How do you guys deal with stress?

There are many many many ways.

I play the Wii.
I go jogging, or hiking, or just somehow, get outside, into the woods, away from busy and noisy and people.
I read a book and escape.
I find something to laugh about.
I find something to…blur the edges.
Sex helps, and is a proven stress reliever.
Swimming is awesomeness.
Music is kick ass…

I dunno…it depends on the day and the mood and the Rain, I guess. ;)

Two of the same post? O_o lol
I usually listen to some slow music and drink a pepsi. Depending on the situation, I will vent to a friend or fix the source of the stress. Or just avoid it completely. Back when I smoked I would run to the bathroom and turn on the fan. lol. On a few rare occasions I drank to take my mind off of it. :P
Sometimes playing guitar helps. Naps are always refreshing :) So are cruises down a country road. Sometimes merely talking to a friend will cheer you up :)

I’m probably leaving out a few that I’m forgetting, but I think that is pretty good.

lol, its no biggie :D

Fixed :)

Meditation and exercise do it for me. I think stress is the most detrimental mental state possible so I really work hard to keep out to a minimum. Stress is not a necessary part of life :)

Music is a miracle worker for your soul. When I play music, I am in another world, which I am creating as I play. Like the architect dreamer from Inception, simultaneous creation and inhabitation of my own music world. Takes my mind off anything. I will actually be grumpy and not the same if I go too long without jamming. It’s like I’m addicted and suffer withdrawals…

Also I’m trying to work on my meditation. It’s hard for me to devote the time to it. Well, not hard, but I make myself believe it’s hard.

Agreed. What’s the point in stressing over something that has happened or didn’t happen or hasn’t happened yet? It is kind of pointless. Just go with the flow :)

definitely, always do something physical to keep you busy ,and some pot is good for stress…yeah music

I remember hearing once before that you cannot block objects, emotions, and problems, (whatever is causing you stress) from passing through you. If you hinder their travel past you, they will weigh you down and not be easily shaken. You must let your ‘problems’ flow through you; acknowledging them for what they are, then dismissing them for what they are.

I don’t remember where I heard this but it’s stuck with me… If it is something you can change, then why worry. And If it is something you cannot change, then why worry?

lol, weed almost killed me once O__O
well, most likely whatever was in it, haha. Last time I will ever do it, it scared me.
@paul, I’m working on my meditation, but when I do I have a difficult time turning off the little jukebox in my head. :/ You have the same issue?

Well, I can actually concentrate pretty well on clearing my mind. I usually focus on breathing, or actually the nothingness between breathes. After you inhale deeply, learn to pause for a few seconds and recognize the silence and nothingness that you will encounter. Same after exhaling.

Problem is, I think five minutes will cure me, so I snap out of it, stretch my body for a minute to finish the session, and I’m back to whatever it is I was wasting time on. :)

hahaa, I cant make it past 5 minutes without boredom kicking my ass.
I usually focus on my ears ringing. Problem is, now i notice them ringing all the time AND IT DRIVES ME MAD!

Haha, one composer had one note stuck in his head. He tried everything to stop hearing that note, but nothing worked. He drove himself insane and committed suicide.

But I’m sure that’s not what’s happening to you Alex lol.

@ Paul Laskey- who was the composer?

– I get together with friends.
-Go for a hike or a jog.
-Get plenty of sleep.
-Have loads of good music handy.
-try and fix the problem that is stressing me out or if I can’t change it, try and do a hobby I love.

Alcohol can help sometimes… Lol, just kidding…I don’t advocate this… listening to music and definitely working out is what effectively helps me. Watching good movies especially.

When I get stressed out I perform Reiki on myself, I meditate from time to time, with or without the help of Chillout Moods. It is an 8cd pack, but well worth it! Or I fire up the stream on the server I dj at play some angry music and shout along ;)

Also, sometimes weed helps (yay for living in the Netherlands!). On a more serious note, accepting the subject or object of your stress is also key.

on a sidenote, I think I am really going to enjoy this site, great work, Jordan

I just let it melt away. I can almost do it completely effortlessly now. I can’t explain how I do it, it just happens.

@matt, I know what you mean. I am like that as well. If I get stressed, I can easily get rid of it. I don’t get stressed very often though. There is nothing in my life that makes me stress enough for it to be called stress in the first place. I worry about things yes but I have my ways of dealing with it..Writing is one way, reading is another and going for a run with nothing but thought provoking music helps the most.

Taking a long hot bath helps a lot too.

Meditation, jogging and or sex, two out of those three at a time will get my stress out.

@joe – Now I’ve got this crazy vision of people trying to jog and have sex at the same time. People carrying people, wheelbarrows (as a position and a tool), and some sort of crazy three-legged-race kinda thing goin’ on. Haha.

I know it’s not the best, but I drive fast.

Also, one good deep breath helps for a lot of stress. It doesn’t solve the problem causing stress, but it helps me regain myself. If that doesn’t work, I do it again.

I don’t get stressed. When a thought like “all this could go horribly wrong” comes up, i simply go “yeah, it really could.” and get on with my life. The thing about stress is that its all resistance. its distilled resistance to your situation. which is appropriate from time to time. and i’m sure that if i was ever in the middle of a riot or my life was in serious danger, i would be quite stressed, but that doesn’t really happen that much in modern life, for the most part stress gets applied to situations that simply dont warrant it because we’re designed as animals to rebel against all bad situations as in our evolutionary path all bad situations were threatening to our lives.

as for blowing off steam, good sex with someone you love (or just really really like). note the use of the word good there. good sex and a high quality orgasm are just about the best things in the world. its one of the most emotionally variable activities you can perform which is important for your state of mind and also releases more happy hormones than any other activity.

Oh, and alex. for turning off the little jukebox in your head, stop trying to.let the thoughts go and they release themselves. surrender is the pinnacle of meditation. though i haven’t formally meditated in quite a while i more live it than do it. too much emphasis is put on it tbh though.