How Do You Keep Your Stress Levels Down?

[cpvr]

Stress can cause a lot of different health problems if its not managed correctly or kept at bay, so how do you keep your stress levels down? What currently works for you?

Personally, if I'm stressing, then I'm going outside and I'll start walking around to clear my mind. If I can't walk due to the weather, then listening to music or writing usually helps me keep my stress levels down.

What about you though? How do you manage your stress? What was the last thing that stressed you out?

 

[Dan The Man]

Stress can cause a lot of different health problems if its not managed correctly or kept at bay, so how do you keep your stress levels down? What currently works for you?

Personally, if I'm stressing, then I'm going outside and I'll start walking around to clear my mind. If I can't walk due to the weather, then listening to music or writing usually helps me keep my stress levels down.

What about you though? How do you manage your stress? What was the last thing that stressed you out?

Walking as well as being great exercise is also great for clearing my head so that works for me too.

Like you, music is also my other chill out thing. Lots of times I'll put my good headphones on at 2-3am and go stand on my porch for a bit with my MP3 player on shuffle.

Lots of times my stress comes from having a shit ton of things on my to do list and feeling I don't have enough time to do it before I need to be some place else. Usually if I just start tackling things that are on that list I'll feel less stressed. When it comes time to actually leave I feel stressed again because I'm leaving stuff unfinished.

Clients are another stress thing. I cannot count how many times I've gotten all dressed and ready to go somewhere (even if it's just walking) only to get an email or text with something that needs to be taken care of right now so I delay my walk or text whoever I'm meeting telling them I'll be late. Most of my friends are used to it and understand hey I gotta make money but a couple get pissy about it. Oh well. If it was something important I'd make sure I'm there if it's just hanging out it can wait for me to make some money.

Sometimes I make my own stress. I feel like everything has to be done yesterday and then I get all anxious about not having anything done meanwhile there really is no deadline it's just in my own head.

 

[popowich]

how do you keep your stress levels down?

Running might be the wrong answer here, but any kind of physical activity is good.

Go hiking, hit the treadmill, get outside and be moving around.

Geocaching and Ingress might help "reward" being outside too.

 

[cpvr]

Walking as well as being great exercise is also great for clearing my head so that works for me too.

Like you, music is also my other chill out thing. Lots of times I'll put my good headphones on at 2-3am and go stand on my porch for a bit with my MP3 player on shuffle.

Lots of times my stress comes from having a shit ton of things on my to do list and feeling I don't have enough time to do it before I need to be some place else. Usually if I just start tackling things that are on that list I'll feel less stressed. When it comes time to actually leave I feel stressed again because I'm leaving stuff unfinished.

Clients are another stress thing. I cannot count how many times I've gotten all dressed and ready to go somewhere (even if it's just walking) only to get an email or text with something that needs to be taken care of right now so I delay my walk or text whoever I'm meeting telling them I'll be late. Most of my friends are used to it and understand hey I gotta make money but a couple get pissy about it. Oh well. If it was something important I'd make sure I'm there if it's just hanging out it can wait for me to make some money.

Sometimes I make my own stress. I feel like everything has to be done yesterday and then I get all anxious about not having anything done meanwhile there really is no deadline it's just in my own head.

What are your favorite music genres to listen to? I'm a huge fan of rap and hip hop. I can easily get lost just by listening to my music, lmao. Damn, we're quite similar because I cause my own stress as well over little shit.

 

[popowich]

Geocaching and Ingress

BTW, I need a recruit a couple people into this thing to help me get level 9. If anyone wants an invite to Ingress please send me your email in a private conversation.

 

[Dan The Man]

What are your favorite music genres to listen to? I'm a huge fan of rap and hip hop. I can easily get lost just by listening to my music, lmao. Damn, we're quite similar because I cause my own stress as well over little shit.

I'm mostly into hip hop myself but I love the oldies (Doo Wop, etc) too.

BTW, I need a recruit a couple people into this thing to help me get level 9. If anyone wants an invite to Ingress please send me your email in a private conversation.

Is there an app for that? If there's anything local I'd join up.

 

[popowich]

Yes it's an app. Ingress from Google. Not sure if you get a special link after I invite you. Ingress can be played anywhere, just like geocaching. It's just that geocaching has real stuff to find, ingress is virtual played inside the app but either will get you out and walking around.

 

[wildbirdy]

Stress level , yeah well mine kinda runs high at times, sucks and I hate admitting that to anyone. I keep a lot, way too much to myself and let a lot of stuff go to avoid confrontations. I hate out of control arguments. I find people hard to trust with certain information, because people like to talk. I really wish I had someone close to share private stuff with, and not really go anywhere with it. Women even though I am one, are the worst with that. In the past though botsexes have shared stuff that I didn't want people to know and it got leaked , so I keep my stuff between me and my dog. LOL!!! She just yawns and falls asleep. I can cope with that, the odd time she will give me a lick, or let me know its time go play ball or a walk with her of course.

 

[wildbirdy]

Here is a true story. We have a wildernesses cabin, not so easy access. I had agreed to a 5 day trip with my husband to it. Yes, some wild animals can pop up at any time and can be around at any time such as bears, coyotes fox, moose maybe the odd deer you just never know or none. To get to it, we had to drive to the train station, which is about half hour away. it was very hot day. around 27 Celsius. We waited with our dog beside us about an hour half for the train. The train was running late because of the hot weather. So we had to keep doggy entertained and happy. With runs, walks, air conditioned rides around the park ,and lots of water lapping. Train arrives, doggy in crate lifted onto train . About twenty to thirty minute train ride to our enter of the mile walk we must make through floating muskeg and slippery logs, narrow throughways long bushy grass, somewhat dense bush along the side. Potential of large wild animals, and no protection. was high anxiety situation for me. We had to travel light as possible only taking bare essentials with us, since we were packing , hiking through to the lake where would pick up our boat, and motor across the lake to our cabin. We get to the to the boat and a bear had punctured holes into our crusade. Lucky hubby had enough gas to get across the lake. Yes my stress level high. I didn't bother to take my blood pressure machine , remember said light. We managed to get across the lake. Then forecast wasn't looking good thunder showers. Dog goes Berserk . We are far from medical help and weather conditions have to be just right to land a plane in there, not to big of plane. Not their favorite lake to land on, because part of it is reefs and its expensive obviously to fly to get recused. We however have cellphone service. I wouldn't have gone, that is one thing it does have. No beach , but cellphone service. Not so nice weather while we are there. Now one of the boat motors , Brand new Canadian Tire cheapy won't work. Hubby upset and very pissed. Again being out the boonies you must have back ups. Yes his other motor works but slow as hell, beats paddling, weather on verge of thunder storm , dog doesn't like the boat nervous.. We are full of anxiety it has taken over some, because we were stretching the little bit of food we had left in case wouldn't get across the lake , and maybe had stayed an extras couple days. Me I didn't wanna eat to much cause hunid weather made me feel icky and wasn't looking forward to walking that horrid trail again. fortunately made it across and waited and hour half for the train to pick us up. While waiting for the train dumped the water out of my soak wet shoes and put on dry socks and runners. And drank the rest of my coke that I left behind in a container on the trail. Yeah warm and disgusting, but it was fluid and wet. Hubby promised a pizza when we got home. I was not thrilled. I love pizza got our son to order two of them both with Italian sausage, yeah ate two pieces that was that for the pizza for me. Not a fan of Italian sausage. Normally I would ate half the pizza. LOL!!! Dog was glad to be back home, she chilled out on the couch full length and slept, didn't even beg for piece crust, which she loves. Damn Bugs, BUG OFF!!!

 

[wildbirdy]

 

[wildbirdy]

Since my blood pressure is in range , taking the daily doses of meds like I am suppose to. I think I may be able to handle that trail again. No way in hell am I am telling hubby that unless he has some type of bear protection.

 

[Dan The Man]

@wildbirdy I always enjoy seeing your posts about your cabin on FB. It looks like a real retreat. I'm sorry getting to it can be so stressful at times. Sounds like yous had a trip from hell the last time around. Let's hope that doesn't happen again. Don't let me find out you're skipping your BP meds on a regular basis, Missy. We'll have to talk to about this!

I'm on BP meds myself. It just so happened the last time I went to my doctor I had woke up late and I took my morning and afternoon BP med at the same time. By the time I got to the doc's office and they took my BP it was 136/98. My doc says "Wow Dan that's the best reading I've ever gotten from you." So I explained that I took the beta blocker and ACE inhibitor at the same time. She rewrote my prescription so I take the ACE inhibitor twice a day instead of just once. So far, according to my home cuff it's a little bit lower but still not where we needs it to be. If it doesn't fall in line I'll have to make an earlier appointment than scheduled.

As for stress buster my best 2 things are:

1. If it's a person who is stressing me out. I pray for them. Now don't get me wrong I'm not some religious nut or anything but it does work for me. It's very hard to be stressed out/aggravated/mad at a person while you're saying a prayer for them. One of my middle school teachers taught my that when I was all stressed out over some kid busting my chops.
2. Long walks. Part of the reason I like to walk alone is sometimes I'll walk down a back country road, take my ear phones out, and just listen to nature while I'm walking. I find it very relaxing.

I'm also on medication for anxiety but I've been on the same dose almost a year now and I think my body has acclimated to it because it doesn't help as much as it did at first. I find if I take an extra one I'll really kind of cranky and honery so I backed away from that. I'll see what my doctor says about changing things next time around.

 

[wildbirdy]

Raising a sixteen year old daughter seems alien to me. Because the daughter that I had, just changed so much from a little girl to going on thirty. LOL!!! Made hot chocolate , she never turned that down before. Made her and I a cup. I take it to her room offer it to her she says NO Thank You! Wow I offered some of her favorite foods at supper time tonight, I ate at work, this like 6pm. What the hell, what the hell happen here. 9:25pm in bed sleeping. She has been in bed sine around 8:30pm. I asked her to something this morning, I will do it when I come home. I was assuming I guess when I told her, she would do it before leaving for work. Yeah just a bit stressing on my part. What was it like for you being sixteen ? Do you remember. My feelings of raising this child.