How do you cope with stress?

[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.