What technique do you use to calm down when you feel stressed?

If it is too much for simple meditation, I study the JFK assassination. It is so complexed, it can take my mind off any troubles.

I like to clean as well actually. Sometimes I play a “shoot ‘em up” video game or I dance out the stress. But, yeah, usually cleaning.

Depends. If I’m full of nervous energy, house cleaning.

If I’m overwhelmed and exhausted, long nap.

Wow. I wish there was a time that I “liked” to clean.
My healthy responses are prayer, meditation and breathing. If I get really proactive about it I will do yoga.
My unhealthy responses are eating and zoning out in front of a TV or video game.

I go for a long walk.

But mostly, if I’m stressed out, I like to talk about it. It often makes things seem a lot less overwhelming.

I play ocean sounds, or listen to net radio often Chill Lounge and chat to a good friend on Yahoo who knows I am neurotic!

I ask my mind and body, why are we feeling stressed today? Has anything happened wrong?
Why are we not we today?

Grab my ipod and go for a walk. Works every time.

I meditate. It is not the sit in lotus and chant. Most often it is a shut the door sit and think or a walking meditation. If I am that overwhelmed it often means I am missing a critical piece of information that could mitigate or have prevented this stress bomb and taking time to let things cool down and hopefully learning a few things helps me recover and move forward.

Exercise, or masturbation.

I usually hit the bike trail. I had an argument with one of our salesmen, last year. I was pissed and couldn’t get over it so I grabbed my bike and headed to the trails. I was on the trail for less than a mile and a bear crossed my path. I was so mad that I yelled at the bear “Get the Hell Out of MY WAY!!” The bear just took off. Later, a couple miles down the trail, I realized what I did.

I will talk to myself about why I am feeling stressed at this time, and think it through. I’ll try to come up with why it’s not as stressful as I’m making it out to be, or a resolution.

If it’s an immediate issue, I’ll take some deep breaths and try to “slow it down.”

I meditate.

I like to take a walk in the woods.

Play games.
Rub myself.
Watch Anime.

Eat
Watch TV
Plan a vacation
Fluther
Talk to girlfriends
Go outside in the sunshine

@Blackberry if that is two different things, you might be doing it without enough zest!
I read unless I am too tense to concentrate, then I meditate in the library.

I like to listen to loud music or read a book. If I’m somewhere I can’t do that, I just close my eyes, think happy thoughts, and take deep breaths until I’m calm again.

I run. It’s the only thing, for me, that will kill the anxiety. It even works for panic attacks.

I just try to stop thinking altogether.

I like to punch doors & sometimes soft furnishing.

If it’s really bad, pull up 7 different youtube windows and play 7 songs at the same time. Sometimes its better when the chaos outside matches the chaos inside.

If I’m stressed but still have obligations (schoolwork, errands, etc.), smoking normally eases my mind state so that I can continue doing what I’m doing. If I’m really stressed, smoking, practicing yoga, and then taking a nice shower calms my body and mind.

All of this new age stress management sound nice and calming but if you do like I did and yell at a bear; everything gains a new perspective.

Once I realized what I did all of my other problems dwindled in proportion.

@Ron_C : I dub thee Sir Yells At Bears.

HA! thanks!!! @Hawaii_Jake I’ll admit it is kind of a stupid thing to do. I just amazed that I got away with it.

Exercise and more exercise

Sleep. If I can. Let my mind put it all in proportion while I’m oblivious.

First choice is a game of racquetball so i can take it out on a little blue ball.

Second would be a long bicycle ride.

Third would be a long hot bath and night of sleep.

Watch a movie, or read something. Get absorbed in something that helps against the stress. Games work too, but sometimes when I’m too stressed or pissed off, they feel too much like a project.
If for some reason I can’t do any of that stuff because I’m somewhere else, I might chainsmoke like a raging bastard.

I move furniture.

People have named me “Smooth”.. I never get stressed, NEVER. Perhaps I don’t understand the meaning.. Perhaps I call it something else but I have experienced stress (when I was quite young) and have learned from it’s logic. I can’t explain it.. I don’t do pansy breathing exercises or yoga stances, I just wave it off.. People say, “I’ll be right there” .. two hours later they arrive, I never anticipated anything less.. If I do ‘stress’ I don’t realize it.. I do find myself on my computer a lot, maybe that’s my medicine but before I had a computer, I had no problems.. Of course, I do a lot of writing (like short stories and such.. got over a hundred to date) maybe that’s my secret, I don’t know.. I say, whatever comes.. it will come, whatever doesn’t.. I won’t run.

@chewhorse You should figure out exactly why you don’t stress and then pass it on to others. You’d be doing the world a huge favor :)

Okay future memory.. I don’t stress like I can leave or take alcohol.. Some can’t get by without a nip thus they don’t know how to operate without stress in their lives. Look at things like there’s no reason to control them, that what ever you do has repercussions so embrace the things that make you feel good and learn from those things that don’t. I don’t know, it’s like teaching someone not to be angry, only you can make that decision. I would love to be able to help those in stressful situations but I can’t change one’s nature, only they can do this. I sincerely hope you have it under control. Like I said, people call me ‘smooth’ and in most cases can’t understand my demeanor, often seeing me as something other than human.. Oh well.