How do you relax and de-stress?

jenniewb

I do lots of things when I am stressed which at the time I think will help, often they don't! I don't regret doing them as they make things slightly better but they don't really help as much as when I am actually doing them (ie once I stop they stop working).

I find exercising helps, but after exercise I'm not feeling amazing, or that much better its when (and if) I get into a sort of 'zone' and then it really works! Once I ran for over 90 mins in a gym on a treadmill when I hit a zone- not been able to do that ever since and doubt I will again but felt great when I ran, sadly back to square 1 when I stopped.

I used to find eating (binging) helped when I ate because my mind was elsewhere, but I had bulimia at the time and was very unwell, same went with dieting which turned into something else....again, worked when I fixated to the point where life around me didn't seem to figure (it did but I forgot to care about it which caused its own time bomb of problems) but its what I felt would help at the time.

Watching TV soaps strangely can help, its another world, its not my world and it can so often feel so much easiler and light hearted then how things feel for me (I say this with the inclusion of Eastenders!)
Reading a book is similar, the good thing with a book is you have the option to be engrossed for more then 27 mins per day.
Shopping or getting a (free) beauty treatment or similar can help- if you have the cash (or boots advantage points) can create its own set of issues if you are broke to begin with or your worries are about finances.
Only problem with these is that once you stop the reading, watching, shopping or etc your back to how things were before- or I am anyhow.

So, things which do help?
Talking has got to be number 1. I find certain people help (much) more then others, people who listen, who I feel give a damn, who remember what I tell them and who don't try to fix things or that start to turn it onto themselves (not the conversation as much as "Its all my fault and I feel guilty" when all I need to do is talk!).

Writing down can sometimes help a bit. Mainly for me because I can then take what I have written to discuss with the appropiate people, be it family or even my therapist if its about me and my outlook on things or bout of depression/anxiety.

Sometimes going on a cleaning spree can help- having a result at the end of the day where you see or just know all the mess or dust from a certain room has gone, you can feel a little free-er and rest that bit easier. It can work well if your feeling stressed about little things at work or an agruement with family or friends, not perfect for more depression/anxiety type stress.

belfastgirl23

Exercise is a great helper. I do a bums n tums class on a Wednesday night and I sleep like a log afterwards (it's harder than it sounds, lots of lunges and squats). I think walking is very good too, you really can walk off your worries.

TV can help but it's not as good as exercise!

**Juice**

I have a bath or a sleep though I find reading and painting my nails quite relaxing too :-) I do sometimes find that if I'm feeling grumpy or tired forcing myself to go to the gym works wonders, plus I sleep better.