 50 pounds heavier than we wanted it at 250 pounds. Still, on the rare occasion I can make that lump of mass really and truly dance, I know I will probably be sore the next day

reply to post by argentus


I can imagine that shooting is a stress reliever. But I refuse to get a gun for the safety of myself and others lol. Me and a Gun=bad things

Buy a good tent a good sleeping bag a good pair of boot's and a good rucksack and just go.

Go for as long as you can and as far as you can.

Eat well sleep well be free from it all.

When your ready you can get on a plane or a train or get in a car and go home.

Start again knowing that if it all get's too much you can just leave it all once more...

Your outlook on life will change for the better.

You just need have the ball's to leave it all in the rear view mirror.

Take care.

Regards
Lee

reply to post by h3akalee


That is much easier said than done for someone in my financial situation. You have no idea how many times I have wanted to just leave. Ehh, eventually one day I will be able to do it.

reply to post by Mr. Toodles


Where there is a will there is a way...

Take care.

Regards
Lee

reply to post by aleon1018


You're on Lamotrigine (Lamictal's generic) for bi-polar because they are finding that Bi-polar is likely a very mild form of a seizure disorder. With a full blown seizure, a massive amount of electricity builds up in a section of the brain and the person's brain does not have well functioning membranes which enable the energy to flow naturally through the membranes. When the energy finally flows through the membrane the person has a seizure. lamictal helps the membranes function and the energy to pass. With bi-polar, a very small amount of energy is held back (so it is now thought) and when it builds up it passes through the membrane, causing the mood swings.

A lot of folks with bi-polar are on lamictal in a small dose, a few hundred mgs. Some folks with a serious seizure disorder are on several thousand mgs.

Lots of smart folks working on this disorder and they are finding out more about it all the time.

I normally follow what the first poster said... Accept what you cannot change, and if you can change somethin' for the better --- do it!
Meditation, art, making music, listening to music, playin' with pets, going on walks, working out, writing... these are all methods I've used to reduce stress.

However, most of the time I do not need to reduce stress...so I do those activities for my own pleasure and learning.

I have trained myself to remain in the 'calm, cool, and collected' state of mind.
Slip ups do occur, of course...but MOST of the time it works.
It is possible to rewire your brain...

For me I love to read!! If I am having a really stressful day I usually end up reading all night about many different things and I feel much better. I may be stressed but I can always learn something knew and it makes the stress go away IMO. If I want to be alone I go to the bookstore, have a coffee and read.....I also keep a journal and I have for over 15 years. It is a great stress reliever. I also enjoy classical music and probably the one thing people always look at me funny for is cleaning. For whatever reason cleaning relaxes me, but that is just me

reply to post by Mr. Toodles


I'm in constant agony from something called RSD/CRPS type II, and under constant psychological stress from that. Ironically, engaging my brain in finding out how f***ed up our world and our future is serves to put that stress in perspective somehow, as well as serving as a distraction.

Other than that, it's all about distraction. I live on a beautiful river, on a boat and spend a lot of time painting, reading and researching all sorts of esoteric subjects on-line. It could....maybe will?.....be worse.

Well what works miracles for me is: is working out (aerobics,dancing, aerobox) - or whatever, just excersicing with music.
EVERY DAY, at least one hour-

Wow, endorphines make all the stress disappear in a blink. When I don't do it, stress starts to build up.
I always encourage people should try whatever they prefer, any kind of sports (or even walking around for 40 minutes) is a wonderful way to release the blocked energy.

Meditation doesn't work for me... I'm a little too hyper lately. =S

But I know it's a great tool to deal with stress. Maybe I'll try to get back at it in some other time.

Have some kids. I used to have a lot problems. Now I only have 2. You'll be surprised how fast your focus shifts. Not to mention the healthy chaos you'll be surrounded by. And most of the fun is in the conceiving. I guess I should have said. HAVE MORE SEX! Duh.

reply to post by plutoxgirl


I would but it is hard to work out when my job is already demanding physically. Meditation is not for everyone, and those who can manage without it I give 3 thumbs up!


reply to post by concernedcitizan


lol I agree with your last statement!

[edit on 18-9-2009 by Mr. Toodles]

Originally posted by Mr. Toodles
reply to post by plutoxgirl

 

I would but it is hard to work out when my job is already demanding physically. Meditation is not for everyone, and those who can manage without it I give 3 thumbs up!

Oh yeah, I understand. =)

However the exercise doesn't have to be that physically challenging and you ending up more exhausted. Just a long walk outdoors is pretty good for the mind and heart even if it's at a slow pace.

About meditation; well, I used to meditate, but it's been a LONG while that is not working for me... I guess we all have different kinds of phases in our lives. And I'm in the phase that when I'm dancing or running- is the greatest way to realse the stress and negative energy.

Yoga is fantastic too!-

As the saying goes- to each their own