Stress: how do you react? How do you deal?

[PineappleMama]

When I'm worried, or angry, I tend to go on psycho cleaning binges. When DH comes home and the house reeks of bleach and has been organized within an inch of its life his first words are "What's wrong?"

Donno if that counts as stress per se, but there ya go.

Ohhh can also totally blank out and play Tetris, used to do that years ago.

 

[Louieandthecrew]

Sometimes looking at pictures helps me. Reading my Bible is great too, also praying. Sitting down and breathing deeply for a minute or two, going for a walk, talking to family about it, talking to pets (chickens, dogs, cats, etc.) about it

, listening to quiet music (like instrumental), get on here!

You guys help so mucH!

 

[PineappleMama]

Quote:
See that wouldn't work for me... I need loud, beat bopping music... anything from Elvis to Metallica depending on mood. Cheering up from sad or venting angry...

It is so interesting to read all these different ways that people deal!!

 

[AngieChick]

For run of the mill kind of stress, I have some book series that are my "comfort books" - The Harry Potter series and the Outlander series. A little escapism can be a very good thing.

My other methods are: Talking things out with DH, he can be very helpful. I can also rely on long conversations with my brother or my cousin to help me through things. I listen to Harry Potter on tape while weaving, sewing, spinning or gardening. Watch the poultry, maybe even refilling the duck's pond just to see them get all excited. Baking or cooking can also be pretty helpful, or just going on a walk in the woods.

If it's the deep down "what am I doing with my life?" kind of stress (rare for me, but it does happen every once in a great while) I end up making a new piece of art. It's messy, time consuming, and it drains me of all of my emotional energy. However, it does help me work through issues in a very visual, physical way.

 

[Louieandthecrew]

Quote:
See that wouldn't work for me... I need loud, beat bopping music... anything from Elvis to Metallica depending on mood. Cheering up from sad or venting angry...

It is so interesting to read all these different ways that people deal!!

Yah, I usually fall asleep when I'm listening to quiet music which also helps me. I'm listening to instrumental music now actually

 

[Smoky73]

I can tell when I am seriously stressed out as I will drink more than normal, and, I get the eyelid twitch, which usually happens at exactly the point of which I am being stressed, like if I am in stress at that exact moment, my eyelid will twitch. Drinkng just calms me down after a rough day and when I was working at Walmart in the grocery stocking, I drank a lot toward the end. Now that I transfered to cashier, I am back to my normal self, except I think and (I think others agree) I am a much happer person.

I also inccrease the eating, but I found this last week on vacation, away from work, I have eaten like a bear, all bad food and its like I am preparing for hibernation.

 

[PineappleMama]

Painting isn't mindless, like cleaning, but requires a lot of focus... especially for me since I got all psycho OCD about it... painting a tiny little ornament can take an hour or more... but it does take control of your mind...

But the kind of painting you mention... I'm not sure that I've ever really done that kind Angie... I've always had some kind of plan, or mold, or something... maybe I'll give that a go?

DH and I both use each other as sounding boards. Whether that's for an idea, stories, papers, projects... or just trying to wrap our heads around something we don't understand... or venting frustrations... isn't it great to have someone like that? I consider myself pretty lucky on that score.

Smoky I've gotten that twitch... not often... maybe a handful of times in my 30 years ... but it sure is annoying!

One more thing I've done since I was a kid was to remember that there are folks a LOT worse off. If it's money woes I think about the folks who don't even have food... sometimes that helps me calm down, knowing it could be so much worse, and that those people fight and make it so why the heck can't I suck it up and do the same. Only really happens when I need a swift kick to the tail to dislodge the dose of self-pity stuck in my throat... but every now and again it's come in handy.

 

[Louieandthecrew]

Good ways to handle stress people

 

[AngieChick]

Quote:
Most of what I make are collages. It involves planning, searching out the right elements, and very carefully cutting them out with exacto knives. I usually paint a unifying background, glue the pictures on, paint over the pictures with gel medium and paint, glue on a bunch of other random stuff to create texture, and go back over the whole thing again with more paint to unify the objects and bring some things out. It's just the right mix of control and messy. But, it allows me to focus and somehow picking out the little images and arranging it all just so seems to bring out my introspection. I like to bring in some humor too, which helps me to see the humor in my own life and situation. Sometimes it's best to not take yourself too seriously.

Hmmm, maybe it would be easier to just show you:

This is my latest. I'm not 100% happy with it, but then I never am. I don't think most artists are ever really perfectly happy with their work. Creating art is a bit of a compulsion, especially when dealing with stress. If you want me to explain my thinking behind this painting, just ask. It's fairly complex.

And yes, I am so so glad that I have my wonderful DH as a sounding board. He's wonderful.

 

[redhen]

Pretty cool, Angie..
Is that a nursery rhyme theme??