What helps you unwind?

[Brass_Bra_Leia]

Hi everyone,

Trying to unwind from a very busy few weeks, (I watch two kids plus my own two in the day time and then I work part-time as the child facilitator of our homeless shelter that added on to a bunch of other little stresses and you can imagine...), I have been battling the question about ways to unwind and am tryign to develope new strategies. So here's the question, what is your haven when stress gets to be too much?

 

A few for me...

Digging my toes into wet sand - I grew up in Guam for a few years and can't get the ocean out of my system. When I get really stressed there is nothing like going to the beach and sitting there watchign the waves while I dig my toes into the sand Which is probably why I'm pushing to spend the weekend at my brother's place on the southern coast of Texas.

 

eating chocolate - used to really indulge in other foods, that's why further on the list you will notice walking/running

 

Laughing - TF is very good at knowing when I need a great laugh

 

Walking/running - I used it to deal with the postpartum baby blues after having my second baby and lost a ton of weight.

 

Gardening.

[the_mask]

Oh, might as well start replying

 

Well, if everything seems to strangle me I just lean back, close my eyes, breathe slowly and let my mind wander. Ok, some people would call that meditating, or even taking a nap

By just dropping everything around you, you can actually feel your facial muscles relax as you get closer to the peace you can experience.

The hardest thing though is to realize, that you cannot force this, but that it will come on its own.

I've actually started to practise this more when the problems with my spine started and I had headaches each for over a year. With this light meditation technique I even managed to get rid of the headaches, well, most of the time

 

Also I'd take 'laughing', which is why I mostly watch comedy series on Tv.

Gardening, well ... ah ... did I mention my spine ? Also our former neighbour kept cleaning our strawberry bushes, so I saw no real sense in continuing this. My mother was also against me setting up high voltage traps, so ...

Walking and running ? Hmm, I know how much I always hated running to catch the schoolbus and I swore that once I had a car, I'd never had to appear sweating like crazy, so I'd rather pass this. Also there are a lot of vicious dogs where I live and I don't want to be their prey.

Edited May 17, 2004 by the_mask

[Triskozko]

So here's the question, what is your haven when stress gets to be too much?

 

Call up a friend who is not so good at Rebellion and challenge him, then just play around with him before you crush him to the ground!

 

...music is also nice.

[Brass_Bra_Leia]

So here's the question, what is your haven when stress gets to be too much?

 

Call up a friend who is not so good at Rebellion and challenge him, then just play around with him before you crush him to the ground!

 

...music is also nice.

 

I love it. nothing like a good arse whipping

[dinochick]

I have strated taking Yoga to help with my stress, since it has only been increasing this past year With no end in site

I also love to eat chocolate, tons of it, unfortunatly LOL.

hmm, I also just try to lay down and take a nap or clean the house. When I use to have a yard I would work outside.

[Brass_Bra_Leia]

I have strated taking Yoga to help with my stress, since it has only been increasing this past year With no end in site

I also love to eat chocolate, tons of it, unfortunatly LOL.

hmm, I also just try to lay down and take a nap or clean the house. When I use to have a yard I would work outside.

 

I've thought about yoga, but I apparently have little will power and I fine yoga and excercise that seemst o test your willpower. Running, walking, hiking, dancing, it all seems to work with me, but to stay quiet and meditative in an uncomfortable postion just doesn't seem my thing. I don't like weightlifting either for the pain factor.

[dinochick]

I have strated taking Yoga to help with my stress, since it has only been increasing this past year With no end in site

I also love to eat chocolate, tons of it, unfortunatly LOL.

hmm, I also just try to lay down and take a nap or clean the house. When I use to have a yard I would work outside.

 

I've thought about yoga, but I apparently have little will power and I fine yoga and excercise that seemst o test your willpower. Running, walking, hiking, dancing, it all seems to work with me, but to stay quiet and meditative in an uncomfortable postion just doesn't seem my thing. I don't like weightlifting either for the pain factor.

 

We really don't do much mediatating, more streaches and such that tone. Its nice to be able to relax and combine excercise with relaxation for me. In class today I nearly fell aasleep when we did the relaxation part lol

[Cain]

Wee all need to feal happy and not stressed ..... hmmm try to beat TF at Rebellion (Tip= be agressive ,block his planets,spy and capture his ship researchers ...then post the story on the net)

 

 

or....go in a forest and lissen to the birds

 

 

go up on a toll building and see the city

 

 

put TF to do a long massage with oil on the feets

 

 

I'm usualy happy when I feal the God's presence ...then realy I'm happy and unwinde. It happens sometimes ... then I know that my love for him is not in vain or lost

 

ahhh Or read Stellar Magic's novels ...they have a strange calming effect : http://www.swrebellion.com/postt1343.html

[Brass_Bra_Leia]

 

We really don't do much mediatating, more streaches and such that tone. Its nice to be able to relax and combine excercise with relaxation for me. In class today I nearly fell aasleep when we did the relaxation part lol

 

I used to do prenatal yoga when I was pregnant with my oldest. I wouldn't let TF come i nthe room while I was doing it. It was calming and I enjoyed it, but the instructor (on video) was a woman in a turban who said, "squat like you are giving birth in the woods surrounded by beautiful women"

[Brass_Bra_Leia]

I've actually started to practise this more when the problems with my spine started and I had headaches each for over a year. With this light meditation technique I even managed to get rid of the headaches, well, most of the time

I can't seem to get rid of my headaches no matter what, but mine are all migraine, TF gets migraines and tension and the tension seems to get better with relaxation and my babying him.

 

Walking and running ? Hmm, I know how much I always hated running to catch the schoolbus and I swore that once I had a car, I'd never had to appear sweating like crazy, so I'd rather pass this. Also there are a lot of vicious dogs where I live and I don't want to be their prey.

My philosphy was always I run when I'm being chased, plus being more umm.... "top heavy" running never came easy for me, there was a lot of bounce if you know what I mean. Well this summer, TF was trying to get back in shape so we got me a really good sports bra and I started running with him. I actually completed a whole 5K running it. For a girl as atheltically un-inclined as I am that was a big deal. I have no higher aspirations though.

[Brass_Bra_Leia]

put TF to do a long massage with oil on the feets

Nope my feet are horribly ticklish. I see a massage therapist once in a while and she can't even rub them out

 

I'm usualy happy when I feal the God's presence ...then realy I'm happy and unwinde. It happens sometimes ... then I know that my love for him is not in vain or lost

I agree. I have been using the time when I walk/run lately to pray or just alk to God, it does really help, help me connect feell his presence.

[the_mask]

I can't seem to get rid of my headaches no matter what, but mine are all migraine, TF gets migraines and tension and the tension seems to get better with relaxation and my babying him.

Migraines ? Oh yeah, had some of those as well once, almost as much fun as spending two weeks in a relatively dark room, because of a concussion

Btw, I don't think anyone wouldn't relax in the presence of his beloved

 

My philosphy was always I run when I'm being chased, plus being more umm.... "top heavy" running never came easy for me, there was a lot of bounce if you know what I mean. Well this summer, TF was trying to get back in shape so we got me a really good sports bra and I started running with him. I actually completed a whole 5K running it. For a girl as atheltically un-inclined as I am that was a big deal. I have no higher aspirations though.

You know reading this triggered a memory of a certain Futurama episode, where Fry meets the living head of Pamela Anderson and she asks him, wether he had seen her in Baywatch - the movie. The first movie ever to be totally in slow-motion

 

But to get serious (and a little more adult) again:

See, if someone or something wanted to chase me, the first thing I'd do was not to run, just to screw up their concept Also a dog would always catch you, so there's no real point in running either.

I just remembered, a few weeks after we moved to our current home I came home from school, walked across a meadow and suddenly saw this shepherd dog running to me at a crazy speed.

I just stood there thinking 'Okay, I'm toast.'

Then I contemplated running, but seeing its pace ruled that out quickly. So I did the most hilarious thing I could think of: I patted my knees to actually call it to me, also to confuse it out of any agressive patterns.

When it jumped up on me I kind of realized, that it was our landlord's dog and that it had just escaped again. By that time I had already tried to bribe it with bits of salami a few days ago, so that it wouldn't start to bark everytime I went to the garbage can.

Well, after walking home with the dog I went to the backside of the house and pointed into his kennel and he actuall ran inside

After sealing the door all the adrenalin, that kept me going so far, vanished I went inside with this weird shaking, that always accompanies that moment

 

I'm usualy happy when I feal the God's presence ...then realy I'm happy and unwinde. It happens sometimes

Yes, the moments, when you can actually hear him are rare, for he is not such a talkative fellow, but when he does speak he makes his point very clear

I remember, just before that eclipse a few years ago, a reporter reading something lyrical about it ending with 'and then god spoke'.

When the eclipse actually happened and I stood outside, suddenly devoid of any of the usual sourrounding noises, I finally understood what he sounded like

[ElvisMiggell]

I finally understood what he sounded like

 

I love moments like that. went to a Christian festival for a fortnight last summer, it was amazing. :D:D

[Brass_Bra_Leia]

I finally understood what he sounded like

 

I love moments like that. went to a Christian festival for a fortnight last summer, it was amazing. :D:D

 

I was raised Roman Catholic and as a teenager went on a retreat. We had a reconcilation service and at the end of it this rainbow appeared over the bell tower. It was an awesome rainbow and the timing was enough to bring everyone to tears. Very humbling. Had a few moments like that sense, you just want to hold onto them forever.

[ElvisMiggell]

Yup yup.

 

I find a few frames of pool very relaxing, as is a few dozen lengths in the pool.

 

(Different pools people. )

[AdmiralFishface]

When I feel the need to relax I take a pencil and a few sheet of paper and begin to draw a picture. Mostly character portraits of chars I invented myself. After as much as fifteen minutes all of my thoughts focus on just the picture, anything happening around me kind of fades out, stops being important. When I'm finished, I feel refreshed, calm, yet full of energy. It has helped me on the (thank God) few occasions when I was under extreme stress and the not so few ones when I felt depressed or generally ARRGH!!!.

[Stellar_Magic]

Well when I need to unwind I sit in front of the computer and begin to type...and type....and type. Until through some divine inspiration a real story comes out of it. Thats right...Me writer...verstehen?

 

Of course I also have an awe inspiring collection of Mel Brooks films . Now there is a great way to unwind.

 

Because I want to be a good writer, I read alot, it helps me relax and come up with ideas. Ideas that I forget about for a while before I use them anyway.

[ElvisMiggell]

Mel Brooks rocks, Space Balls was a quality film!

[Stellar_Magic]

I knew someone was going to bring up space balls

 

Newest SW vs. ST episode is posted

[Texas_Fett]

(Sorry for the tardiness of my reply, BBL!)

 

Personally, my method of relaxation has changed over time. Growing up as the eldest son of a military chaplain, you tend to be on the 'outside' of the social circles of the other kids your age on the military bases. Most of the time we lived off base, which meant that we (my borthers, my sister and I) were seperated from the neighborhood kids by language and culture as well. Consequently, I spent a lot of time hiking around the various woods of Spangdahlem, Germany and Alto de La Muela (a village near Zaragoza, Spain). I also spend a good deal of time in my room, or playing with my brothers. And while we only had one television station to watch in English (AFRTS) and I watched a LOT of movies, I really don't like to watch TV or movies that much (sports coverage featuring the Chicago Bears or the San Antonio Spurs are a different story, though ) And, being a child of the late-80's and early 90's, the Nintendo Entertainment System sucked up vast amounts of my childhood life.

 

So it would be no surprise that I find videogames, no matter the platform, to be relaxing (unless I'm losing ), although I still love to go hiking in the various parks on the outskirts of the city. That I've had to adjust to three more people taking those treks with me has taken time, but now I honestly don't know how I'd feel doing it by myself. I certainly wouldn't enjoy it half as much as I do now. Even the videogames aren't really as much fun anymore unless I'm playing them with BBL or another friend.

 

I suppose if I must lay claim to a specific set of activities that I do on my own to relax, I'd have to say Rebellion, obviously, but also reading. Whether it be my latest Star Wars novel, my up-teenth re-reading of "The Lord of the Rings", some other sci-fi/fantasy-fiction related book or just a chapter or two out of "the Good Book", reading is certainly a means for me to unwind from the stresses of the day and re-focus my life.

[ElvisMiggell]

Listening to music... now that relaxes me......

[Trejiuvanat]

I'm the kind of person that usually doesn't get stressed to easily, I don't study that much for Uni, (if at all). Mostly I get stressed when I have to do a lot of things that aren't for me, like a part in some group work, or doing some photoshopping for my mother. When I really get stressed I just shut everything down, PC, music, everything and lie down on my bed, I take out a good book and after 100 pages I usually feel better.

[Brass_Bra_Leia]

I'm the kind of person that usually doesn't get stressed to easily

 

I wish I could say the same. I do great in emergency situations. My thinking becomes completely clear, I am in total control, I lead (I normally, prefer to just be the "nurturer" and let someone else do the leading), I am as calm and collected as can be. It is the little day to day stuff that gets me. I have always beleived in never going half way, the bad thing about that is it normally means extreme emotions, Im really happy, or totally depressed, or very angry. Fortunately, I also have no staying power so it vanishes rather quickly, at least the negative moods. But I think, due to that, I often can make a mountain out of a mole hill, I dont' need to be perfect, but I want to try my best. As I get older, I keep trying to learn that sometimes the best I can do is to let it go, it's a slow process, but I feel a bit calmer every year. And I'm learning better ways to cope with the stress. But sometimes it is just plain fun to get all worked up over something, so I don't think I will give it up completely

 

On another note, as much as I love and enjoy my mother, doing anything with her is basically and automatic steressful experience