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How Do You De-Stress?
Posted by Tamar Weinberg at 4:00 AM on December 16, 2007
When anxiety and fatigue hits you, how do you wind down? Blogger Jonathan Fields suggests ten ways to rejuvenate your body and mind. Take a midday power nap and refresh yourself. Play games that require intense concentration. Write things down. Listen to good music. Additionally, take a break just to breathe:
The way you breath directly reflects your levels of stress. When we're in high-alert, stressed states we tend to take faster, shallower breaths. In fact, this can become so exaggerated, it can lead to hyperventilation and even leave us unconscious. When we're calm and relaxed, though, our breathing tends to be slower, deeper and less labored.
Jonathan's advice is pretty sound and can certainly help to boost your brain. What techniques do you use to relax? Share them in the comments.
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
Rod Sherwin
Posted December 18, 2007 4:16 PM
There is a form of 'emotional acupressure' called the Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) which has become very popular on the internet. EFT uses gentle tapping of the finger tips on acupressure points to relieve emotional issues such as stress, anxiety, panic, trauma etc. Here is a great how-to on Squidoo for using EFT for Stress http://www.squidoo.com/eft-stress-relief-1
Destrox
Posted 3:11 PM 15/12/07
@weightlossguru: Yeah, when I wrote that I was listening to Stairway to Heaven so that's why I put Led Zeppelin!
Destrox
mysticgeek.htg
Posted 3:01 PM 15/12/07
@taybay: HAHAHA!! Booze for sure ... and Jam'n on my guitar!
mysticgeek.htg
tang
Posted 2:51 PM 15/12/07
Here's what works for me:
1) Reading Fiction
2) Stout Ale (or two) ;)
3) Watching Antiques Roadshow with my girlfriend
4) Meditating
5) Hot Tub
(not necessary in this particular order)
More tips at my site here: [www.zen-articles.com]
tang
Rad
Posted 2:42 PM 15/12/07
@QRIUS: I couldn't agree more! :)
Rad
qrius
Posted 1:57 PM 15/12/07
basketball!
qrius
tom
Posted 1:45 PM 15/12/07
run with music/shower with music/feel reborn/get back what you were doing....
tom
taybay
Posted 1:28 PM 15/12/07
Good old video games and booze.
taybay
weightlossguru
Posted 1:16 PM 15/12/07
music is great... not sure i agree with led zep tho - but it's not bad ! ;)
weightlossguru
TheSchnaz
Posted 1:06 PM 15/12/07
I de-stress in many different ways, depending on my mood. I think working out, yoga, and meditation are great de-stressers. [www.beYOU.tv] is a good resource for free fitness/wellness videos.
Other times, I don't want to use energy to de-stress. During these times, watching a good TV show helps. Check out SideReel or Open Hulu for free TV shows.
You can always take a break, go for a walk to or read LifeHacker to de-stress!
Greg
TheSchnaz
zolielo
Posted 12:54 PM 15/12/07
Sex...
zolielo
Destrox
Posted 12:10 PM 15/12/07
I usually just listen to music. The music for me that helps the most is usually Led Zeppelin
Destrox
urbushey
Posted 3:49 PM 15/12/07
Planet Earth.
No better way to unwind at the end of a long day than to sit back with your intoxicant of choice and get lost in the mystery of life.
urbushey
Deprong Mori
Posted 6:03 PM 15/12/07
Sex, exercising, surfing (the water kind, not the Internet kind), yoga, massages, hot tub.
Deprong Mori
lpret
Posted 5:54 PM 15/12/07
My office building is actually attached to a mall, so when I'm stressed at work I head over to the arcade and shoot some bad guys. The walk over and back are probably the most therapeutic, but so is shooting some zombies and envisioning they're my problems...
lpret
Joe
Posted 5:09 PM 15/12/07
It usually involves throwing things...
Joe
emmetp
Posted 4:59 PM 15/12/07
music. tea. run around the block in the snow at night.
emmetp
artofwar420
Posted 4:53 PM 15/12/07
Sticky icky.
artofwar420
JonathanB
Posted 4:38 PM 15/12/07
"Music hath charms to soothe a savage breast, To soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak."
- William Congreve
When my oak gets a little knotted, music works for me.
JonathanB
Kaobear
Posted 6:10 PM 15/12/07
Sex, Biking in the mountains summer, Ski winter. But most importantly at least 2 times a day I ride in my 200 HP 5 Speed Audi quattro with Bose stereo no substitute for that.
Kaobear
NeoXY
Posted 6:08 PM 15/12/07
Video games, see someone I enjoy spending time with, clean...
....or do all of that and call it a mental health day
So yeah...I destress by having mental health days
NeoXY
ahoier
Posted 7:40 PM 15/12/07
lol. i knew someone was gonna make a drug reference here haha.
but yea, music; particular Angels and Airwaves - some good tracks on their first album that are soothing...
ahoier
TomFrost
Posted 8:22 PM 15/12/07
I think the best way to destress is to use a talent or do something that you know you do really well -- something you take pride in. I sit down at a piano and write a song, or just play out what's running through my head. I have friends who draw, friends who paint, friends who write... Stress leads to great creative outlets.
TomFrost
elduque
Posted 8:17 PM 15/12/07
Makers Mark and a splash of sweet vermouth.
elduque
Kafka
Posted 9:28 PM 15/12/07
I just bottle it up inside and drive on with whatever I'm doing. It's worked so far.
Kafka
ChrisAshton84
Posted 9:25 PM 15/12/07
I just relax and put off whatever is stressing me out... leading to more stress, more putting off work, a vicious cycle indeed.
ChrisAshton84
el_gordo
Posted 8:56 PM 15/12/07
I also enjoy the good old "booze and video games" route, and usually those hard times are accompanied by a call to Paul to score some weed.
If I'm feeling more productive, it's writing. Journals, long emails to friends, rewriting that play I wrote in high school.
If I'm feeling lazy, it's exercise. Push-ups, sit-ups and running.
When my girlfriend dumped me a month ago, I did 3 shots of Jager, ran 2 km to Paul's house, smoked up and played some Gamecube while listening to Queens of the Stone Age. I then walked home, and in retrospection began to think of all the negative feelings I had, and how I needed to express them. But as I wrote that post-dumped email, I couldn't help but feel so free of a future that I really wasn't happy with facing.
I wrote her a thank-you letter for all the good times we had and for being a major positive factor of my recent life. Clicking that send button was the most liberating thing I've done in a long time.
The next day I applied for a job overseas. Two days later I got a call, then an interview, then a job: teaching high school in the UK.
Here's to booze and video games!
(Drinks the last swing of his Moosehead, twists off the cap off another, double-clicks Team Fortress 2.)
el_gordo
Wubbytoes
Posted 12:33 AM 16/12/07
Listen to music or a podcast and play video games.
Wubbytoes
phunkjay
Posted 3:48 AM 16/12/07
The holy herb does wonders after a stressful day :-)
phunkjay
Koesper
Posted 4:06 AM 16/12/07
Play 'Endless Ocean' on my Wii...
swimmin' around, looking at fishes... oooehh... aahh....
relaaax...
Koesper
dekay46
Posted 8:31 AM 16/12/07
i found a great way to de-stress. i graduated yesterday. :-D
on a more serious note, watching a movie or listening to music usually gets me pretty relaxed.
dekay46
BigDASH
Posted 7:50 AM 16/12/07
Music...
BigDASH
Zundfolge
Posted 3:51 PM 16/12/07
I actually find an afternoon at the rifle range to be the most de-stressing thing I can do.
You have to relax your body, clear your mind, focus on your front sight (or the reticle) and the target, regulate your breathing and get in tune with your biorhythms and then you have to pull the trigger smoothly and follow through properly.
Shooting clays on the shotgun range can be a stress reliever too ... and the explosion of the clays is nice feedback.
Steel plates on the pistol range is much the same.
People think of shooting as a high adrenalin type activity but its actually very relaxing and zen-like (unless you're talking IDPA/IPSC type shooting, which while lots of fun is actually rather stress inducing).
Zundfolge
Autofac
Posted 6:24 PM 16/12/07
Depends really. Any sort of thing where I get downtime.
Normally if I am home from school, no work to do (RARE!) I sit down for some video games, do some photo work, go out and take photos, write or draw, watch a film.
As of late I've been watching The Office; I am not one for Tv series normally, but I really enjoy it.
Autofac
Domogeek
Posted 6:43 PM 16/12/07
It depends, if I'd a though week, I go swimming but if it's only common fatigue I put some Jazz & have a good cup of coffee.
Domogeek
koagem
Posted 8:17 PM 16/12/07
Music, beer (preferably Czech) or cider, watching a movie that involves no thought (i.e. A Night at the Roxbury). I would give just about anything to have a sauna again, or have access to spas like I did when I lived in Budapest.
koagem
soapdish
Posted 9:39 PM 16/12/07
I'm here to also put in my vote for booze.
soapdish
trstn
Posted 2:05 AM 17/12/07
I internalise it all and then end up primal screaming in the middle of the night.
Well, no, mostly I stick to a strict regime of cigarettes, booze and laying in bed for hours trying to get to sleep, failing, and watching the clock tick by waiting for madness to set in, not completely unlike this xkcd.com strip: [xkcd.com]
trstn
engtech
Posted 9:56 AM 17/12/07
videogames
engtech
Tom-LH
Posted 8:46 AM 17/12/07
backtoback House... love that guy. He's my favourite American ;)
Tom-LH
Tom-LH
Posted 8:44 AM 17/12/07
@el_gordo: welcome to the UK!
Tom-LH
Dave_Surfs
Posted 8:36 AM 17/12/07
Surf or Play Guitar
Dave_Surfs
GregDinAL
Posted 10:23 AM 17/12/07
Postal 2. No contest :-)
GregDinAL
SoundSystem
Posted 10:05 AM 16/12/07
Meditating, Music, Booze, and Bud!
SoundSystem
Mecha_D
Posted 4:18 AM 16/12/07
I de-stress using only 2 words: Unreal Tournament.
Mecha_D
unruled
Posted 12:22 AM 16/12/07
I had a pretty crazy last few weeks in my personal life. I basically went from jogging 5km per week to jogging 26km per week.
Exercise is great for dealing with stress, highly recommend it! (especially intensive cardio).
Another way, I find that classical music (adagio especially) really helps to soothe the spirit. Loungy tracks like those from Cafe' del Mar albums are also great.
unruled
unruled
Posted 12:21 AM 16/12/07
I had a pretty crazy last few weeks in my personal life. I basically went from jogging 5km per week to jogging 26km per week.
Exercise is great for dealing with stress, highly recommend it! (especially intensive cardio).
Another way, I find that classical music (adagio especially) really helps to soothe the spirit. Loungy tracks like those from Cafe' del Mar albums are also great.
unruled
knifesong
Posted 10:55 PM 15/12/07
I pray, and sometimes go over some of God's promises... such as this one:
Philipians 4:6,7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus
knifesong
Michaelwon
Posted 7:34 PM 15/12/07
First, breathe; Second, walk away; Third, remember that whatever was causing the stress, be it a person directly or just a frustrating situation in general, is not worth getting worked up over.
Michaelwon
WEGGLES90
Posted 7:09 PM 15/12/07
When I get stressed I do one of a few things. I will
1) Listen to music (Instrumental is best for stress)
2) Play a game on easy and just flatten the computer player completely (RTS's are best for this)
3) Clean my room/desk/where ever. If I'm stressed, and organize my room just knowing I did something useful helps a lot. Even if it's small like, taking the empty water bottles to the recycle bin, or throwing out old notes. It usually helps
4) Sleep.
WEGGLES90
mparas
Posted 3:57 PM 17/12/07
Flying does it for me !
mparas
Zypher
Posted 4:05 AM 16/12/07
Listen to some chillout music and smoke a Hookah ([en.wikipedia.org]). Not that healthy, but it definitely works!
Zypher
darrenkeith3
Posted 5:51 PM 15/12/07
I listen to smooth jazz, new age music and sometimes just taking a walk with nothing going...no music, no podcast; just me, God and my thoughts. ^_^
darrenkeith3
OKHorrific
Posted 1:36 PM 15/12/07
I play with my daughter (1 1/2 years old.) she reminds me of what's important.
OKHorrific
jbdimples
Posted 1:20 PM 15/12/07
Just reading that made me feel more relaxed!
I like to unwind with a good cup of coffee (I have some brewing right now). Even if I'm still running around having that cup of coffee with me makes me feel a bit better.
~Jessica
[legaladdictivestimulants.blogspot.com]
jbdimples
Tommasta
Posted 12:13 AM 18/12/07
Unreal Tournament and my pick of two movies......
Yep, you guessed it. Air Bud and Space Jam.
But really though - my method of destressing involves a very catharsis-based method of influence. Violent movies, TV shows and *especially* video games actually relieves stress from my system. I'm de-stressed from peaceful activities such as having a nice beer or sleeping with smooth and buttery music playing etc., but those just aren't as fun as a good frag-fest in Unreal Tournament - and they get the same job done.
Tommasta
FlintZA
Posted 3:30 AM 18/12/07
Video games, movies and most recently gardening. I may have loads of blisters on my hands these days (gloves? what are those :P ) but they're more than worth it :)
FlintZA