Emotional stress, when it's at it's worst; what's one thing that calms you down?

Prayer

sleep

Removing myself from anything stimulating. I need to go into my room, shut the door, close the curtains, turn off my phone, and get under the blankets. No sound, no smells. Just quiet.

Hanging out with a close friend who is aware of what is going on and is willing to distract me! We usually have a venting session and then do something fun, like see a movie, indulge in food that we would typically avoid, or engage in other ridiculous antics. I have come to find that taking a breather and dispelling negative energy in this way when I can is the most effective, at least for me.

Xanax. Seriously.

Jumping on a train and going to visit someone or someplace. I just like traveling and being away from home for a while.

Music. Particular songs calm me right down.
Ben and Jerry’s.
Sex.
Ranting.

One? You must not know me very well.

Some of my favorites:
1. Food
2. Writing code
3. Going to the park with a friend and swinging, usually while singing

@lefteh Assuming you mean swinging on a swing, and not swinging.

It means whatever you want it to mean.. ;)

Uh oh.

Leftah, I have missed you… and your swinging.

Beautiful music, instrumental mostly.
A walk in nature, lots of water to regulate my hormones (I believe this works)
Or I will go for a walk on the beach and lie in the sun for a half hour..:)

Laughter.

chocolate & books can save me in the moment but then I get the added stress & guilt later from the extra calories & my retreat from all my duties…blah! one thing that does not release stress for me is SEX b/c I can’t relax enough when I’m overwhelmed & it makes my husband nuts b/c “business time” is his ultimate release from stress! Combining chocolate, books, & husband all at once doesn’t seem quite right somehow…

Going running.
Death Cab For Cutie.
A glass of wine and a good, long nap.

Taking a few hits off the pipe.

Words of wisdom from my SO. It’s cheesy but usually when I speak to him, even when things aren’t great with my state of mind, everything is ok. He takes everything in his stride, remains calm and can make me laugh which is very important when I’m not well. He’s such a pro when it comes to dealing with my “mood swings” now!

@Leanne1986 Lucky you!
:-)

Ativan

Sleep. Definitely sleep.

& shower

Xanax, a hot bath, and sleep. Sleep would do it on its own, but if I am under enough stress I can’t sleep and it just spirals downward from there.

Yoga or archery. Sorry, that’s two, but I like to have options. ;-)

Beer.

Wine

Anger,then temper tantrum.

Hot tub or shower

I wish I had a hot tub…

@aviona: How could I forget wine….

If I could only choose one thing I would say it is my husband. Just his presence calms me down :)

Running. Meditation.

making loud noises

Talking to my husband. Unless he’s the cause of it. Then it’s either loud, cathartic classical music (something that booms a lot) or a walk so brisk it hurts.

@Jeruba “unless he’s the cause of it” hahahaha

Golf.
But it has to be just me and my clubs, no one else.

Camping. No better stress reliever, as long as you have everything you need that is. Just go when you’re off work, and camp out either alone or with a close friend, and just have a good time. If you go alone, try not to think about whatever it is that is stressing you out, do some biking, hiking, and anything strenuous to get your mind on completing your task rather than the stressful thoughts. When you’re not doing those things though, pull all of your thoughts together and think about the problem, and not just your point of view, but everything around the problem. Just try to enjoy yourself, and have a good time away from everything and the everyday.

For me it’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It’s like wrestling but with chokes / joint manipulations. You’re basically involved in a human chess match transitioning from positions looking for sweeps, subs, and reversals.

I’d even go under the influence. Nothing more natural to me then brazilian jiu-jitsu.