How do you deal with Anxiety and/or Stress?

PHAW Webmistress · Post by **PHAW Webmistress** » January 28, 2007 11:24 am

We all have it - some more than others and all at different levels.............what are YOUR best coping methods??? Maybe someone's suggestion here will help someone else

ph4ever · Post by **ph4ever** » January 28, 2007 11:30 am

meditation helps - it's also helped pains I feel that associated with the HCV

walks - get out and enjoy the fresh air will sometimes clear the head

and if all else fails a trip to the doc and a little pill can do wonders!!

Coconuts · Post by **Coconuts** » January 28, 2007 11:34 am

Traveling helped me last year. Didn't help once I got home, but I was better for a few days at a time.

Moonie · Post by **Moonie** » January 28, 2007 11:41 am

exercise...long walks...reduced my bp, that at one time was high, due to nothing but emotional stress...

for me, medications only hid the stress, I didn't like taking them...which is very odd, for me ...

RinglingRingling · Post by **RinglingRingling** » January 28, 2007 11:42 am

don't know that my "grind it out and then fall apart after the problem is solved" idea will help. It doesn't seem to be working at the moment.

dawgfan · Post by **dawgfan** » January 28, 2007 11:47 am

Punching Bag, greatest thing I ever installed.Beating the hell out of it makes me feel so much better.

ragtopW · Post by **ragtopW** » January 28, 2007 11:47 am

OK some of these are a little immature but they work for me..

Call in sick.. and watch tv/do nothing all day.. Mimosas/Irish Coffee
and all.. Pizza or Delivery chinese for lunch

break a taboo(small ones work best) get half lit
and see an afternoon (or Morning) movie..

Plan a trip.. or two..

Get a hug from a BNer... (((Renee)))

txaggirl91 · Post by **txaggirl91** » January 28, 2007 11:58 am

you know it is bad when one of your doctors tells you "i think you need to get a new job because stress is doing evil things to your body."

spending the weekend with a group of my BN friends at a tailgate and then seeing jimmy play has been a great stress reliever for me. i can put all my work crap behind me for at least 48 hours and play. i come home tired and exhausted but relaxed.

quick sanity posts on BN (like now)

other than that - exercise, accupuncture and massages have helped too. making lists of the things that have to get done each day so i don't freak out with the amount of things i have to complete (like right now).

never tired medication unless i'm having a round of insomina (usually caused by me not being able to shut my head off for sleep).

balcony girls · Post by **balcony girls** » January 28, 2007 12:07 pm

. .honestly . .? ? . .I tend to recoil and become " invisible " . . .

. .seems I have more strength to help others out of anxiety than I do for myself. .

. .but when I DO manage to talk myself out of it . . . sometimes nothing more than a shower and driving to the florist/grocery to buy nothing more than a bunch of flowers helps. . . a clean start and new surroundings seem to help bring me off of my " Pity Pot " . . . . . .

PIA · Post by **PIA** » January 28, 2007 12:17 pm

i go straight to the GYM....lifting and running...it gives me such a release...

sometimes i cry...it doesnt really make me feel better but i tend to cry when i get really stressed out

ive punched the wall a few times...(not smart)

pbans · Post by **pbans** » January 28, 2007 12:17 pm

Long walks.....we are fortunate to have a great walkway the runs along the riverside....listening the water, watching the ducks and other birds...very calming/centering

Playing out in the backyard with my dogs......watching my dog catch a tennis ball on the fly is a great stress reliever...

Yoga.....I'm learning this and hope that it will become a long term stress reliever

Music....loud....

Massage....I carry stress in my shoulders, to the point they just ache....to get those kinks worked out helps a lot

Nature.....a drive up in to the mountains....walk any one of the million trails up there.....ahhhhhhhh

Coconuts · Post by **Coconuts** » January 28, 2007 12:26 pm

You know, every single Yoga class I've taken, I start out feeling like it's completely dumb, but I love it by the end! I just wish I could find a gym that was as good as my old one in Indy!

pbans · Post by **pbans** » January 28, 2007 12:32 pm

How could I forget the Harley??????

One thing about riding a motorcycle is that it forces you to "be in the moment".......nice, long motorcycle rides along a curvy road.....great stress reliever for me!@!

Tequila Revenge · Post by **Tequila Revenge** » January 28, 2007 12:58 pm

Been dealing with this thing for over 20 years.

Long walks, exercise, physical labor, and as someone else mentioned hitting a punching bag are all great stress relievers. One doctor told me how important it is to learn to control my thoughts and to be sure to keep my outlook positive and only worry about things that affect life and death. He was serious about the life and death part too. He said everything else will go away in it’s time. There’s a really good work book called something like Overcoming Stress and Anxiety. There’s a stress test in there to help you see what your “stress level” is and what “normal” stress levels are. I remember when I took the test the first time, I think normal was around 150 and my stress level was around 425 due to things going on in my life. That helps because you realize you are not going out of your mind, your dealing with a bunch of stress. Deep breathing exercises are very important too. Same doctor told me the importance on having a quiet place where you can be comfortable to spend 10-20 minutes relaxing. He felt it was best to do this first thing in the AM to set your day and when you got home from work to rid yourself of the stuff you pick up going through a day and to keep your home a peaceful place for you. I have lots of classical music/nature CD’s, sounds of birds, rain falling, ocean waves, bubbling brooks, etc. Listening to music with some Kava Kava tea works well too. Journaling helps you to keep track of your feelings, why you feel the way you do on any given day and can also help you see if there are “triggers” you encounter. Finally, thank God for medication. If you think of stress as the big beach ball you are playing with in a pool and are trying to get the big ball under water, you understand the struggle in getting it there. But once the ball is underwater, it becomes very manageable. The medication can assist in getting a handle on things while you learn coping strategies and learn to change you life activities. And there IS a very distinct comfort level, OK a security blanket, knowing you have some of those magic pills if you need them. All my hobbies have evolved to be activities that are stress reducers for me. I fly fish, canoe, kayak, and attempt to photograph birds and wildflowers and make wine. About alcohol, I’ve learned that too much will “trigger” a very anxious day, and is NOT a good thing. Hope this helps someone.

thebeachbumm33 · Post by **thebeachbumm33** » January 28, 2007 1:03 pm

A long walk on the beach with my friend Mary Jane usually relieves any stress or anxieties I'm dealing with. Also when there's waves, there's nothing like surfing to help forget about everything, it's just you, God and the waves.

kitty · Post by **kitty** » January 28, 2007 1:05 pm

I try to do something creative...paint pottery at one of those places is great.
I run...work out.
Luckily, I don't stress over too much and have never really had to deal with anxiety....thank God...
When I am feeling stressed, I try to remember that there are so many more important issues in life than the one I am most likely stressing over.
Breathe in, Breathe out..Move on!

balcony girls · Post by **balcony girls** » January 28, 2007 1:08 pm

. .another good tip . .

. . a very understanding BN'er recently told me . . ." hold your arms out, and turn in a circle . . . THAT is the space/person you can control . . "

. . certainly makes sense to me now . . .only I can alllow how/if that stress will overtake me, and only I can address/control it . .

NotJust64 · Post by **NotJust64** » January 28, 2007 1:18 pm

I do what most of us women do.....go shopping !! Of course it's not for bathing suits, remember we are trying to DEstress. I just move the stress from me to the hubby.
If the weather is nice, I grab my fishing pole and hit the beach. Nothing soothes you more than watching the birds and the waves work hand in hand.
If all that doesn't work HIT THE BOTTLE !!

tikitatas · Post by **tikitatas** » January 28, 2007 1:22 pm

Exercise, meditation, yoga . . .

LIPH · Post by **LIPH** » January 28, 2007 1:31 pm

I find someone I don't like and beat the s*** out of him. j/k