How do you deal with stress?

Shakashakara wrote: »

I like to hang with my dogs.

Or sometimes I lay in bed frozen in pseudo-terror and indecision that makes me emotionally abandon everything and everyone important to me because my brain is simultaneously racing and paralyzed and I can’t think of anything but how much my heart is pounding

Stuff like that

Ayyyye my kind of party!

Escapism works for me. Cave. Cocoon. Under blankets. That type of thing.

ATM I'm trying to deal with a huge pity party, living with past and present regrets. I swear it all causes a sort of paralysis of the brain and body.

Meditate, take a walk with the dogs, make some art, and read books are just a few things I do to reduce stress. Meditation works the best and I need to go back to a formal sitting practice since I tend to doze off in other settings.

ReenieHJ wrote: »

OpheliaCooter wrote: »

I was trying out alcoholism for a week or two and was also tempted to start smoking out of nowhere but decided ultimately that I’m not a teenager anymore and it’s just too late in the game to pick up long term habits.
So I’m back on the sweets.
I fantasize about coping with exercise but I’m just not there physiologically.

Were we twins at birth maybe?

Definitely twins later in life 😜
You’ve got good reason to be stressed though, I’m just me... stressin’ 🍩🍭🎂

_sw33tp3a_11 wrote: »

I detach myself from everything and everyone. Not healthy but that's what I've been doing. I also drink beers and stuff.

I'm very good at the detachment thing too. Also when I'm depressed, angry, bored, irritated, afraid. Mainly I'm just a detached person. I spent my working life isolating myself with my work then sit back and wonder why I've got no friends.
Define stuff though? I have to admit I consider myself a former alcoholic before I ever started having children but stopped as soon as I had my first baby. And I did have 1 drink while we had company a week ago but I could actually see myself falling back into the 'kill my emotions' routine too easily. Right now it's the food. And it's not vegetables I'm craving either. Ugh, all the sugar please.

Exercise in general, but particularly something like mountain biking or going for a hike in the mountains where I can enjoy some beautiful scenery and fresh air. Regular exercise in general keeps the stress and anxiety away for the most part, but sometimes I just need to get to the mountains. I try to get out on the trails at least once per week on the weekend.

Doesn't always work out, but I also try to take a week long vacation somewhere a couple of times per year and have those relatively evenly split out...so roughly every 6ish months or so. It also has to be a trip just for us...no visiting family somewhere, etc...just a trip for the family. I take a long weekend for myself every couple of months...may or may not go anywhere, just take some time to decompress, though I often take that time to go camping.

I try to remember the “Why” or final purpose of my job/life. I also try to see big picture, which is difficult when emotions run high. I try to remember my anger and frustration when I lift the weights and it helps but only a little. I try to remember that the negative feelings always end up going away at some point.