Stress management - what do you do?

Having been through some more-than-normal stressful times lately, I started thinking about how people manage increased stress levels differently. What do you do?

For me, healthy stress management options include getting regular exercise (zumba 3x a week, ideally), getting enough sleep, and eating a reasonably healthy diet.

Non-healthy stress management options I tend to go for include a (very occasional) glass of alcohol, too much sleep (typically a sign my depression is starting to amp up, and something needs to change), a rapid increase in my volume of chocolate consumption, and squabbling with my husband (we actually argue very rarely, so this is a real red flag).

Interestingly, I tend to fall into the non-healthy options first, then when I realise it's an issue, I start on the healthy options. I'd love the healthy options to be my default, but unfortunately they're not!

How do you manage stress?

 

I just remind myself that my life isn't that bad, and issues that I have to face aren't that big.

But in my line of work it's hard to feel too sorry for myself when you've just counselled someone who had their son blow their brains out in front of them in the same week that their husband's died. Or the 18yo girl that got a brain parasite that left her paralysed. Or all the young kids getting raped, or bashed, etc... that I talk to.

It's hard to work with that all day and then come home and go "I'm so stressed because the bank knocked back our last loan which delays our investment goals.... woe is me".

Love my job for it's ability to give me a daily dose of perspective.

However I know when you aren't getting that perspective it can be difficult to see past your own difficulties and things can get overwhelming pretty quickly.

There's a lot of people in my family with anxiety, and I used to have it and got panic attacks from time to time. Luckily I grew out of it.

Sometimes if the anxiety is getting really overwhelming then it's time to take things to help with the anxiety. You don't necessarily have to jump straight to valium or ssri's. A glass of wine here or there, or when I used to get panic attacks I'd take a heap of valerian root each day. Studies show that kava is very effective in relieving anxiety, and good old st john wort is a natural mao inhibiter which increases the availability of serotonin.

A couple of times a year I won't be able to get to sleep instantly (99% of the time I fall asleep within 2 mins). On those nights half a glass of wine does the trick.

I also find exhausting yourself with physical labour during most days helps you to get a good nights sleep.

I know for my wife a big de-stressor is gardening.

Anyway those are just some thoughts.

 

Running, yoga and getting enough sleep are the biggest ones. However, if I'm stressed they are the things that I tend to let slip...Going on a bushwalk always helps to calm my mind and stay in the moment.

 

I'm so stressed now that I think I'm just going to have to stop everything and take a really long break in which I'll ease back into my old routines of swimming, sleeping, reading, socialising, yoga, eating right and prayer and meditation. Sure missing the old days right now. Blumin tenants won't get out. Once they're out I'm chucking in 1 or both of the jobs. I'll spend weeks removing wallpaper, stripping old paint, sanding, getting quotes, putting up fences, carport, and gardening. In between I'll be sleeping, swimming and eating fruit and veg and singing to the pets.

 

Drink, smoke, and gamble.
Works every time.

 

That's a really, really good idea.

As far as stress relief goes for me, I like to get really super ultra lazy and just be okay with it. Roll with the punches, Jen. Just do what makes you happy. I have found that the people who are most stress free and happy and those who just do not GAF.

 

Swim, hike, bike, cook, read finance stuff, learn languages, watch comedy, don't work, castellers, drink beer, talk to people.

 

Probably best to live life at a pace where you don't get in this situation to begin with. Prevention is better than cure.

 

Sit in a quiet corner and slow your breathing, some people call this meditation. I don't find time to go to the gym these days (but happily pay $80 a month for the membership), and when I find the time, I am too lazy. So I opt for a Thai massage. Immensely de-stressing.

 

@JenW

Running
Listening music
Breathing exercises

Works best for me.

 

I ride my bike.
But I have to consciously decide to ride it slow and enjoy it, otherwise its another means of competing, if only with myself.

 

Running and a glass of wine (not at the same time) are my two regular regular stress management tools - one gets me out of the house which is really important for me, and the other is a small treat that helps me relax at the end of the day. It's also my signal that work is over and is family/home time now - also important for me because it's easy to just never stop working.

On the odd occasion I get super, out of the ordinary stressed I get my husband on board to help me resolve whatever I'm not coping with - he has a way of putting things in perspective that I can't always see in the moment.

 

That would be nice! Unfortunately, life can throw unexpected things so stress sometimes has to be 'managed' rather than prevented.

 

I go running with my 2 fluffballs (aka huskies in shedding mode) each evening which is my destress.

 

I am living in a cocoon of peacefulness at the moment after selling my IP with its 12 tenants. I sit on the verandah with my morning coffee and watch the postman go by and leave the postbox empty, no emails or telephone calls, no sending invoices or chasing rents and no having to drive to the property to see if the inhabitants are behaving themselves

Its not going to last, but for the moment - bliss.

I like to take an early morning walk to Fingal Beach, take off my shoes and walk along the waters edge, it sure does lower the stress levels.

 

sex!!!! I have the best and wildest when im stressed!!!

brb to test my own theory

 

Wow. It's sometimes easy to forget that our daily "problems" pale in comparison to others.

 

I don't get stressed. With concerted effort, I've integrated a lot of habits, absorbed philosophies and learned skills like mindfulness to extinguish the spark before it becomes a fire.

I do find that I need to maintain habits of my underlying level of wellbeing can taper off a little. Some of those regular habits:

• Daily mindfulness meditation
• Spending time in nature (whether watching clouds, listening to birds, relaxing by the river etc)
• Long, slow walks
• Cycling
• Watch sunrise/sunset (for a length of time...not talking 5 minutes but 30, 60+)
• Practicing gratitude
• Doing things for others/random acts of kindness
• Dramatically change my environment

 

Depends whether you get stressed during your 5 on or 2 off, doesn't it?