I have found that refocusing my energy helps me to relax. If I'm incredibly ticked at something, I'll play some video games to let off steam. If I'm worrying over things, I'll clean or do laundry. For me, it's about shifting the focus elsewhere to gain some clarity, an maybe be a bit productive in the process.
Those are great! Especially the 10 month old daughter. :) Nothing relieves stress more to me, than playing with my kids.
16 years ago my wife was dying of cancer, this was the most stressful time of my life by far. I relied on meditation to relieve the stress and recharge my batteries so I could get through my days and remain positive despite what was going on in my life and hers. To this day this is where I turn in times of stress.
Although I'm not a believer, I suspect prayer has many similarities as far as the state of mind it induces.
My wife did Tia Chi during this time. She would come home and demonstrate to me the new poses she learned in her latest lesson. Her teacher would stress that the pose had to be executed exactly, and this was always difficult. I realized that much of the benefit comes from just concentrating the mind whether it's on executing a pose exactly, concentrating on ones breath or on a prayer.
For me playing music can have a stress reducing effect. You have to concentrate on what you are doing or it all falls apart. In addition if you are playing with others you must pay attention to and react to what they are doing. So once again the common denominator is concentration on something other than the concerns of the day.
Whatever works to shift that focus. I come home from work sometimes and play some video games just to get that refocus. Going on an epic quest, seems to make the shift for me. When you've spun those wheels in meetings or dealing with some people who aren't particularly nice at work, there's some meaning to the shift that happens when fighting the good fight in a great game. Oooo...you just reminded me, I need to do some laundry today. LOL :) Thanks for your response!
Oh yeah, and speaking of focusing elsewhere, reading has been my stress reliever since I learned how. It was a way of removing myself from the stressful home setting and going "elsewhere". I now read almost exclusively books that take place in other countries or cultures (and have a great list if anyone wants it)so I also get free "travel"!
I agree with you 100% here. :) I still play in a band, even though I don't have a lot of time to do so, but it helps that we do it for fun and very little money playing out, but it's helped me in so many ways. Even just getting together once a week to practice helps.
As far as meditation goes. I'm a believer here. It helps in so many different ways. :)
Gotta love where a book takes you. My best friends mom is a romance writer and I'll actually read her books because she does such a great job in describing the places her characters travel too, that I want to go there. LOL She writes a good story too. (Susan Elizabeth Phillips is her name)
Great topic, and lots of great contributions! I am an exercise fiend, and a "push to the max" workout is the best stress reducer for me (I know it's not for everyone). I have practiced yoga regularly for 20 years, and more and more I incorporate meditation. Then, a glass of wine (no carbs!) and a good read round it all out.
Thanks Melitta! Excellent advice. I'm pushing towards being an exercise fiend again. I'm getting there, one step at a time. :) I appreciate the advice. Glass of wine occasionally here as well. I really want to get into doing Yoga, once I drop some weight. Right now it's hard for me to hold some of the poses, but I really want to incorporate it someday soon. And I love meditation. Heading off to do so in a little while at the dog park, while she gets to play with the other dogs, I get to do some meditation in nature. It's a great trade-off! :)
I guess none of this is very original: trailer-camping (excluding winter) to be living temporarily in the Great Outdoors; walking in our fine Metroparks; a glass of wine or GF beer in the late afternoon; reading mysteries, esp. dog mysteries. I need them all!
It's whatever works and it's good advice. :) Thanks Trudy! and I hadn't thought about trailer-camping, by the way. ;)
I like to set up a "trifecta" and get a book, some music that goes with it (I have like 18K songs on my ipod and lots of "mood" or "century" playlists, etc...) and some booze. I used to be more particular about finding booze that went with the books but am pretty slack about that as the active ingredient always works.
Re the green space, one of my friends is a professor who's done experiments showing that exposure to green space, even narrow, urban green space (parks, trails, etc...) will improve math scores in kids on the autism spectrum. I'm sure that if it's good for them, it's good for everyone!
For me it's exercising outdoors ideally & indoors, if needed. I find a walk or bike ride clears my head.
Getting enough sleep helps ease stress--or helps me cope with it.
That said, I think a soak in the tub is in order.
I bet it is! :) and the trifecta does sound like a good plan.
Getting enough sleep is always the hardest part for me. Lately, I've been resorting to benadryl. It really does the trick. :)
hi zoe! if you can forward me your list or post it here thatd be great. have you read vikram seth´s "a suitable boy"? takes place in india, a great tome of a book, i didnt want it to end!
doing astanga/power yoga, cycling, escaping into a book, a trip to the beach, hiking, a boot camp class if im anrgy-stressed!
When I started exercising regularly, c. 2007, it killed my sleep problems. Before that, I'd have monthly bouts of insomnia where I would just stay up all night or sleep very fitfully. None since then.
Lots of great stress-reducing stuff here! Great topic Dave!
I will also throw in a couple of others for those of you who are near the water: kayaking, canoeing, fishing, swimming, paddleboarding, surfing, and my personal favorite, SAILING!
Boot-camp class sounds interesting. ) Thanks!