How do you deal with Stress?

Exercise…. When I am stressed the last thing I feel like doing is exercising, but the thing that makes me actually FEEL the best after doing it is to get out and move. I like going on a hike or to a local lake or somewhere outdoors where I can be surrounded by trees or other things I find soothing and beautiful.  An hour is all it takes to drastically change my mood and stress level.

How about going to the gym and lifting weights?  That's what Justin does when he is stressed.

Long wilderness walks.

I avoid gyms....er...I'm terribly self concious.  I do exercise (I bike 6 miles a day...been on a diet).  Couldn't hurt to perhaps try a hike instead of biking though, right?

Couldn't hurt to perhaps try a hike instead of biking though, right?

It would be something different that you might find more of a stress reliever. When you bike you don't take time to really enjoy what is around you and to take in all the sights, sounds and smells that you get when you walk or hike. Biking is NOT stress relieving to me, but walks and hikes are so it might help you and you would still be getting exercise.    just a thought...

I exercise when I am stressed as well.  Since my cast came off, (and a few weeks before)  I am biking 7-10 miles every morning.  In addition, I also take the dogs for a hike every evening.  I have learned that if I just exercise regularly, I am not a stressed out by daily life.  If I wait until I am stressed, I usually end up very sore the next day, because I overdid it.
 
I avoid gyms as well.  For me, what should be an hour workout ends up being an hour of socialization instead.

ORIGINAL: Xeph

I avoid gyms....er...I'm terribly self concious.  I do exercise (I bike 6 miles a day...been on a diet).  Couldn't hurt to perhaps try a hike instead of biking though, right?

I also avoid these places!  I know I'm over weight but when I see all of those little "stick like" girls, it makes me feel worse[&o]

Me too Bullymom.  I go home feeling like crap, because while I AM in better shape than before...I'll never be a size 4, and it bothers me [:'(]
 
That's the same reason I don't listen to professional pianists for inspiration to continue playing...I only get down on myself.  I listen to groups like the Trans-Siberian Orchestra instead.

My hubby looks at girls like that all the time.[&o]  I know that no matter how hard I try, I'll never look like them and it really hurts my feelings.  When we first me, I wore a size 8-9 pants and even then, he said that I still needed to lose weight.[:'(]  I want to be that size again but how can I when he is sooo negative about my weight?  I'm a stress eater.  I get stressed and I pig out.  My metabolism sucks and I have no clue what I can take/do to fix that.  Sniff Sniff.  I wish there was a magic lamp and genie around so I could wish myself to look like I used to

Definately long walks on the beach or day hikes with my dog are the best.

Swimming is also a good one for me. I like just floating on my back with my head tipped back far enough to immerse my ears, close my eyes, and just drift...

Making sculptures or playing with clay.

I find gardening to be my meditation. Nothing like having my hands in the dirt. []

• exercise
  
• crafts
  
• listening to classical music
  
• training or playing with my dogs

ORIGINAL: BEVOLASVEGAS

I exercise when I am stressed as well.  Since my cast came off, (and a few weeks before)  I am biking 7-10 miles every morning.  In addition, I also take the dogs for a hike every evening.  I have learned that if I just exercise regularly, I am not a stressed out by daily life.  If I wait until I am stressed, I usually end up very sore the next day, because I overdid it.

I avoid gyms as well.  For me, what should be an hour workout ends up being an hour of socialization instead.

I agree it should be used as a preventative measure! I once was so incredibly stressed out when I went to the gym that I exercised waaay too hard. Like, my heart rate was 200 beats per minute for two hours straight. The machines kept beeping at me to slow down, but I was just so tense that I kept going and the only reason I stopped was because my husband came to get me.

Afterward, my face was purple and the next day I could barely move.

I take Tasha on long walks on the bike trail. Or...I send the dogs outside to hang out in the yard, crank up heavy metal and go into a cleaning frenzy.

Hmmm, well I just break out in a shingles attack when I'm stressed!
 
This past year has been a roller coaster of major stressers particularly with family health issues, including DH's.  Daily life, stuff at work, that sort of thing does NOT stress me.  But all the family health issues have knocked my immune system on it's fanny and I've had a number of uncommon for me little illnesses.  And with each and every one comes the shingles outbreak[:@].  For those of you who have never experienced this, it ain't fun.
 
I have so little time that it's tough for me to escape the demands of the world and find a way to destress.  Exercise doesn't do it for me.  Exercise gets me hot and sweaty and I don't enjoy it.  I do use the exercise bike most nights but I want a treadmill.....I actually enjoy the treadmill.  Reading is good for me....especially when I can sit on the deck in the sun and enjoy the fresh air.  Gardening is a passion and I can spend hours (usually stolen from something else that needs doing) playing in the dirt.  My crafts too are a wonderful escape but sadly I rarely have time to even start anything these days.....I am soooo looking forward to Memorial Day weekend and a whole THREE day weekend, where ONE might actually be a day that I can claim.  I've not had a weekend off, so a day off, since December and it's starting to wear on me.