What effective strategies have you found to combat stress?

For me, the biggest stress reliever is playing the piano.

Breathing. Calming herbal teas. Going for a walk or drive while listening to music and singing. Lifting weights or exercising. Finding something to watch that will make me truly laugh out loud.
Pushing myself to be in the presence of others.

I got a Tibetan singing bowl for Chanukkah, and it’s amazing how playing it can calm me down and make me feel collected again. Other things that help are walking in the woods, exercising, my pets, and going skeet shooting.

Fast walk, hot baths and talking to my best friend Jay.

I don’t have a strategy per se, however, when I am in a healthy relationship – it is a stressbuster unto itself – and the sex doesn’t hurt for reasons smarter jellies can explain – something to do with pheromones and stuff.

I do the same as you @Hawaii_Jake, I use breathing I learned in yoga, and a good walk with some peaceful music. My meditation includes quiet exercise.

Lock myself somewhere quiet, the car, the bathroom, the bedroom.

In the moment I have started using breathing exercises. I count my breaths to help quell my nervousness.

Generally, I am trying to factor in more ‘me’ time. I go away for weekends with my husband. I go out to take photos. I sit in my garden and read. I am trying to make myself switch off my work. Another thing I like to do is to go and find some water to watch. Dinner by the ocean is a favourite for me. I imagine you can find some pretty beautiful ocean to spend time near.

When I return to work this year I plan to make email one of the last duties of the day rather than the first. I think that will help reduce my stress and increase my efficiency. Email is a stress hole!

Oh and eat healthy and get some exercise.

I don’t get stressed, but i’ve heard squeezing balls can help…no, not those kind!

Exercises like walking or swimming and playing an instrument.

Good to see all these musicians here. I’m also a musician and playing with my friends is a big stress reducer. The other thing that helps is dancing. It’s like being a kid again. Really brings back my humanity.

Emotional Freedom Technique has been very helpful to me see this demo I used EFT to successfully relieve stress and heart palpitations.

Also physical exercise and my two cats

If I recall correctly (it’s been a while), making love always reduced stress quite a bit.

Sleeping, eating something sweet, my dogs, prioritizing.

I take drugs and ride a bike, usually at seperate times.

Sleep. Gives me a break from fretting. I usually can make decisions or cope better afterwards.

I don’t have a lot of techniques for “reducing” stress. I inherit it sometimes because of various work and family issues, and then I just put my head down and deal with the issue at hand, even though it can be stressful from time to time.

But my best technique is “avoidance”. Not that I avoid work and family; I’m fully involved and busy with each. I manage to avoid by “not accepting” responsibility for all the world’s problems (or all of the business or family problems, either) and, maybe counter-intuitively, I do “accept” all of the things that I can’t change, fix or be responsible for. I accept “consequences”.

A fully charged iPod, an audiobook or some tunes and a good pair of headphones effectively isolates one from stress inducing people or situations.

In addition to meditation, belly breathing and exercise, I find that stroking my cat while he is sitting on some part of me is very soothing.

Spending time with my loved ones, yoga, tango, weed.

I either study the Kennedy Assassination, or dance to this

Exercise. The classic and proven eustress. The antidote to distress. Underused, underestimated, and always effective.

Naps, hot showers, walking, not thinking about my job, lovin’ on my cat, watching old movies, reading, and sometimes, though I stress myself after I’ve done it, snack-binging.

Taking a slow walk while trying to be alert and pay attention to the world, yoga, take a day off and forget about your chores(I know it’s not a solution that’ll last forever, but from time to time), watching some comedy, eating chocolate, hit your pillow.

To me, it’s actually quite easy. I just lock myself up in my room and put to music on very loudly .For some reason this actually works.
Also, I go for a run, workout or go to training to relieve stress! By far the best solution for me!

Halsa mat. It’s like, a spiky mat. Halsa isn’t the only maker of these mats, but they made the one I bought, so…yeah. It’s wonderful. I also have a Bed of Nails neck pillow. I’ve drifted away to sleep on both of these. The stress just…melts away, at least for me.

I have social anxiety, and am on public transportation everyday. So, I use some good noise cancelling headphones with my favorite music and voila.

For general stress, I like to smoke (cannabis) and take my dogs for a long walk in the sunshine.

Being mindful i.e. being in the here and now.

Being mindful i.e. being in the here and now during sex. Great stressbuster.

Yoga works perfect for me.

I reward my accomplishments at times with a coffee or a walk in the park. I take pictures and find a hobby is a good stress buster. Sometimes self pampering works like a charm.

Focusing on whatever is right or good in my life at that moment, and trying to not eat or drink in extremes. Light food and thoughts equals happier me. I hope that helps a bit!