Serenity now

[cleolinda]

Peoples of the internet! I have another question. Stress relief methods: do you have them? Because my blood pressure is currently Not Happy, and I can tell it's an emotional thing--my doctor has told me that I have surprisingly good blood pressure usually, and the onset of this is sudden enough that--well. I won't get into the whole mess, but it's emotional, and I need to figure out a way to counteract that.

Comments

[magicloaf.livejournal.com]

Yoga is my tried and true stress reliever. If you aren't into that, bubble baths and soothing music also help me. And then there's the simplest: sitting quietly and just breathing deeply and slowly.

seconded.

[blue-badlands.livejournal.com]

yoga is a great stress-buster. If you want to dabble for free, yogatoday.com has free weekly classes online. Just take it easy and skip the overly challenging stuff to avoid hurting yourself.

[harveypenguin.livejournal.com]

I do lip trills or vocal runs. Maybe belt out some showtunes. I don't know why it helps, but it does.

[scornedsaint.livejournal.com]

I second showtunes. Whenever I'm really stressed out by a paper, I crank up "The Last Five Years"

[singeaddams.livejournal.com]

Lemon balm tea. Smashing helpless rodents with a hammer. Chocolate!

[corinnethewise.livejournal.com]

Sleep and being away from people, like alone in my room reading a book or watching a movie. Also cookies.

But yeah, for me it's usually self-isolating with something entertaining to keep me from stewing in my own thoughts. Getting extra sleep (often while listening to something, a podcast or movie or music to prevent stress dreams) usually helps a lot because I function a lot better when well rested.

Hope you feel better.

[lkmadigan.livejournal.com]

I used to swear by relaxation tapes back in the day.

Good luck.

[madripoor-rose.livejournal.com]

meditation and going for a walk, alone.

allow me to be of aid

[rebelnephalim.livejournal.com]

ok. Go to Hulu.com and look up The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross. He will make you feel better about yourself and the world in general

Re: allow me to be of aid

[limiinal.livejournal.com]

Oh man, I loved Bob Ross as a kid. His voice was so soothing. "Happy little trees..." :D

[queenfaithie.livejournal.com]

What always works for me to relieve stress is to watch/do something that makes you cry (a TV show, movie, book, whatever) and just bawl your eyes out. But that might just be a genetic thing (my mom does it too).

[robinmc.livejournal.com]

Sometimes I'll pull out a movie or a book that I know practically by heart, kinda like the cinematic/literary equivalent of comfort food, especially movie musicals. Gene Kelly never fails to make me smile.

Good luck. :-)

[callmesyd.livejournal.com]

I have had Moses Supposes stuck in my head for three days.

This does not bother me.

[vega-ofthe-lyre.livejournal.com]

I stick an audiobook or a Broadway cast recording on my iPod and go for a very very long walk, while trying not to think at all. Best of luck?

[tarajw.livejournal.com]

Exercise like a mad person. Yoga and bellydance are very relaxing. Listening to soothing music, or reading a book help too. Anything to take your mind off it.

[mysticjuicer.livejournal.com]

Maybe not like a mad person, but a round of push ups, crunches and squats helps me out.

[leia1912.livejournal.com]

Play with and/or hold your dogs. Guaranteed to bring your blood pressure down--animals have tranquilizer properties, according to studies.

[maetang.livejournal.com]

Bubble baths. Sometimes followed by applying lovely smelling body lotion (aromatherapy.) Chamomille tea. Watching good stand up comedy (videos on teh intarwebs, etc.) Eating a really good meal slowly, so I can taste everything. Taking a walk, or other mild exercise. Listening to music, and dancing around the room. And so on.

[anne-jumps.livejournal.com]

Hahaha, when I saw your icon I said aloud "Is that a fucking bear?"

[jenaiabird.livejournal.com]

they say that "laughter is the best medicine" so i'll throw in a movie or look up clips on hulu/youtube of things that make me laugh (for me, Shaun of the Dead/Hot Fuzz and recently FanBoys) or a "warm & fuzzy" movie like Howl's Moving Castle or Sister Act 2.

since you like taking pictures... you can plan for a quiet walk alone in a park or trail or somewhere not heavily traveled/populated, and just let your eye wander and take pictures. I've lost many an afternoon (and a good deal of annoyance or stress) doing that

[clodia-risa.livejournal.com]

I find it depends on the level of stress. For low levels of stress, it takes doing things that I enjoy and don't get to do so often: read all day, eat a particular food, hang out with a particular person. For higher levels, it takes me doing things that I don't necessarily enjoy but get my mind off of what I'm stressed about and get me doing things that are productive and physical: exercise, taking walks (especially in pretty places), cleaning.

I personally found yoga to be very good for my mental health. I'm extremely unflexible, so I wasn't good at it, but it cleared my head of my issues and that would linger for about an hour after the class was done.

Good luck with whatever issues are going on. You've got a lot of people rooting for you.

[jilu.livejournal.com]

I had to give up caffeine. I know, it sounds horrible and wrong and against all humanity.

I'm in the stressful year of professional school. A year where 40% have to repeat a class and 15% have to repeat the year.

It's brutal and hectic and has raised my blood pressure like 30 points. The only thing that helped me tremendously was cutting out caffeine (I already yoga and meditate and exercise).

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I quit caffeine on and off, but the last time I quit was because I realized it was making me really cranky. I still have a Coke or Mountain Dew now and then, but usually only when I leave the house and get fast food or eat out.

[elbiesee.livejournal.com]

If you can get out of the house and take a walk and enjoy your surroundings and think calm thoughts, do so. I used to have panic attacks pretty regularly (and they can still hit me out of nowhere), and I found that the best way to chase them off is to be outside (weather permitting, or even weather not-permitting - a warm rain helps the best).

Even going off for a drive works.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Actually, I think one of the reasons I'm so stressed is that I don't/can't drive. Getting out more would help.

[shadwing.livejournal.com]

I'm wierd, I do counted cross stitch as a stress reliever, something about the motions that just makes my brain go "Ahhh" and it does feel good to look at my fabric in a few hours and see how much I completed.

And it only works for counted cross stitch, other types of sewing help...but that one is the best for my stress.

[lotusbiosm.livejournal.com]

Sort of depends on the situation.
Music helps, especially if I really know/love the song. A movie I really love. Being touched/cuddled (also, TMI, orgasms). Writing in my journal. Talking to my people.

And if all else fails, I have a shiny shiny Xanax prescription (which is for anxiety, but there's a fine line between being stressed out and a panic attack). Sometimes even just knowing it's in my pocket and I can take it if I need it helps me relax.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Being touched/cuddled

This is another reason I'm so fed up with being single. I don't even want to pick out curtains with someone serious; I just want to have someone there.

[reticent-lass.livejournal.com]

I read a book I like out loud. Runs my voice hoarse sometimes but it fills up your brain until there's no room for worry, if that makes any sense.

Also, if you get a fun book, it's hugely entertaining to do the voices.

[dives.livejournal.com]

just wanted to say I am totally feeling that animorphs icon

[particle-person.livejournal.com]

I have chronically high BP, so I just use beta blockers. They also happen to have the side effect of reducing anxiety.

http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/beta-blockers-for-high-blood-pressure

[jdillon.livejournal.com]

Lately, intense exercise + loud music has seemed to do the trick for me. When I feel myself getting to the point where I'm so emotionally upset or stressed I can't sit still or think straight, I load up some loud/angry music on my ipod and get on the treadmill and run until I burn off the stress (or, if that's not an option, I do strength training instead. Slow, heavy reps vs short fast light reps). At the very least it really helps to take the edge off the worst of it. Other relaxation methods sometimes help, but often I just need to physically burn off that extra frustration and stress first before I can really start to relax.

[misslucyjane]

Lavender aromatherapy, yoga, deep breathing/meditation, going for a walk (with my iPod, I'm not good at not thinking stressful thoughts without something to distract me), something repetitive and familiar like knitting while I watch a favorite movie.

Good luck.

[limiinal.livejournal.com]

I'll join in with recommending meditation. It really helped me deal with stress, mentally and physically, since I began doing it in fifteen minute sessions, once a day. At any rate, good luck and I hope you find something that works! :)

[naeelah.livejournal.com]

It probably sounds stupid, but watching silly videos on YouTube pretty much always make life better when I'm stressed out an unhappy. Or read macropaloozas on ONTD communities.

Like when C Bale had his rant and all of the various internet reactions came out, I was having a bad week, but by the end of the week I was quite cheerful.

These are some of my favorites I've saved on a rainy day playlist, if you care to peruse it: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=F97C23B5E5B6D941

ETA: In short, I watch things that make me laugh or that are just too awesome and happy to not make me smile.

I do this and drink tea. Sitting in the tub for an hour or so also helps. (And practicing cello always clears my head, so if there's something you do that you get completely focused on, do that.)