Tulipgirl6's Journal, 09 September 2014

Stress is a big factor. Working out usually helps me destress.  

When I wanted to de-stress I would sit in the comfy chair in the living room, lean my head back and close my eyes. My kids and my husband would think I was sleeping and not ask me for anything if they saw me sitting in that chair. Your kids are younger than mine. They might want to sit in the chair with you. :)  

I actually have developed a rather comprehrensive, full mind/body approach to managing stress. Three years ago, my hair was falling out in clumps and turning grey from the stress in my life. Now, it's back, full and it's normal color! I had stage II hypertension (REALLY high blood pressure), and my adrenals stopped functioning because I was completely frazzled all of the time! I'm currently developing a multifaceted customizable approach to stress management for my health coaching clients that includes meditation, "nightly technology/gadget curfews", self-affirmations/eliminating sabotaging self-talk, breath work, yoga and gratitude journaling, among a few other "secret stress weapons". Although some of them sound a little "foo-foo new age-y" for some people, all of those activities can greatly improve your mental status and drastically improve your quality of life. I'm living proof! :D  

Light yoga.  

I watch a sitcom. I try not to get too upset when someone or something is getting on my nerves and then I just take deep breaths. 

Go outside. A friend told me this years ago. Being in the outdoors, even for a brief period, changes everything. To this day, when I am blue or stressed I take a little walk and it does change everything. 

Exercise, I find exercise helps the stress roll off easier. Working outside has always been my sanity therapy. At work I'll do a bathroom/drink run do some shoulder rolls and deep breathing and I'm better.  

Master the art of not taking things personally! Hard to do, but once you see that people's reactions are a mere reflection/reaction to what they are themselves living and has NOTHING to do with you, it liberates you. And of course, all of the above are proven and excellent ways of distressing. I watch a sitcom also, to give myself a respite of my problems. I try to find something that usually makes me laugh. As for the art of not taking it personally, I'm not there yet... :)  

Not taking it personally is GREAT advise. Even when it is family or husband - they are not doing it to you or to get you. They are acting or reacting to what is bothering them. Morning light yoga - 15 min. - added benefit stretches the muscles for a longer leaner look. 

I listen to music I love, pray to the God I love, and try to keep a "Judgement of Charity" - which simply means when I want to judge the annoying persons behavior I try to first believe they are not intentionally out to hurt or annoy me...they are not staying awake nights thinking of ways to annoy me...like others have said they are merely acting on what is bothering them, and although their true motives may not be bad, their methods of handling their own issues are crummy. 

A couple of my coworkers really got to me yesterday. I went home and exercised, singing songs at the top of my lungs. I'll show them! How will me dancing and singing show them? I forgot all about them and enjoyed getting all my aggression out with something other than food. I fell dead asleep and didn't give them another thought. And I'm down another pound this morning. Good luck!  

I have a Yoga Nidra CD which I do several times a week or more when I'm stressed. It's not exercise, it's more like meditation 

Reading motivational stuffs and working on hobbies help me. 

Meditate, breathe, garden, massage, paint, xanax, music, scream, journal, treadmill, nap, sing, clean, tidy, dust... just keep moving and do something besides sitting still and focusing on the stress. 

I too pray, breathe, exercise regularly, meditate, journal and walk my doggie to relieve stress and deal with emotions. Staying curious through cravings to eat emotionally has helped me too. And each time I hear negative self-talk going through my mind, I try to re-frame it and remind myself just how great I am... As are you! Xoxox 

There is actually a school of thought that is relatively new and you may want to google it - there's a TED talk on it I think. This theory is that "stress" in and of itself can actually be good for us. It is simply our response to it that can produce good or ill in our bodies. Thus, rather than looking at stress as "OMG!! Stress coming my way or in my road!" if we choose to embrace it as part of life and actually a way to gain energy by eating it up, it can serve us. It takes a while to go counter-cultural like that but it has been beneficial to me when I can remember this little trick.  

lavender bath + xanax :(  

I go for a walk in the woods. Works every time! 

thanks for sharing everyone! surprisingly I don't have xanax! i guess i could use some?  

all great ideas! sweet ce, i think this is the key and much easier said than done!