How do you cope with stress?

[LuckyG]

These past few days I've been finding it really hard to keep a cool head and a mellow attitude. It seems that nothing is going my way, I don't have any ambition, people are pissing me off (mostly unintentionally), and everything that could possibly destress me I have to wait for, including ganja. These past six months have been waiting, waiting, waiting, for all sorts of things, and I'm tired of it. This is definitely having an effect on my health - my back pain has flared up again, I get headaches, I can't digest food properly, and my rate of healing has slowed to a crawl.

The good news is, in a week and a half the waiting is done. The bad news is, it's still a week and a half away. What I want to know is, how do you guys cope with stress? Whether it's philosophy, or a habit, or a vitamin (I'm already on Vitamin B for depression, and it definitely helps with that) or even something silly like e-hugs or such, I'd love to get your input and maybe have these next few days to fly by.

Or maybe I just needed to vent a bit. I'm feeling a little bit better already. :)

[thoughtwriter]

i've been the same way for about a year....i notice when i work out on the regular that i feel a little better.....and even though i LOVE junk food, creams and cheeses, and all that yummy stuff......it really puts me in a shit mood. When i 'clean' foods it helps TREMEDOUSLY. How do you sleep?

[Quinn The Eskimo]

Well there are a lot of things I do to manage my stress when it gets to be bad.
1. I wake up really early in the morning at like, around 4 and I leave the house wearing pretty light clothes (jeans and a sweat shirt). I take a long walk to the nearest park or anywhere with lots of trees and grass. Then I lay down and look up at the stars and watch the sky. When I am done (when the sun starts to just rise) I get up and jog in the fresh morning air.
2. I turn off all the light in my room and light incense and meditate for as long as my schedule allows.
3. Finding a distraction is good also, for me its reading (do something you like a lot that calms you down).
Also for me herbal tea helps, I like to make valerian root (tastes terrible but actually helps) or lemon balm tea. Also pick up some St. Johns Wort if you can, it helps me with anxiety a lot. There are lots of other herbs that can help you with stress and anxiety, just seek them out. Anyway best of luck with feeling better

[Grade A]

I like to weight train, run, or box to reduce stress... I find physical activity is the best way to clear my mind.

Loose fitting clothing is always another way. A recent study (I don't have the reference) suggested that tighter fitting clothes have a negative effect on stress because it restricts the body from breathing.

[Grade A]

2. I turn off all the light in my room and light incense and meditate for as long as my schedule allows.


That's a good one too.

[Grade A]

i've been the same way for about a year....i notice when i work out on the regular that i feel a little better.....and even though i LOVE junk food, creams and cheeses, and all that yummy stuff......it really puts me in a shit mood. When i 'clean' foods it helps TREMEDOUSLY. How do you sleep?

That's a good tip. :thumbsup:

A change in diet (especially to a healthy one) will have a drastic impact on your overall well-being. As does sleep.

[S.W.I.M. 504]

i dont wait for anything because i live in the present. i cut off whatever was bothering me and hide everything that will happen to me and chill in the present point in time im floating in.

i hope that made sense

[LuckyG]

i've been the same way for about a year....i notice when i work out on the regular that i feel a little better.....and even though i LOVE junk food, creams and cheeses, and all that yummy stuff......it really puts me in a shit mood. When i 'clean' foods it helps TREMEDOUSLY. How do you sleep?

I try to get at least seven hours of sleep a day, and when I do sleep I dream like crazy, which means that I'm in deep sleep mode, so no problems there.

Working out is one of those things I have to wait for, unfortunately. My job is very energy-intensive, and odd as it sounds I can't eat enough to sustain both my job and a steady workout regimen. My metabolism, which works kind of like a pencil sharpener, doesn't help in that regard.

The diet could very well be a part of it. I don't eat a lot of veggies, and the past two weeks haven't been very healthy as I had my tongue pierced and was stuck to mostly dairy, pasta and fruits, and not nearly as much protein as I'm used to eating. I lost an inch off my waistline - I didn't think that was even possible when you're as skinny as I am. Junk food has been minimal - I picked up some chips and cookies yesterday, but those are the first I've eaten in a month. I'm sure the healing process for the piercing is yet another drain on my limited energy.

[GraziLovesMary]

Breathing. Seriously.. we have become a shallow-breathing people, and that has a tremendous negative impact on our lives. Our lungs were made to be filled with oxygen, yet we only seem to use that when we are severely lacking in oxygen, i.e. out of breath.

Get a book on Tai Chi.. Physical excersize is the best thing you can do for yourself, and there is probably no better place to start and end than Tai Chi. The first thing you will learn is how important breathing is. Every time you think about it, take a deep breath. But start from the bottom... allow your abdomen to stick out as the bottom of your lungs expand, then, almost like a wave effect, as the lungs fill more with air, allow your chest to expand, and the stomach to go in to compensate. Breath out the same way in reverse, out from your chest first, sticking your stomach out again, then as all the air escapes your lungs, your stomach will contract again. Do this right now.. just close your eyes, sit up straight, relax, and just... brreeeaaaaaaattttthhhh.

Any time you notice yourself breathing shallow, begin consciously taking full breaths in just this manner. The goal is to make it habit so that every breath is taken like this.

I seriously recommend getting a book on Tai Chi. I went to the library and got "The Complete Idiots Guide to Tai Chi and QiGong." The author is phenomenal, and he will tell you everything you need to know to get started on your own. Good luck!

[GraziLovesMary]

I try to get at least seven hours of sleep a day, and when I do sleep I dream like crazy, which means that I'm in deep sleep mode, so no problems there.



Thats where you are wrong, my friend. Dreaming takes place in the REM stage of sleep, which is just before a deep sleep, and just after, before you wake.

It sounds to me like you dont get much deep sleep at all, which may very well be close to the root of your problem.

[LuckyG]

Well there are a lot of things I do to manage my stress when it gets to be bad.
1. I wake up really early in the morning at like, around 4 and I leave the house wearing pretty light clothes (jeans and a sweat shirt). I take a long walk to the nearest park or anywhere with lots of trees and grass. Then I lay down and look up at the stars and watch the sky. When I am done (when the sun starts to just rise) I get up and jog in the fresh morning air.
2. I turn off all the light in my room and light incense and meditate for as long as my schedule allows.
3. Finding a distraction is good also, for me its reading (do something you like a lot that calms you down).
Also for me herbal tea helps, I like to make valerian root (tastes terrible but actually helps) or lemon balm tea. Also pick up some St. Johns Wort if you can, it helps me with anxiety a lot. There are lots of other herbs that can help you with stress and anxiety, just seek them out. Anyway best of luck with feeling better

That sounds like a great morning ritual. :) I was planning on starting something like it after I move next week. And I'm actually restarting an old hobby of mine today so we'll see if that helps.

Tea isn't my cup of... well, you know, but I'll try to get ahold of St John's Wort if I can. I work with someone who is an herbalist in her spare time so I'm sure she can hook me up.



i dont wait for anything because i live in the present. i cut off whatever was bothering me and hide everything that will happen to me and chill in the present point in time im floating in.

i hope that made sense

That makes plenty of sense. That's how I live when I'm smoking - unfortunately right now I'm not, and right now the present is what's bothering me.

Thanks very much everyone who's offered some help. If anyone has any more advice, please share it!

[Fore20]

Why did you stop? Test or something?

[Grade A]

Tea isn't my cup of... well, you know, but I'll try to get ahold of St John's Wort if I can. I work with someone who is an herbalist in her spare time so I'm sure she can hook me up.

Make sure St. John's is right for you before taking it. In some people, it can have an opposite reaction and make you unmotivated or confused. It can also have a negative affect on your stomach and GI tract as well as it can make you photosensitive (that's rare).

[Grade A]

Breathing. Seriously.. we have become a shallow-breathing people, and that has a tremendous negative impact on our lives. Our lungs were made to be filled with oxygen, yet we only seem to use that when we are severely lacking in oxygen, i.e. out of breath.

Get a book on Tai Chi.. Physical excersize is the best thing you can do for yourself, and there is probably no better place to start and end than Tai Chi. The first thing you will learn is how important breathing is. Every time you think about it, take a deep breath. But start from the bottom... allow your abdomen to stick out as the bottom of your lungs expand, then, almost like a wave effect, as the lungs fill more with air, allow your chest to expand, and the stomach to go in to compensate. Breath out the same way in reverse, out from your chest first, sticking your stomach out again, then as all the air escapes your lungs, your stomach will contract again. Do this right now.. just close your eyes, sit up straight, relax, and just... brreeeaaaaaaattttthhhh.

Any time you notice yourself breathing shallow, begin consciously taking full breaths in just this manner. The goal is to make it habit so that every breath is taken like this.

I seriously recommend getting a book on Tai Chi. I went to the library and got "The Complete Idiots Guide to Tai Chi and QiGong." The author is phenomenal, and he will tell you everything you need to know to get started on your own. Good luck!

That's a good one (breathing). I had trouble with that too until I took a complementary and alternative medicine course my sophomore year in college. It taught me a lot about my self and my general well-being. Breathing correctly and deeply really helped me stay cool. It can be easy to forgetâ?¦ so sometimes you just have to remind yourself to do it.



LuckyG, have you tried taking a multivitamin?

[Matt the Funk]

I was like that a long time....then I started taking prozac....and just stpped a little while ago, and am taking a break from herb. This is probably the happiest I have ever been. I am hypomanic, yet very chill and in control.

[KingsBlend420]

I deal with a lot of stress in my life. This is what I do to help keep it to a low level.
1. I prioritize my homework and my schedule, this helps a lot at college.
2. I try not to think to much of the future and only of today. I focus on what has to be done today.
3. I get regular exercise and take walks daily.
4. I stay away from Alcohol as it is a depressant.
5. I smoke herb, only because it helps me relax, not to get fucked up and forget about my problems.
6. Personally I find that video games are a great way to deal with stress.
7. I TRY my hardest to eat breakfast every day, as it's the most important meal of the day and gives you a great boost of energy in the morning which in return makes you feel good, helping you not be stressed out.
I suffer from hypochondria,anxiety disorder, and depression which ads extra stress to my life all the time. However, slowly, using the techniques I listed above, I am learning to deal with it and I am feeling better every day.
Hope this helps some of you guys.

[HighTillIDie]

manage stress? i usually try to get good sleep, and keep myself productive and busy...

i work out alot and train in mixed martial arts, so i can get all the ass kicking/kicked i need to curb any aggression...'

then while making sure i am productive and busy, i take a complete break... do whatever, usually i will smoke... i like to do things that make me feel attractive, or sexy (i know it sounds gay, but it kills stress)

[Matt the Funk]

Alright some actual things you can do
1.Hot Shower/Bath
2.Valerian Root tea
3.Jogging/excercise
4.Drink lots of water
5.Eat a healthy balanced diet
6.Meditation
7.Having an orgasm(from sex/oral/masturbation)
Thats all I got for now lol.

[Quinn The Eskimo]

6. Personally I find that video games are a great way to deal with stress.


Lol not for me. I end up screaming and throwing my remote, finishing off crying in a corner when I have had a bad day and get pwned at video games. Lol I acknowledge that I am a bitch and overreact but it gets frustration.

[Quinn The Eskimo]

7.Having an orgasm(from sex/oral/masturbation)


Lol actually masturbation and relationships helped me relieve a lot of stress, but don't get into a serious one with someone who nags.

[birdgirl73]

My favorite stress-relievers are
1. Exercise, particularly cardiovascular/aerobic workouts
2. Eating right and eating regularly. I often will forget to eat or let it slide, and I do better when I force myself to eat even before I let myself get hungry. Have a pencil sharpener metabolism, too.
3. Sex. It's another type of exercise, but there's nothing like cresting that peak to take care of your stress and that of your partner, too. Solo works fine, too, if you're single.
4. Drinking lots of water
5. Yoga. Try it. It's very relaxing.

I want to learn more about meditation to help me deal with school stress this year. The rest of those techniques above are tried-and-true favorites. The physical techniques like exercise, sex and yoga also help me alleviate depression, which I tend to get during the wintertime, without having to resort to prescribed medicines.

[cannabis campbell]

Thats a pretty hard one Lucky, I mean most people are just gonna go and say the obvious thing "smoke weed" but sometimes its just not as simple at that. Of course we're all going to go through those times in our life where we feel like absolutely nothing is going our way im sure 'everyone' has been there, so I can relate to it I know exactly how you feel mate, Do you have no ambition as of lately because you've just thought "fuck it" or because you just simply dont want to have any? What do you think that the main reason you've been getting stressed is?

The mind is a powerful thing and I dont think its and sort of drugs or vitamins that you need to help you deal with your stress, I think you just need to re-think how you feel about the situation you are in, obviously at the moment you cant get any weed at all so maybe try to keep yourself busy and active, work-out, keep yourself busy with work etc and just spend your time doing the stuff you enjoy, but what is the main reason that you are stressed out do you know? because I know that sometimes you can just get stressed out for no reason at all.

[Matt the Funk]

I gotta agree with CC here too. Lately i've been so stress free and happy its amazing. I've been nice,polite,patient,happy, and stress-free. I stopped giving a fuck about negativity. I'm just trying to be positive, and its working. I really cant explain how great my life is going(even though I could go on about bad shit if Iwanted to) Idon't, and I won't.

[huh]

sleep naked at night

[GraziLovesMary]

Its so effective Im going to say it once more..

Tai Chi and its meditative aspect, QiGong (or Chi Kung as it is alternatively spelled)

Tai Chi has all the same benefits that yoga practitioners get, only its thousands of years older, and will improve absolutely every aspect of your body, mind and spirit. Your life will be easier to manage and you will live longer.

All the times you see the kung fu masters slowly going through martial arts looking forms before a fight.. in highlander when hes on the cliff going through forms before battle.. its all Tai Chi.

Tai Chi, my son, Tai Chi.

[LuckyG]

Yikes, I didn't expect this thread to go on this long! Thanks a million! A lot of the stuff you've suggested I've actually tried in the past 24 hours, so that's great. Laundry list of stuff that helped since my last post:

- It turns out that I forgot/didn't need to masturbate for over a week. After a week orgasms are something else entirely. :D
- I did something nice for someone. Actually, I took one of the mentally challenged guys I work with for a bike ride. He talks nonstop so the girls who normally work with him needed a break. It was seriously way more fun than smoking a bowl - he just babbled on about the same things over and over, and as annoying as it can probably get I had a real blast. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time.
- I did pushups and core strengthening. I've been taking it easy the past few weeks, and the endorphins were very welcome.
- I picked up a book on Tai Chi immediately after the last sentence, as my library was closing soon. :thumbsup:
- The smoker's benches were full for coffee break, so I got to sit close to one of the wonderful women I work with. We were just close, nothing erotic or anything, but that relaxed physical contact does wonders. Now that I think of it, nobody had touched me at all for the previous three months or so. That could be a problem. Oh, and I don't smoke cigs, I just prefer the company of the smokers to the non-smokers.
- Chilled with my dog. She's cool. :cool:

Cannabis Campbell: Where is the stress coming from? I don't know - I feel like I'm physically tired, but I have all this emotional energy pent up inside. I need a release point. My mum tends to be busy with her boyfriend and all my friends have moved away or are much too busy with work, so the only two, er, people I can talk to at the moment are myself and my dog.

But there is a lot happening. I'm moving to a townhouse with some friends soon, it's my birthday today and I hate birthdays, I have to get ready for university, I have to get used to city living having been a small-town boy all my life, my mum's boyfriend is moving into this house around the same time that I'm moving out... a whole bunch of big stuff, and a lot of small stuff that doesn't bear mentioning. Having laid that all out, I'm not surprised I'm wound up like a spring.

As far as ambition goes, I've never really had any. I don't like to point fingers at other people for my faults, but my dad was a pretty machine-like uncaring father figure. After my parents separated I had to spend six years deprogramming myself from his way of thinking - in fact, sometimes I'm still finding problems and having to crop them out. One of these problems is that I usually can't take pride in anything I do. If I do a great job, I just brush it off as being "satisfactory" and move on to the next thing, but if I screw up I damn myself for it way too much. And I guess because of this I can't really apply myself to anything I do - it's just not worth the effort anymore. I'm working on fixing this, and I have had a lot of help from some really wonderful people.

I've never really known what I want to do for the future - I don't have any goals, I just would like to be happy. Setting up a medical grow op really appeals to me, but unfortunately the law is against me for now (unless Manitoba changed its views drastically in the last little while without my knowing), so that will have to wait until the risks are lower.

GraziLovesMary: Lots of good advice, thank you - I will be looking into Tai Chi as much as possible in the next little while. It looks rather complex to me at first glance, but hopefully the more I study the better I'll understand and remember.

huh: I do. I also rock it commando-style all day, it's much more comfortable to me, especially in the summer heat.

birdgirl and Matt The Funk: Good advice backing up good advice. :)

HighTillIDie: I know what you mean about doing things that make you feel sexy. I find that taking a shower, shaving, giving myself a buzz cut, etc. always makes me feel better, even if it's just for the distraction. I've noticed a wierd anti-Samson complex - the longer my hair, the shorter my fuse is. Keeping it short keeps me cool and feeling good.

KingsBlend420: I only drink at weddings and Christmas, since I don't usually like the taste or feel of it, and I know it's bad for me. Video games do make for a great distraction, I've been busting out my old Game Boy and N64 games and going through them again.

Grade A: I ran out of multivitamins last week, but I didn't take them regularly. The only regular vitamin I take is half a tab of B-75, so I guess that makes it B-37.5. :D And yes, a full breakfast makes for a good day I've found - I just need to wake up earlier so that I'm hungry enough to eat it!


Anyhow, this post was something like three hours, off and on, in the making. I had a great educational discussion about my marijuana use with my mum and her boyfriend partway through, and now I need to go pack. Peace, friends, and thanks for all your suggestions once again.

[mfqr]

I just smoke a bowl!

[MadSativa]

i've been the same way for about a year....i notice when i work out on the regular that i feel a little better.....and even though i LOVE junk food, creams and cheeses, and all that yummy stuff......it really puts me in a shit mood. When i 'clean' foods it helps TREMEDOUSLY. How do you sleep?

deffinitly she hit it on the button, work out and eat right and sleep regularly (what ever that means) I find after hitting the bag and push ups I clear my head a bit however I need to start running or swiming again cause somtimes I need even a harder drain of a workout. Also sleep at least 4 hours a day every day. I have even looked into buying a isolation chamber to speed sleep (their to dam expensive and Im not rich so a bed is all I need for now).

[mfqr]

You know what really takes my stress away? A few nice bong hits!

[LuckyG]

Everyone was gone for the weekend, so I had the house to myself and my dog. I was so busy boxing my stuff, taking care of the dog, working out, visiting my cousin and her boyfriend, cleaning up and double-checking that I had everything packed that I didn't notice that I had totally destressed!

Then my family came home, and within thirty seconds of my mum walking in the door I had to take an Ibuprofen to deal with the shooting pain in my neck and head. She was interrogating and criticizing about every little detail of the weekend, and it drives me nuts when she does that. So I went down to my room, happy to know that independence, an eighth, and relaxation are only a few days away. :thumbsup: