How do you destress?
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Carlos_421 wrote: »Call of Duty Blackout
Whoever woo'd this must be a Fortnite player.6 -
Carlos_421 wrote: »Carlos_421 wrote: »Call of Duty Blackout
Whoever woo'd this must be a Fortnite player.
@Carlos_421 I actually laughed out loud. I'm not an FPS player except for Doom, but I figured recommending Dark Souls and Sekiro probably wouldn't do much for relieving stress
edit: OP I've learned somewhat to ask myself just how important is it and what I can do about it right now. It's not hugely popular these days but prayer and meditation, time away fishing hiking, a good book and/or a hot shower or bath...all do wonders for me.3 -
video games. I always try to pick something that takes just enough brain power to distract me, without needing so much that I could cause further frustration or screw up progress for lack of concentration.
For me, the perfect games are offered on BigFish games, doesn't matter what genre. Complete a few levels in Diner Dash style, match some puzzles, etc.2 -
At a certain point, if all the the above is not helpful in reducing your stress at the end of the day, you might have to look at eliminating the sources of your stress. Sometimes jobs, relationships, home lives, or schedules are literally too stressful to continue. Try identifying those changeable sources of stress (with the help of a therapist, if you want) and make a plan of small steps to remove/reduce them.5
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Carlos_421 wrote: »Carlos_421 wrote: »Call of Duty Blackout
Whoever woo'd this must be a Fortnite player.
@Carlos_421 I actually laughed out loud. I'm not an FPS player except for Doom, but I figured recommending Dark Souls and Sekiro probably wouldn't do much for relieving stress
edit: OP I've learned somewhat to ask myself just how important is it and what I can do about it right now. It's not hugely popular these days but prayer and meditation, time away fishing hiking, a good book and/or a hot shower or bath...all do wonders for me.
The bolded are all great in my book, as well.
Aside from lifting (honestly a great stress reliever for me), I also enjoy just walking the dog, watching my bird feeders and I have something like 14 fish tanks that I enjoy watching and working on (I've converted my garage to a fish room/man cave).2 -
gallicinvasion wrote: »At a certain point, if all the the above is not helpful in reducing your stress at the end of the day, you might have to look at eliminating the sources of your stress. Sometimes jobs, relationships, home lives, or schedules are literally too stressful to continue. Try identifying those changeable sources of stress (with the help of a therapist, if you want) and make a plan of small steps to remove/reduce them.
You know, thanks for saying this. Anytime you Google "how to relieve stress" or something similar, every article tells you to get some exercise, eat healthy, and try meditation, but nothing ever tells you to evaluate your life choices or dares to suggest that maybe you just need to get a divorce or something. I know some of what's stressing me out is just unavoidable life growing pains type stuff, but there is also some stuff I need to address head on and actually sit down and come up with a solution for. And I know that, but thank you for saying it and not just recommending yoga to me again.6 -
I use the Overdrive app and my library card and listen to books on tape. I had a parent who read to me and I find this comforting.3
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I second YOGA!! For stress and relaxation, I turn to restorative Yoga. (No standing poses)1
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Could just get a cortisone shot and get back to running.....2
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I'm another gamer (PC), though I tend to rotate through a lot of different games. Right now I'm back into Elite: Dangerous, a space flight sim. It's an open-world MMO sandbox game with no real story line, you create your own story. If you want to shoot things up, you can. If you just want to fly around and chill, there's the entire Milky Way Galaxy to explore. If you want to bore yourself to tears, you can mine some asteroids.
Whenever I need a small break/distraction during the day, I've also been using the Duolingo app on my phone to learn Spanish.1 -
Carlos_421 wrote: »Carlos_421 wrote: »Carlos_421 wrote: »Call of Duty Blackout
Whoever woo'd this must be a Fortnite player.
@Carlos_421 I actually laughed out loud. I'm not an FPS player except for Doom, but I figured recommending Dark Souls and Sekiro probably wouldn't do much for relieving stress
edit: OP I've learned somewhat to ask myself just how important is it and what I can do about it right now. It's not hugely popular these days but prayer and meditation, time away fishing hiking, a good book and/or a hot shower or bath...all do wonders for me.
The bolded are all great in my book, as well.
Aside from lifting (honestly a great stress reliever for me), I also enjoy just walking the dog, watching my bird feeders and I have something like 14 fish tanks that I enjoy watching and working on (I've converted my garage to a fish room/man cave).
I used to have a lot of fish tanks once. I even kept a breeding tank for my convict cichlids who kept getting all their eggs eaten. Having many tanks is a really awesome hobby! Thanks for reminding me that I want this again. 🙂1 -
gallicinvasion wrote: »At a certain point, if all the the above is not helpful in reducing your stress at the end of the day, you might have to look at eliminating the sources of your stress. Sometimes jobs, relationships, home lives, or schedules are literally too stressful to continue. Try identifying those changeable sources of stress (with the help of a therapist, if you want) and make a plan of small steps to remove/reduce them.
You know, thanks for saying this. Anytime you Google "how to relieve stress" or something similar, every article tells you to get some exercise, eat healthy, and try meditation, but nothing ever tells you to evaluate your life choices or dares to suggest that maybe you just need to get a divorce or something. I know some of what's stressing me out is just unavoidable life growing pains type stuff, but there is also some stuff I need to address head on and actually sit down and come up with a solution for. And I know that, but thank you for saying it and not just recommending yoga to me again.
Sounds like you might be in the same "place" as me.
I work fulltime, am a post-graduate student at university, and am my husband's carer. We were a great partnership, enjoying life and long distance cycling and travelling together. Then in March 2018, he had a workplace accident which resulted in a Severe Traumatic Brain injury. He was in a coma for 3 weeks, PTA for an additional 5 weeks, and was finally discharged from hospital into a rehabilitation program in July 2018. He continued the rehab program until October. He's out of rehab now and is making a "remarkable" recovery, but there's still a long way to go. So many medical appointments. And suddenly I became both of us. Because it is a workplace injury, that adds a whole other layer of stress to the situation. And our long distance cycling is not possible anymore.
So, the last 14 months have been ... something else.
And the last thing I need is even more to do.
This blog: https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/31-ways-to-reduce-stress-in-your-life/ provides 31 ways to reduce stress in your life.
My life is fairly high stress, so I thought I would take a moment to glance through the list.
Some are all right like 1. Go outside. Fresh air and nature have been shown to reduce stress and anxiety. Yes, I find that walking down to the beach after work is something that helps.
But most of the rest add things to a person's schedule. Yes, I'm a little bit cynical here.
4. Get a massage. ... Who has the time??
6. Take that well-earned vacation. Right. I'll get right on that.
12. Rekindle an old hobby like drawing, knitting or woodworking. Like I need more things to do!
16. Take a walk during your lunch break. To my next appointment.
19. Unclutter your desk and your home. I'm looking for someone to hire to do that. Any takers?
But then I wondered ... what things (and some can be from that list) would actually reduce stress without adding more Things To Do to the list?
Like, for example, I use lavender oil drops on my pillow case. Does lavender actually help relaxation and sleep? Not sure. But it smells nice and it's not stressing me out to do that.
So I've got this ...- Go outside. Fresh air and nature have been shown to reduce stress and anxiety. I try to get outside at lunch, at least. Even if it is just walking from one appointment to another.
- Get some sun. Vitamin D is a powerful mood booster. As above.
- Same goes for exercise. Do more of it to feel better mentally and physically. As above.
- Stop procrastinating. It’ll just make you more stressed later.
- Do one thing ... my addition to the list which goes along with "stop procrastinating". Don't try to do it all. When I feel overwhelmed, just do one thing.
- Try some deep-breathing exercises to start your day.
- Listen to music while commuting or working. The right playlist can boost mood and increase energy. I might start doing this on the bus, and I have headphones so I can listen to music at work.
- Drink green tea. It contains an amino acid that can reduce stress. I would actually say, drink tea ... or any favourite relaxing hot beverage. I have a collection of teas which I look forward to late in the evening. None have caffeine.
- Eat some antioxidant-rich dark chocolate to lower stress hormones in your body. Oddly enough, I don't eat much chocolate at all.
- Get more omega-3’s from sources like salmon and avocado. They can reduce stress and anxiety. I take Omega-3 pills, because I don't like salmon and avocado.
- Stretch to relax your body and mind. I'm going to physio for a couple things and stretching is part of the program.
- Try progressive muscle relaxation to feel relaxed from head to toe. I try this when I'm going to sleep - from toes upward - but I'm so tired, I fall asleep by the time I get to my calves.
- Try a diffuser. Aromatherapy can be an effective stress-reliever. This is where I use lavender in the bedroom.
- Get more sleep.
I wish! - Hug someone. Studies show physical intimacy is a great coping mechanism. So glad I can hug my husband again.
- Talk it out. Sharing your stress with a therapist or loved one can be very therapeutic. This is something I miss ... since my husband, my best friend, had his accident, I haven't had anyone to "talk it out" with.
- Take a break from social media. At least for a few days. It can be an unrealistic place. But ... this is how I "talk it out!"
- Pet or play with an animal. Sometimes I wish I had a cat.
- Hire people to do whatever I can possibly outsource! I order groceries online and have them delivered. I have a person who comes and does the yard, and others who come and clean.
But mostly, I have my list of things I need to do, and it keeps growing as I do things ... but I just keep doing the next thing.
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lalalacroix wrote: »Carlos_421 wrote: »Carlos_421 wrote: »Carlos_421 wrote: »Call of Duty Blackout
Whoever woo'd this must be a Fortnite player.
@Carlos_421 I actually laughed out loud. I'm not an FPS player except for Doom, but I figured recommending Dark Souls and Sekiro probably wouldn't do much for relieving stress
edit: OP I've learned somewhat to ask myself just how important is it and what I can do about it right now. It's not hugely popular these days but prayer and meditation, time away fishing hiking, a good book and/or a hot shower or bath...all do wonders for me.
The bolded are all great in my book, as well.
Aside from lifting (honestly a great stress reliever for me), I also enjoy just walking the dog, watching my bird feeders and I have something like 14 fish tanks that I enjoy watching and working on (I've converted my garage to a fish room/man cave).
I used to have a lot of fish tanks once. I even kept a breeding tank for my convict cichlids who kept getting all their eggs eaten. Having many tanks is a really awesome hobby! Thanks for reminding me that I want this again. 🙂
I've gotten into breeding plecos. love it!!1 -
gallicinvasion wrote: »At a certain point, if all the the above is not helpful in reducing your stress at the end of the day, you might have to look at eliminating the sources of your stress. Sometimes jobs, relationships, home lives, or schedules are literally too stressful to continue. Try identifying those changeable sources of stress (with the help of a therapist, if you want) and make a plan of small steps to remove/reduce them.
You know, thanks for saying this. Anytime you Google "how to relieve stress" or something similar, every article tells you to get some exercise, eat healthy, and try meditation, but nothing ever tells you to evaluate your life choices or dares to suggest that maybe you just need to get a divorce or something. I know some of what's stressing me out is just unavoidable life growing pains type stuff, but there is also some stuff I need to address head on and actually sit down and come up with a solution for. And I know that, but thank you for saying it and not just recommending yoga to me again.
Sounds like you might be in the same "place" as me.
I work fulltime, am a post-graduate student at university, and am my husband's carer. We were a great partnership, enjoying life and long distance cycling and travelling together. Then in March 2018, he had a workplace accident which resulted in a Severe Traumatic Brain injury. He was in a coma for 3 weeks, PTA for an additional 5 weeks, and was finally discharged from hospital into a rehabilitation program in July 2018. He continued the rehab program until October. He's out of rehab now and is making a "remarkable" recovery, but there's still a long way to go. So many medical appointments. And suddenly I became both of us. Because it is a workplace injury, that adds a whole other layer of stress to the situation. And our long distance cycling is not possible anymore.
So, the last 14 months have been ... something else.
And the last thing I need is even more to do.
This blog: https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/31-ways-to-reduce-stress-in-your-life/ provides 31 ways to reduce stress in your life.
My life is fairly high stress, so I thought I would take a moment to glance through the list.
Some are all right like 1. Go outside. Fresh air and nature have been shown to reduce stress and anxiety. Yes, I find that walking down to the beach after work is something that helps.
But most of the rest add things to a person's schedule. Yes, I'm a little bit cynical here.
4. Get a massage. ... Who has the time??
[snip]
Sorry to hear about your husband's STBI. Glad he is doing much better. My sister's father-in-law is fully recovered from the one he had years back - it was an amazing recovery.
Re massage - when my OH was his mother's caretaker I talked him into regular massage. We did not live together at the time and he got it on his way to come visit me. When we moved in together, we started having the masseuse come to us. This cost the same, and was way more convenient, plus it is so nice to have a massage right before bed.3 -
I vent to my friend. She must be so sick of my complaining lol. Also, I listen to relaxing ASMR videos on YouTube to help me sleep. Works wonders.0
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SCUBA was an awesome stress reliever for me. I was a volunteer diver at the aquarium and just loved blowing bubbles on a weekly basis. It was better than therapy, not to mention the occasional interaction with some incredible animals.
Obviously, that would require proper training and not a way for everyone to relieve themselves of the stress they’re experiencing.
But I haven’t been in the water in a while, and now when I’m stressed, I put on some “zoning” music, and try to figure out where the stress is coming from. Like others have mentioned, it could be thrust upon us from something outside of our control. Medical issues, job related, and life can just throw us curveballs from time to time.
Venting can help too. Don’t hesitate to reach out and talk to someone!3 -
I really like hot yoga, Pilates and going for hikes anywhere gorgeous. 0
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Ride a bike1
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Meditation and philosophy. Dialectical/Cognitive behavior therapy.0
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After a really rough day only two things ever really help me
1. Deep cleaning
2. Getting on the heavy bag boxing1 -
Assassins Creed 1
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Cleaning, for sure.
Walking at my favorite parks
Snuggling with my cat
Sex
Dancing
Napping
Doing something nice for someone else1 -
When I have a hard time destressing due to physical issues that prevent dancing, exercising, etc... Here are things myself (or one of my kids who has physical issues) do -
1. listen to music while playing a video game (pacman is oddly relaxing when playing nice music, LOL, and there are a lot of free online versions)
2. Singing
3. shooter video games where I get to kill something, on particular types of bad days.
4. youtube videos that are often labeled 'weirdly satisfying compliations' or the like - just oddball things that actually often do help the body just feel good.
5. Exercises where I lay on my back and do a lot of crunches type exercises, or on sides and do leg lifts, or on front and do things to lift back or shoulders up - usually until I am utterly exhausted, if it's for stress relief
Definitely have to second singing. I find when I'm really stressed that going onto Youtube & looking up karaoke/instrumental tracks usually will lift my spirits a bit. When I'm really stressed/angry at work sometimes listening to music on Youtube will work.
When I'm stressed/tired getting a bath & playing a few games on my iPad will have me feeling destressed after awhile.0 -
Anything that completely distracts my mind from the stressful issue. By distract, I mean ... I completely forget about the problem. Something I need to concentrate on. Like woodworking or maybe an intense video game.1
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Weed.
It's legal where I live, I can just order it on my phone and get it delivered lol. Perfectly healthy de-stressor, and without the calories of alcohol.3 -
Eat... or ski in winter... as I primarily do the former, need something in summer-- thinking mtn biking... that is the plan for this summer
Yeah, the stress eating thing is haaaard. Eating and drinking have been my crutches and that really needs to change! Since I first posted, I've been doubling down on my rowing accompanied by loud music and so far that's working a treat! Thanks, everyone, and please keep the suggestions coming!
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-Long walk with the dog, who doesn’t care how much I complain and vent.
-hot cup of tea, a good book, & a cat (or dog)
-scream
-listen to loud music & sing and dance like a fool.
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