Advice On Destressing

[sxluvncpl]

Okay people....I need all the advice that you can give me on how to destress...tell me what works for you....because right now I am about ready to try just about anything.....and it has to be legal LMAO ......so please help a girl out here!!!!

Gina

 

[Baskin Robbins]

You had to go and mess it up with that whole legal thing!!

 

[wicked woman]

uuummmm make love.....


hey what did you want me to suggest? works for me...

 

[sxluvncpl]

LOL...I know....bummer, isn't it???? but with job and going for a promotion which involve a drug test and a huge raise....I think that the temptation won't win out .....alot of tress right now which is starting to affect me physically....neck, shoulder and upper back area giving me fits....and Doctor said that it is caused from stress and tension....a no brainer, huh? I told him that I don't know how to let things go or how to destress and he said well that is a million dollar question and if I find out the answer to be sure and pass it on!!!!

 

[Baskin Robbins]

I'm self-employed so the whole test thing is N/A... I find when I get stressed like I am now (We're building a house and moving in less than 2 weeks AND our house hasn't sold yet ) my back is extremely painful. I'm convinced it's psychosomatic. Exercise is the key. If you can't go the illegal route -- work out. It will distract your mind and wear you out! Sex works too, but the workout route helps as well AND improves your sex life! Right now, I'm just putting up with the pain b/c I have no place to work out. The next house I will. I get back pain, my wife eats -- it REALLY IS a BITCH! We both have some work to do once this ordeal is over!

 

[sxluvncpl]

LOL @ Wicked Woman

I like that idea just fine but with our schedules that isn't going ot happen....between my hours and his we might go a day and a half or 2 days without even seeing each other.....really sucks!!

 

[sxluvncpl]

I understand believe me!!!! I am usually so tired that by the time I get home (my hours are anywhere from getting up at 4:30 in the morning to not getting home until 1:00 in the morning) that really bites but it helps pay the bills....my exercise is usually speed walking at work all day long LOL then I am too tired to try to do anything else....mental workout is supervising around 125 or more people a day....hubby works a 24 hour shift every 3 days and has his own company too...so it is a miracle that we have any time together....he'll drive me to work sometimes so that we can have that time together....we both need to try to find the time to try to workout but HELL if I know when LOL

 

[Baskin Robbins]

Damn that SUX! I was a chef when my wife and I got together. She was a graphic artist and worked M-F 9-5. I worked nights, weekends and holidays. I burned out and tried to do a desk job, commuting from Marietta to inside The Perimeter (a/b 20 mi.). My backpain at THAT point was EXCRUCIATING and CONSTANT!! I found some amount of relief by lifting myself up on the arms of my desk chair and just hanging. Might try some anti-gravity boots as odd as that sounds! It was like stretching my spine and gave me a great deal of relief. I always wanted some boots, but never got them.

We are now both chefs and work for ourselves. My backpain is not NEARLY as bad as it was. This whole move is messing with my back though!

 

[Baskin Robbins]

We're moving to Cumming. Can you believe there is a city called CUMMING? I went to Culinary School up north and there was a city called Blueball! Just Damn...

 

[I_Edwards]

Wow, and here I was about to suggest cooking, or baking, as a means of destressing.

Failing that, a scenic walk could help?

Creative dance maybe?

 

[Baskin Robbins]

I'm convinced that outside of serious physical injury, backpain is all in one's head. The slower our business is the more we have backpain. It's like the mind is inflicting pain on the body for all of the stress that is being laid on the mind. When we are on vacation we never have backpain! Unfortunately we haven't had even a small vacation in a year and a half. We call our new home our vacation this year, but trust me, building a house and moving is NO vacation! It will be nice when we are in it, but for now it's VERY stressful!

 

[Baskin Robbins]

It actually helps my back to "talk" a/b my stress on this board! My backpain has gone down in the past hour! Go figure! It helps to have people to talk to. Being self-employed, the only people we have to talk are each other. Maybe Lit will put psychiatrists out of business!

 

[sxluvncpl]

thanks but where I live there really isn't any good places to walk....I wish there was because I would love to go for a walk in the spring and fall especially....we tried to ride bikes for awhile but we just never have the time for that either or it damn near killed LMAO.

 

[sxluvncpl]

Now that would be funny....I can just imagine some of the advice the "docs" on here would give

 

[I'm Wild Cherry]

This is only the tip of the iceberg... but try soaking in a nice hot bath. I do it nearly every night before going to bed. When I'm still wound up from the day, it relaxes me enough that I will fall asleep in minutes. I like nice "toasty" bubble baths like vanilla or walnut. There are also many aroma therapy items that can help during all parts of the day.

Also, someone already mentioned stretching. Ah, that can do wonders. Have you considered becoming a massage junky!?

 

[sanchopanza]

sport, exercise, what you will. if you're really stressed put all your nervous energy into a sport - attack it aggressively and vigorously. it works in any sport, use great aggression in non-contact sports

 

[Bobmi357]

De-stressing is going to be different for everyone. Often a lot of people will confuse the need to relax with the need to burn off excess energy.

When I'm programming, I tend to get very wired and stressed. I'll spend days walking around in a zombie like state muttering about variables and methods, ignoring the wife, the cats, the whole world.

Sometimes, especially when dealing with a particularily nasty problem, I find that if I break away from it for a few hours, take a quiet walk, or soak in the tub with a good book, I'll be able to return to the problem fresh, and usually with a new perspective on solving it.

Some things simply aren't worth stressing about. Especially those things beyond your control! The important thing here is to learn to recognize what is under your influence and what isn't.

 

[dollface007]

I know all about stress (as i'm sure most of you do)...on top of being prone to anxiety, i'm in a very demanding graduate program. Here are a couple of things that have helped me:

1. Getting massages from time to time (no, not THAT kind of massage). Fortunately, my university provides massages at reduced prices, and they are worth every penny. Just having that one hour to zone out, have your muscles worked and your tension released will give you a baseline on relaxation and taking care of yourself. The therapist will be able to tell you of different ways to stretch and relax if you ask.
2. Yoga...yeah, i know that sounds cliche. This no longer fits into my budget (even though classes can be less than $10 a session), but i can tell you that after one yoga class, your body will feel like jello and you will feel very refreshed. There are lots of different types of yoga, and the class i took focused more on the physical aspects and body positions, and not on meditation (although that might help too). The point is, you can probably find a class that fits your preferences (level of intensity, time contraints, etc).
3. Having friends that allow you to talk about your daily stresses and will HAVE FUN with you!!. I didn't have that for a while...new town, didn't know alot of people. My anxiety levels were alot worse when i didn't have friends to unwind with. Online friends can work just as well for talking, but going out one night a week is great for relaxation as well.
4. Finding an artistic hobby. I perform/rehearse with a musical group one night a week. It's different from anything else i do in my professional life...sort of like speaking a completely different language for 3 hours a week. My stress level drops dramatically when i'm focusing on the music. The same would work for painting, sewing, writing, whatever. I truly believe that this keeps me sane.
Sorry this was so long, but things just kept popping into my head! Good luck!

 

[sheath]

The last few days have been rough for me, and what helps is a long, relaxing bubble bath. My water bill is going to skyrocket this month.

Stretching exercises, cranking up the music and dancing through the house, hollering at the top of your lungs, it all works. Your neighbors might think you are insane, but depending on your neighbors, that might be fun.

Back pain...hmm. I like those 'gel' heating pads. The ones you pop into the microwave. They stay warm for an ungodly amount of time, and they form-fit to your body. Very nice, and a good investment.

S.

 

[asenath]

Get a yoga DVD.. I do yoga at home all the time.

 

[Image]

You have to set your life up to not have anything to stress about... it may take awhile.
Everyone is so used to the fast pace. Getting enough money to pay for the things you want begins to take away from the things you really need... like peace

 

[Noor]

I walk, I write, I take long warm showers. I secretly feed the koi in the conservatory and watch them jump. I pet guinea pigs at the humane soceity and pet stores, hang with my friends, interact with their kids, read murder mysteries, talk on line, listen to AL Stewart songs, get massages, go for long drives, listen to latin jazz and other music, dance in the rain, clean (occassionally) escape into sex, go to the musuem, art crawls, volunteer, sew, smock, string pearls, paint, take Bach's rescue remedy, turn on all the lights, work out, surround myself with people I love.

I am sure I do more but that's what I can think of now.

Noor

 

[CelticFrog]

My water bill is going to skyrocket this month.

I keep telling you to come visit me... we don't pay water or for the gas to heat it.

Seriously, there's a lot of different things I do to destress depending on what is stressing me. I play with my son if he's not the one causing the stress... I play my instruments if they're not stressing me (I get too perfectionistic), I clean my house a lot lately... before, it would take an act of GOD to get me to do that... timers are a good thing to make yourself stop working too, not just for timing breaks...

I like screaming into pillows sometimes.

About back pain and stress and other things that can REALLY be an issue in your life, consider looking for a chiropractic center. And really pay attention to what their schpiel is... I say this because many chiropractors just care about popping a spine and letting you go. Some, like the one my SO and I have just found (oh yeah... gotta make that appt with them!!!) take a more whole-body approach to chiropractic wellness. They take the time to educate you about what nerves each disc in your spine relates to. They often have massage therapists in their centers (I say center instead of office because it's complete care, not just yer back) who will give you package deals or discounts when you've just gotten adjusted... oh I could go ON and ON about these guys. I just paid out of pocket $20 for a thermal scan, static scan, and full set of Xrays for TWO PEOPLE at this place. Also make sure you find a place that will work with you and your available insurance. Pretty confident your insurance won't cover chiropractic? There is a program that is nationwide (I think) that helps cover costs for people who don't have insurance or whose insurance won't acknowledge the benefits of chiropractic care.

I've blathered long enough. Look into it -- it's really quite neat.

Ang



***edited to say this: A massage therapist in a chiropractic office can usually put their bill under the chiropractor's insurance identifier, which can help you pay THAT bill too!!! Whoopee!!!

 

[Amfig]

Meditate for at least 15 minutes, twice a day.

 

[Noor]

swimming, I forgot swimming and hot tubs.