What is your go to stress release

jonafitness1

If you can tell us why you picked that option.

nossmf

Other

Didn't see weight lifting as an option.

Why lifting? It's a case of mind over matter, me exerting my will to effect a change in the world around me. That weight isn't going to move itself, in fact it resists moving. But I decide to move it, and through exerting my willpower through my body, I MAKE it move. When the rest of my world is in chaos and things are happening despite my best intentions, I can hit the weight room, and for that next hour, all the chaos zones away to simple movement (up, down), counting to 5 or 10, and it all happens because I choose it to happen that way.

cwolfman13

Other

I guess other. I don't have anything specific that I do when I'm stressed...I'd say the culmination of how I roll keeps stress pretty low most of the time.

• I wake up at 5:15-5:30 every morning and spend 20-30 minutes with my coffee, the sunrise, and my thoughts.
• I get on my bike by 5:45 or 6 and ride the trails for about 30-40 minutes
• I walk a couple of miles most days on my lunch break and recreate on weekends
• I lift 2-3x per week
• I eat well most of the time and get a lot of quality nutrition
• I limit alcohol
• I read for pleasure everyday
• I get good sleep and follow a sleep schedule as much as possible
• I indulge in simple pleasures like having a cooked breakfast with the family out on the patio on a Saturday or Sunday morning
• I enjoy outdoor recreation like mountain biking, road cycling, hiking, kayaking, etc and do these things as much as possible in my free time
• I regularly entertain my quirky pleasures like going to a car show, various festivals, lectures or interest, etc
• I journal at least a few times per week
• I take action on things I can control knowing I've done my part and there's nothing I can do about things not in my control
• I build model wooden boats as a downtime hobby...more so in the winter
• At least every 3 months I take a long weekend to go somewhere with the family, even if it's just camping, which I do pretty much once per month during camping season
• I take an actual vacation at least once per year
• I leave work at work...it'll be there tomorrow
• I limit social media and most media in general
• I put my phone away at around 7PM and don't pick it up again until I'm heading to work the next day

MaggieGirl135

Other

Jumping in the hot tub, right before bed!

tulips_and_tea

Other

Other. Definitely walking / hiking out in nature.

zebasschick

depends on time of day and a variety other factors.

often i'll pick up one of my bass guitars and play along with my favorite songs or songs i've been working on but haven't quite learned yet. sometimes i find watercolor painting - not necessarily creating a complete pic, but experimenting and playing with patterns, textures and colors is very relaxing. or i'll draw and experiment with colored pencils and watercolor pencils or hop on an exercise bike and play fairway solitaire as i pedal my cares away.

reading is another passion, but when i'm really stressed, it's sometimes hard to focus on a book (well, ebook, as i often read free books on kindle). but sometimes it's just the ticket.

sometimes i'll browse for stuff i might be interested in getting later in life - fitness equipment or ball jointed dolls can lead down a rabbit hole for me, and as long as i don't have to get to sleep soon or have work to do, i find it very soothing to shop, browse and compare. i spent 2 hours yesterday watching videos and reading reviews about power racks, and it really helped me unwind.

sometimes i turn to chocolate or salted pistachios...

neanderthin

Other

For direct stress release I like to go for a good trail walk with my dog, that works pretty well. I have a hybrid breathing-meditation routine I do and recently within the last year I'm doing Tai Chi, which I'm beginning to get some decent relaxation from, it's not as easy as it looks lol imo. I'll throw some 50's and 60's jazz on the turntable and have a scotch and generally 2 or 3 times a week before bed I'll turn on the jacuzzi. Cheers

vivmom2014

Other

Prayer. Then exercise.

AnnPT77

Other

Like cwolfman and zebasschick, I'd say it varies.

These days, I have a low-stress lifestyle, but in relatively higher moments of stress the helpful thing might be exercise, getting some fresh air and natural light, poking at flowers and such (houseplants or outdoors), distraction, simple "watch the breath" meditation, stretching, good music, getting absorbed in a fun crafts project, visual journaling, talking with a friend, and probably lots of other things I'm forgetting.

kshama2001

I prefer to do something cardiovascular outdoors. Right now I'm working on the last gardening project before it gets too hot and I lose interest until the late summer/early fall.

Mischante

Cake/cookies/food

I don't know why I do it but when I've had a super stressful night at work ect I crave and turn to sweets. Thankfully I can fit it in my calorie goal (most of the time) but it's something I've only come to realize in the last month or so. Honestly now that I've noticed that high stress is a trigger for me I am really wanting to find a healthier stress reduction outlet.

SherlockWWilson13

Cake/cookies/food

Cakes/Cookies/Food

It used to be boxing for sure but since relocating out to the West Coast and not having easy access to a boxing gym I've unfortunately started stress eating which has derailed my weight goals. I definitely tend to go for high fat or sugary foods in times of stress but have been trying to combat that by being mindful to eat the same thing every day for say a week at a time regardless of stress.

ythannah

Other

Walking. I need to get out of the office and walk every day at lunch to recharge and de-people for an hour. Walking with the dog evenings and weekends. Or just hanging with the dog in general.