Leo Dimilo
Tonya Lachey
Dianna GCoping with Stress
August 14th 2007 01:05
Some say a little bit of stress in your life is good for you, it gives an otherwise ho-hum life a much needed excitement. On the other hand, everyone knows prolonged stress is extremely bad for your mental and physical health. The negative effects are endless – migraines, insomnia, heart attack, lowering of the immune system, triggering unhealthy behaviour like smoking, overeating, drug-taking and can make you appear older than you actually are.
Unfortunately, stress is all too much a part of our daily routine but some people cope with their stress better than most. I, for one, was born a stresshead - high strung, impatient people usually are. I used to stress about everything, including stupid things like running out of milk in the midst of making coffee or merging into the next lane on a freeway. I imagined myself a steam train gathering full speed – I felt the heat rising from my shoulders, spreading through the back of my neck, covering my ears with a buzzing sound and filling the rest of my head that I think my eyes are going to pop out and I have the urge to lash out physically, by either yelling out a string of expletives or slamming my fist into something, or both. And having a human-sized dummy made up of bubble wrap in your room to punch every time I was stressed only fuelled my violent tendencies.
Then I started working for a boss who reminded me of a pitbull. He looked like one, walked like one and had a manner of barking at his employees with a trail of spittle dangling from the corner of his mouth. In my nine months there, he had probably yelled at me five times but the countless hours I spent at night tossing and turning, wondering how to escape his wrath the next day finally led to my nervous breakdown.
I’ll always be high-strung and impatient but in recent years, I came up with some techniques that have helped me cope with stressful situations much more effectively – and without losing dignity.
1. When I’m about to head into a stressful situation (ie work, confronting someone about something), I take a few minutes to stand, sit or walk out in the sun, soaking up the rays and taking in huge deep breaths. Everytime I do this, I feel recharged and think that all is right with the world.
2. Keeping my surroundings neat and tidy. When I’m stressed, seeing clutter in my surroundings usually make my blood pressure go up. This is definitely true everytime I stress over what to wear and I see a pile of wrinkled clothes on the floor in my wardrobe and I just want to scream.
3. Keeping a photo of my smiling dogs in my surroundings. This helped me when I accidentally deleted an entire database of records at work.
4.They say you should silently count to ten in a stressful situation. Unfortunately, this has not helped me at all, but I find drinking in gulps of cold water have swallowed the string of swear words bunching up at the back of my throat.
5. Looking for split ends in my hair and cutting them. Somehow, it gives me a feeling of accomplishment everytime I see a pile of small black Ys on a white piece of paper.
6. Listening to classical music and imagining myself standing in Michelangelo’s square in Florence.
7. Slipping into a hot bubble bath with scented candles all around, doing a crossword puzzle and sipping Riccadonna.
8. Getting Facials & Massages
9. Walking – especially just before the sun sets – and listening to 80s music on my ipod.
10. Having a good cry. Many people would probably argue against this but it works for me. I remember training this girl, the worst I had ever trained (when a person doesn’t know the difference between ‘save’ and ‘save as’ on a word document, you know you’re in trouble). One thing that helped me cope was shutting myself off in a toilet cubicle and having a good solid cry for ten minutes. But at work, I would recommend doing your crying in private and not letting them know what you’re crying about, otherwise you’ll be touted a whinger.
For more info on stress, check out this site.
So how do you cope with stress?
McEnroe - famous stresshead
Then I started working for a boss who reminded me of a pitbull. He looked like one, walked like one and had a manner of barking at his employees with a trail of spittle dangling from the corner of his mouth. In my nine months there, he had probably yelled at me five times but the countless hours I spent at night tossing and turning, wondering how to escape his wrath the next day finally led to my nervous breakdown.
I’ll always be high-strung and impatient but in recent years, I came up with some techniques that have helped me cope with stressful situations much more effectively – and without losing dignity.
1. When I’m about to head into a stressful situation (ie work, confronting someone about something), I take a few minutes to stand, sit or walk out in the sun, soaking up the rays and taking in huge deep breaths. Everytime I do this, I feel recharged and think that all is right with the world.
2. Keeping my surroundings neat and tidy. When I’m stressed, seeing clutter in my surroundings usually make my blood pressure go up. This is definitely true everytime I stress over what to wear and I see a pile of wrinkled clothes on the floor in my wardrobe and I just want to scream.
4.They say you should silently count to ten in a stressful situation. Unfortunately, this has not helped me at all, but I find drinking in gulps of cold water have swallowed the string of swear words bunching up at the back of my throat.
5. Looking for split ends in my hair and cutting them. Somehow, it gives me a feeling of accomplishment everytime I see a pile of small black Ys on a white piece of paper.
6. Listening to classical music and imagining myself standing in Michelangelo’s square in Florence.
7. Slipping into a hot bubble bath with scented candles all around, doing a crossword puzzle and sipping Riccadonna.
8. Getting Facials & Massages
9. Walking – especially just before the sun sets – and listening to 80s music on my ipod.
For more info on stress, check out this site.
So how do you cope with stress?
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Comment by Dianna G
I Wish This Was 42
Fictional Worlds
But, oh my, those dogs are so cute!!!! I love your doggies.
~Dianna
Comment by Aimzster
Reality TV
The Jeepney Stop
First Time Mum
PS. I love them too. Sheena, the black one, has passed away but Sabre continues to be the sun in my life.
Comment by Dianna G
I Wish This Was 42
Fictional Worlds
I'm only really worried about science, French, and math. I have a learning disability in math, I'm really good at understanding science concepts, but the whole formula math part scares me, and while I'm really good at French, I haven't studied it in ages. I've been exempt.
And... I'll be fourteen on the 29th!!!! SO THERE.
Comment by Cibbuano
Hunt Famous
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Fat Cult
Techbreak
Comment by KylieW
Celebrity Obsession
You're right about tidy surroundings. It's amazing how much better I feel when I tidy up my desk if I'm stressed.
I also like to make a list so that I can see exactly what I have to achieve. For some reason seeing everything written down makes it seem less daunting!
Great post
Comment by Aimzster
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Cibby, that was another thing I forgot to list - exercise! I find exercise helps keep me in good spirits. I remember not exercising for two weeks and feeling absolutely depressed, hating myself and thinking I was ugly.
Kylie, I do the same thing - listing everything down. And I mean everything. Everday, I have a list of things to do and I love crossing them out. I also have a list of Things To Do Before I Die - not making much progress though.
Comment by Dianna G
I Wish This Was 42
Fictional Worlds
One of my school options (I still don't know which one I'm going to) has a compulsory business course... but it's in computer type stuff, BASICS, so it'll be a laugh for me.
(Three members of my family are computer programmers.)
You people scare me. -.- All I do when I'm stressed is write, eat, and sleep. (And get biolent and cuss anyone out who comes within 5 feet of me and isn't a teacher.)
Comment by Chic Critique
Tidy house, desk, wardrobe, kitchen etc. is a big one for me, helps set me up for the day. As do having an organised diary and various to do lists.
If I am stressed about something in particular, venting on the phone to an impartial person always helps, or chatting to friends over a couple of drinks.
I also was one of those people who dashed to the loos to have a good cry at work, and sometimes curling up on bed and having a sniffle still helps.
As far as maintenance goes; massages, regular exercise like pilates and walking the dog, having some time to watch crap on telly or DVD under a doona with some junk food.
Nice post Aimzster.
Cheers
CC
Comment by Aimzster
Reality TV
The Jeepney Stop
First Time Mum
Hi Dianna, wait until you reach 30. Writing, eating and sleeping may not be enough.
Comment by katyzzz
Photography Tips
MS Paint Art
What's stress.
katyzzz...just taking a nap
Comment by Dianna G
I Wish This Was 42
Fictional Worlds
My entire life is writing, eating, and sleeping at the moment. I like it this way. I really need to get published and make like $60K soon. Per year. Then I can spend the rest of my life eating, writing, and sleeping. I like that plan.
~Dianna
Comment by Lara M
Love Speaks
Food Slate
Comment by Jessicca
Learning Something Everyday
Malaysia Found
Thank you so much for sharing your insights about how to relief stress.
Have a blessed day
Jessicca
Comment by DuskDevi
Rugby World Cup 2007
I need to be a little bit 'stressed'...it keeps the adrenaline up...it's not so much stressed as...revved.
I too am usually calm in a crisis but if I need to vent...I box/spar...but I don't do it to release stress.
I do it to release endorphins....it sounds better!
I do get a bit frustrated if I'm experiencing 'writers block'...and when I do...I clean, do laundry, iron or tidy up closets, etc...very therapeutic.
Most definitely for me...laughter...truly...
And op-shopping! Nothing releases stress faster than finding a vintage treasure for less than the price of 2 lattes!
I like your techniques..and your #5 is funny!
Hope you're relaxed and well...
Dusk
Comment by Aimzster
Reality TV
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First Time Mum
Katyzzz, I like your style
Lara, hear hear! I wish I could be calm and collected. I hate being high-strung but I suppose it comes with being short.
Jessica, you're welcome. Tell your friend to take it easy. They say that people who start a new job usually get sick within a month of starting as the stress lowers their immune system. Thanks for dropping by!
Dusk, my kickboxing classes help me vent my frustration out as well. And I agree with you re laughter. When I'm feeling angry or down, I just pop in an old Seinfeld DVD and there I go.
Comment by D. Armenta
The Florida Keys and Everglades
The Black Sheep Chronicles
What constitutes bad manners?
The male mystique
Debate Fan
I've learned several stress relievers from several different careers I've had:
Air traffic control, which makes everything else look like a stroll in the park, stresswise. When I get stressed now, my first thought is--"Are lives at stake?"
Usually they're not.
Scuba instructor, which has also got to be in the top 10 when you get a panicky student at 30 meters down-- here's what I teach nervous students in shallow water training: inhale as deeply and slowly as you can. Hold breath for the count of 5. Exhale as slowly as you can; as you exhale, start at the top and go down: relax eyebrows, ears, jaw, shoulders, hands, er--back door? Hershey highway? Whatever you want to call it--knees, and toes.
This works quite well if you relax each part in sequence so that it flows on to the next part.
Drumming: Drop shoulders and arms and breathe! For some reason drummers tend to hold their breath when executing rolls.
All three of these work very well and very quickly.
Love your adorable dogs!!
Comment by Aimzster
Reality TV
The Jeepney Stop
First Time Mum
Comment by D. Armenta
The Florida Keys and Everglades
The Black Sheep Chronicles
What constitutes bad manners?
The male mystique
Debate Fan
Comment by Bernadette
Article Dime
Tips in 365 Days
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Laugh 'Til You Drop
It stresses me whenever a child I teach cannot cope with the lessons. So to help me out of stress, I get out of the room for a minute or two and breathe. I guess that helps a lot for me.
Bernadette
Comment by Mrs M
Mum's Word
Love & stuff
Mrs M