I, like most other people, go through times of extreme stress. Whether it be from school work, home life, relationships, etc., it seems like I'm always stressing out over something. Unfortunately, I am the type of person that doesn't show much emotion, so in return, I get physical symptoms (illness, headache, stomach pain, etc.).

I would like to know what your trick to combatting stress is. It is impossible to make it completely go away when the source of the stress is mandatory, but what is the easiest way to sooth it or keep it off your mind and sort of keep moving forward? I have been getting sick a lot recently, and I'm pretty sure this is the source, so any suggestions would be extremely helpful :O

I find a few things can be helpful. One example is distraction. I'll surround myself with people that will manage to keep me from thinking of anything stressful, and that make me laugh more than I think I should. Another is venting through blog. My Tumblr is something I use to express my problems, (albeit some if not all are first world problems). You could take up a form of violence, or physical relief like working out, martial arts, or just hitting a tree with a stick.

Way to make the first thread, Sama :)

I get stressed a lot (because I am a master procrastinator :T), and it makes me really upset~~ I get insanely depressed and shit.
And, oddly enough, the only way I can get over my stress to feel better..is to make myself feel even worse for a bit. I lock myself in my closet with all the lights off, and put really depressing music on my iPod. I then proceed to cry pathetically for about ten minutes, and then I feel way better. Works every time.

when it comes to stress i tend to blow everything out of proportion and make it bigger than it seems. if something isn't the way i like, it will irk me. this is mainly when i draw something and it doesnt turn out the way i wanted. i tried to so many things in order to deal with stress they didn't work for me. but what can help with dealing with stress is changing how you react to it or change your perspective on the whole matter of stress.

I usually get stressed..well, a lot, and it tends to show through by my mood, since when I'm stressed, I snap at people a lot, and my mother doesn't make it any better since she's trying to force "the truth" on me when I'm stressed, so I usually just sit in my room with a pillow and something to snack on, then I ponder the universe, then forget why I'm stressed and finish what made me stressed in the first place. It's a complicated cycle.

I find that the best way to deal with stress is to play a musical instrument. Be sure to play easy songs, so you don't get stressed about getting the notes right. I find piano, guitar and harp work best, while instruments like the violin and stuff like that can make you even more stressed.
If you can't play an instrument, another good one is to just listen to music or read a really really boring book.

I listen to music! I literally have low stress levels in my life. The trick is not to think so much :)

It really depends on what you are stressing about. If its something like school or a project etc, then dont think about it. Find a way to distract yourself, such as reading a book. If its stress over possible love interest or a date, find someone to talk to like a family member whos actually reliable. If its stress over really small things that in the big scheme dont matter, just let it run its course, dont try and avoid it because it will still be there at the back of your mind. As for stuff thats unavoidable, music helps.
i only stress over the small, never the big, and even then its not much, so youll have to forgive me people who read this if my calculations are incorrect.

Don't think, act. Do something that will fix what is causing your stress and just don't think about it. Here is what I do. Laugh at how pathetic I am with my stress and shit, then I do the above mentioned. Problem solved. I am super chill and laid back most of the time so stress hits me hard, the thing is, it is because I am so laid back that I can relax myself, laugh it off and fix that shit. Just try to do what I do, no worries if it doesn't work, there are multiple ways to deal with stress in case one doesn't work for you specifically.

>>7 What genre helps you the most? For me, listening to smooth jazz calms my soul and helps me overcome my stress as well as my anger.

>>1 One thing I do is if I'm really irked about something I go for a drive or a walk. I'll put distance between me and the situation. Or I'll talk to someone.

I always want to punch a wall when I am really stressed. I have not found any good way to combat stress. I am just waiting until I am full and cannot control myself anymore.

Stress is like that one person you work with that you can't stand but, you can't avoid seeing on an almost daily basis. I get stressed out almost all the time. Its so often, that I wonder if I will ever know absolute peace of mind.

Despite all that, I have multiple ways to prevent my stress from consuming my life. >>7 is my favorite method, but when I get desperate I tend to resort to meditation. I know its a little unusual but it gives great results for me.

I take a good shower or bath, sit on the bathroom floor for a while and then eat a snack, sleep or listen to some fun music.
I also go for the clichè such as counting to 10 and breathing deeply and slowly.

Well my senior chef instructor has a sign that said anti stress kit with a circle on it with the words BANG HEAD HERE. Or take a few second and breathe.

After getting to certain levels of stress, I first put the strongest of it to good use. 30 wireframes in Cruel Melee is the crowning achievement of my stress and anger. Next time I'm gonna master Super Man 64 with that kind of rage >.>

I usually do is, after taking the anger part of the stress out on Cruel Melee, just kick back and let time cool me down. I just do whatever within that time, as long as it won't make me worse or something.

Sometimes, but for some reason this is now more than ever, I get asked to take on a managerial position for shows. Promptly named the "Stage Manager," I'm required to deal with 100+ underlings that have no idea what in the hell they are doing. And I have to maintain fire code. And evacuation code. And make sure Lights, Sound, as well as the main stage, are all functioning. This means that every single part of my brain that contributes to each area, has to be up and spinning at record speed.

Stressful you say? Well, I've seen this position described as wrangling cats, and been directed to this video.

How to cope with extreme nonsense:

1) Separate "work" or "school" from "personal life." Make time for yourself. I chillax a lot and just hang out, maybe play some games. I even write a lot just for fun. But really, this is the key for me to keep my sanity.

By keeping my own life, and work/school apart, I don't worry about work while not working. They stay separate in mind and in reality.

Now, sometimes you have to take time away from one for the other. And that's fine. It happens, just make sure you still get enough of the other.

2) Go someplace. I have a few really serene, pretty places that I like to go to cool my head. Getting some fresh air down at the river helps me think a bit, too, and is absurdly relaxing.

3) Really, anything I tell you will be a reiteration of (1). The key really is just to take things separately, and let yourself be free every now and again.

Being stuck in a loophole school/work schedule is what kills you.

I thank you all for your suggestions. Unfortunately, many I cannot do.

I cannot "remove" the source of the stress, nor conquer it, nor change my schedule to get rid of it. Like Reil brought up, I can't get out of this damn loophole. School is the main thing that causes me stress, but there is very little that I can do to conquer it. I've tried everything. I really just want to know what is the easiest way to get my mind off the stress.

I like the idea of music, as it's a cute thought, but it doesn't help anything for me. I'm more annoyed at the fact that there's nowhere with silence. It seems like everywhere I go, everything is making sounds, everyone is talking, there are so many little sounds that just fill up everything. I can't stand it. Music is a great escape from other things, but it just frustrates me even worse rather than help sooth any sort of stress I may have. (Before someone says, "Then go somewhere silent!" allow me to make it clear that there is no sort of silence anywhere within three miles of where I live.

Breathing slowly doesn't do shit, sorry. Sleeping does calm me down, but only for that period of time. The second I wake up, I'm back to how I was before I went to bed.


I can't not think much. I have to think lots. I consistently have headaches, and if I'm not thinking, they're that much more obvious. Plus, I like to think, and I have a shit ton that I need to think about. I'm not going to put my responsibilities to the side for the sake of this.

Working out, fighting, and crying are good suggestions, except that I don't feel comfortable crying that much, and it's difficult for me to find time to work out. Plus, I have nothing to work out with. I don't have a punching back, I have no weights, and I love trees too much to hit them. Running around by myself will just make my social life at school even more of a pain in the ass, and I can't afford a membership to anything.

Venting does not help my stress :V Half the time, it makes it worse, just continuously reminding me of it. (I rant anyway.)

For the record, I stress over important things. I'm usually not someone who blows things out of proportion. It's just all of the stupid little things combined that cause the stress, plus the weight of the more important ones pressing down on them.

>>17 Buy some cheap ass dumbells. If you can't, there's always the traditional method of push-ups, sit-ups, and jumping jacks.

>>17 I have one, very simple, yet controversial solution.

Leave.

Up and leave. Too much school? Don't go. Go elsewhere for the day. Yeah, there will be consequences. But there are consequences to everything you do.

Stay: The consequence is continual, ever-increasing loophole stress, until you end up sounding like some of the other threads that have shown up here on the Personal board.

Leave: Get one day's worth of make-up work. And an entire day to do whatever interests you on a personal level- not on an educational/life success level.

Honestly, if you're not enjoying it, I'd hardly call it successful. Do you accomplish stuff? Sure. But if you aren't really having a good time (the majority of the time, anyhow), then it isn't worth doing. A nice paycheck at the end is worthless if the journey to get there kills you.

And, I'm not saying leave forever, by any means; Just take a 'mental health day' as my family calls it. Get called in sick, and just do you for a day.

To get out of a loophole, you have to force yourself out against a strong current.

Make of this what you will, I'm tired and need a shower :T

>>18 Can't afford them. I guess I'll try some of the other things.

>>19 I'm out of absent days. I've been out a lot due to illness, and I couldn't afford a doctor, so none of the days are excused. If I miss one more day, they'll nullify my credits and make me re-do this entire year.

My country is retarded for not letting me afford health insurance, and my school is retarded for destroying all your hard-earned credits because of fucking absences. They don't care if you're ill or not. If you don't have an absence note from a certified Doctor that you have registered with the school, you're screwed. Also, I've gotten really badly sick at school a few times and had to leave home, and I was three minutes away from the cut off time and the attendance woman still counted it as an absence even though she knew I had accumulated so many already. For some reason, teachers and counselors and secretaries seem to be convinced I'm faking sick or some shit. It's like, bro, I don't WANT to be sick. Why the hell would I FAKE it?

Considering my brother didn't go to school for more than 20 days the whole year and still magically graduated, they should be grateful I'm coming at all. Because of my bro, they're so much more strict with me than most other students. He left me with the shitty end of the stick >|

>>10 I like alternative rock. They're loud and I can really dig the beats. It's like they're speaking for me. I hardly get mad, but i'm glad music is apart of life.

When I get annoyed even by music I go inside my wardrobe and stay there a little. It doens't matter that it isn't completely silent, the fact that it is completely dark and that I'm alone are enough to me to organize my thoughts.

this ounds similar to me. I get stressed over everything even litle detail sof things thanks to OCD. And I don't usually show much emotion either, unless I'm with one of my few friends. Also, I'm not the type of person who cries when their sad at all. I cry all the time because of anger and stress though, when I know that no one else could notice, because that would make them ask questions I don't feel like answering. Because honestly, I don't get along with anyone who lives in my house, so I spend my time in my room with the doors shut with headphones in to drown everything else out, even if I'm not listening to music. This is because my family is constanly fighting with each other and making EVERY LITTLE THING as stressful as possible. When I'm in the car, I always turn my music way up, because when we're all together, they get annoying and loud. And they wonder why I don't like spending 'quality time' with my family?

I get sick from undergoing a lot of stress as well. I normally take care of it but just taking a day off and sleeping then getting stuff done. If I can't take a day off I watch a little tv and rate commercials. This is generally my own hobby but it really helps my mind get off of things. I also just like to sit outside and watch the sunset or look up at the sky. Even if there is like 10 stars. This helps me though everyone has their own methods.

i hate stress, i get stressed all the time and what i do is cry it all out (if it's really that bad), eat ice cream and tell someone. i know crying doesn't change the situation i'm in but it helps me get everything out of my system. Sometimes when i'm in a bad mood, if i make the smallest mistake or someone tells me off i get stressed and i can't stop thinking about it. so another method for me is that i listen to music or just chill with my friends to help me forget about it.

Do you think you'd be able to take it seriously if I suggested training yourself to relax?

I've had migraines (and more, actually, but let's just stay with the migraines) for a long time. After spending a great amount of time just suffering, I got used to the constant pain and began to familiarize myself with it (not like you can do much else when constantly in-migraine, eh?). I became aware of my body on very subtle levels, in and out of migraine, and began to toy with the sensations I was feeling - at first very subtly, but soon profoundly. I became able to control my pain while concentrating, flexing and releasing what felt like muscles in my brain, washing and draining sensations or moving them around and outside my body where I wanted to. What I wasn't aware of was that I was using a theraputic technique called Biofeedback.

Biofeedback: (a la wiki)
"*the process of becoming aware of various physiological functions using instruments that provide information on the activity of those same systems, with a goal of being able to manipulate them at will. Processes that can be controlled include brainwaves, muscle tone, skin conductance, heart rate and pain perception.
*Biofeedback may be used to improve health or performance, and the physiological changes often occur in conjunction with changes to thoughts, emotions, and behavior. Eventually, these changes can be maintained without the use of extra equipment.
*Biofeedback has been found to be effective for the treatment of headaches and migraines."

There really isn't a necessity for any equipment, to be honest. A good place to start off are with what are called 'guided' meditations.
This is probably a good first one for this purpose: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obYJRmgrqOU

Find videos with narrators, music and speeds that appeal to you. When you're out and about and have a moment, maybe sitting on the bus or being bored in class, try feeling and becoming aware of the same sensations without the aid of the guided meditations.

After finding it had a name, I researched Biofeedback and what it could accomplish, and it seems like the sky is the limit. There is even a fellow who recently climbed Everest in little more than swim trunks, using Yoga techniques not unlike Biofeedback.

I hope this gives you an option you've not yet explored, and I hope it comes to help you. :3

>>27 Actually, I have tried this method before. It is very useful for other emotions, but not particularly for stress. Stress is a really weird emotion; I can never tell where it comes from, so you can't really dispell it using that method.

I don't have one particular thing that stress comes from. It's just a conglomeration of everything. Like I said before, I'm talking about real stress, not stress that comes from screwing up a drawing. It's probably related to my endless headaches, which is the main reason that I really want to get rid of it.

I don't mean to be fussy, honestly. It's just that I've tried most of the methods mentioned on this thread already. I wouldn't have made a thread if I hadn't used the common methods yet. However, aerie, I thank you for your more original suggestion :O

My headaches (and gastritis) comes a bit from stress... And a combination of other things too, much probably.
I don't like the silence (and I think that you stated that) like you. But there are sounds that stress me more. What works for me is basically walking the street, usually in rain, that there are less people and they are in a hurry. I don't put a song. I can't think with someone's voice in my head. I usually go to the downtown. You can mix better, a person in a million. Hard to get seen, hard to get annoyed. This way I can... Think, calmly. Depending of the situation, I can find a way out, solve a problem.
And it's good to put things out. I don't like talking problems to people, so my dog usually 'listen' to me bitching about life. Speaking out loud can help... And screaming too.
If I can't annoy my dog, I just speak in the street by myself.

I don't magically get better, but it's good to put my senses into place for a day or another. A day without trying to throw up, headaches, pain. A day that I can sing better (I can't sustain a note 'cause I want to vomit. That's really fucking me up.)

I'm going to acupuncture to easy my headaches and stomach problems. Doesn't solve the source, but it's a reliever. I go to a free session, on a university. The students do it with orientation of a teacher. It's for them to train and it helps me. And you can say whatever that hurts, they'll put a needle in you to help. For me, it really relieves.

I haven't tried anymore method other than that and hobbies. Not really bright or creative from me.

>>28 You sounded like a person who's tried everything. ^^; Makes one all the more desperate and frustrated, right?

It seems horrible that you're suffering in the situation that you're in, what with your insurance and responsibilities. It's very limiting. : (

What else I can think of is pursuing Buddhist/Taoist or Zen teachings, and also REBT. They open doors to new perspectives, and opening a door might just help relieve some of the pressure.

Look up Albert Ellis and Alan Watts in your spare time. I'm not sure whether it's too much of a dogma jump for you, but they are my favorite teachers. :3

Also, someone has suggested it before, but if there is a creative way you can find to exercise, it may offer you an outlet. Aerobics videos on Youtube?

Eating unprocessed, "raw" foods is another option. This doesn't mean going organic, or vegan or something. If you can find it in your time and budget to forgo more 'instant' meals with all those additives, sodium and corn syrup and replace it with unprocessed veggies, fruits, dairies, fish and chicken, you may notice more energy and a boost to your mood.

I can't think of much else that, in your position, would be viable methods available to you. : ( I'll definately keep my ears open.

I rarely eat instant meals, so I got that one down already.
I would rather stay away from anything related to religion or psychological theory :V
I'm not desperate, just frustrated.

>>29
/scaredofneedles
/hatescrouds
/ifiscreamtheyllcallthecops
Damnit, you guys pick out everything I can't do D:

Well, there are a number of things I do when I'm stressed. They might not work for you... so yeah, sorry about that. They're probably not even all that original, lol.

Now, if it's a school problem or a social problem, I try to nitpick at it. People say that that's making the stress worse, but sometimes it's like a fever, you just need to endure it before it becomes better. I find that if I understand the cause of it, or why such things are happening, there's less chance of me physically raging and trying to break things in the house. There may be the event in which I find a solution to whatever's wrong, so that's definitely a good thing.

Then there are some things in this world that make me want to hit someone with a chair. For that I just grab anything without feeling (like a pillow), and punch it. Hell, I'll even throw it at a wall. If that doesn't work, I'll just imagine myself slowly killing or torturing the source of it all.

If there's something I especially want to ignore, I distract myself from the issue. I just procrastinate. But then I know that the problem is still there. Sometimes it doesn't work as well as it should. Try not think about penguins, maybe.

If all other methods seem to fail, then I am forced to complain. Whinge, bitch, whine, etc, etc... Whatever name for it floats your boat. I just let it out by screaming my head off. Yes, it may make me look like a complete and utter idiot, but at least I have some way of expressing myself.

Yet again, there's the Rage Thread.

>>31 I was too... But the needles are like a hair. You don't even fell ot. You close your eyes and give a go. I do it every first needle. Take your fear down! XD

>>32 . . .
Rage = Rage
Stress = Annoyance
Stress =/= Rage
Stress =/= Hitting People With Chairs

That is called an anger issue :|

>>33 Same thing with most needles.

>>35 Lol, well, like I said, that is how I deal with stress. Some things may annoy me to the point of wanting to hit people with chairs.

>>36 Ouch.

You know what I've found helps my stress a bit? Getting up earlier. I feel so much more refreshed through the day, and I don't have as many headaches :O

sdfh

I have no idea. With my whole life going down the shit hole I don't think I'm going to live to be 20.

Listen to Nujabes or Hiroto Uyama

It's some soothing shiz

I fixed my bully problems and dont take all put downs to hear, but i alway have trouble with my inner moral related stress.
i keep questioning whats wrong and right whats pure and corupt keep going back inmy life asking why did i do that, and hateing my self and i take alook at me now and i feel relived i caught it early but i still hate my past. but i deal with it cause in Civil Air Patrol and Community Emergency Responce Team, Stress and depression during a misson can take someones life.

I just laugh at everything for no reason. lol

.