Your go-to ways of managing STRESS?

nicruns

I need some new ideas. My own (walking, yoga, trying to remember to breathe) aren't cutting it.
= help?

theowlbox

I like things that are immersive, so you can't think. I love swimming (it's repetitious and involves timing so you have to pay attention), music because it can change your mood (not just any music but those songs that you can't help but enjoy) and starting a habit of chilling out/meditation (30 seconds every day when you wake up and before you fall asleep can grow longer over time). My formula is body movement coupled with something fairly low level and repetitious. Like cleaning, gardening, running, knitting, etc. Notice when you feel good and see if you have an activity lurking in your life that you could exploit. Good luck!

kristen8000

A glass of wine and Netflix.

Oh, wait, you mean healthy ways to manage stress . Taking a long walk, alone, to think, is my favorite.

The above poster said music - there's nothing like putting on upbeat music to forget about your worries.

estherdragonbat

I exercise. Long walks with music. I also write. And sometimes, I give into my emotional eating and snack—on something like popcorn or dry cereal, logged and measured.

jenniferv38

I tend to be more stressed when my environment is chaotic or out of order. When I begin to feel overwhelmed I look around and find 10 small (or big) things I can do right now to improve my environment. This turns into a distraction and often motivates me to do more than 10 things. Sometimes it's as simple as opening a window or organizing something. There will always be things that cause stress that I have no control over, but there are also lots of stressors I can control. Taking care of the ones I can control gives me some breathing room to better deal with the ones I can't.

PKM0515

Bubble baths or showers with a really nice soap/shower cream; guided meditations (e.g., Google Jason Stephenson); music with nature sounds (ocean, rain, etc.) Reading, depending on my mood. Crafts, unless they stress you out. Just a few ideas. Hope you feel better soon!

Edited to add: Doing the laundry (may be weird, but I'm sure I'm not alone). Just sitting quietly with a cup of tea (or coffee) listening to the birds, crickets, or just enjoying the silence. I can see where the latter might not always work though.

PKM0515

jenniferv38 wrote: »

I tend to be more stressed when my environment is chaotic or out of order. When I begin to feel overwhelmed I look around and find 10 small (or big) things I can do right now to improve my environment. This turns into a distraction and often motivates me to do more than 10 things. Sometimes it's as simple as opening a window or organizing something. There will always be things that cause stress that I have no control over, but there are also lots of stressors I can control. Taking care of the ones I can control gives me some breathing room to better deal with the ones I can't.

Love this!

nicruns

upbeat music.....! that's my usual go-to distraction for when I have to clean the house.
makes sense that it would help improve/ease-up my mood too)

Once earlier this summer, I went to a guided meditation class... & nearly wound up crying (but ultimately fell asleep instead).

and the "Ten things" strategy is something I'm going to HAVE to try.

(my clearly... when the walk doesn't work... yoga doesn't do the trick, I generally wind up with a solid glass of red wine in my hand!)

Idontcareyoupick

reading! Go watch someone else deal with problems and escape

Raquel_Mama

Hiking and dancing. Always works for me. Either or.

JennieMaeK

For me, running helps. While I'm running, that's all I can think about. And I usually feel great afterwards. I'm trying meditation. I haven't noticed an improvement with that yet, but I've only been doing it for about a week. I've tried guided meditation but right now I'm doing unguided meditation.