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Barbe-Stressbusters!

13:32 / 24.02.04

It seems there are many Barbeloids who are currently suffering from stress and stress related issues, such as anxiety, depression and insomnia. Perhaps we can pool together an entire thread on tried and true, Barbe-tested methods of getting out of a slump, at least temporarily out of one.

Some of my effective stress relief is done by self-massage and stretching. The self massage is actually more effectual than it may sound, although having another person massage me works reeeally well also. If I am obsessing too much over something, I like to clean. Especially if what I am cleaning is particularly dirty. I visualise while I clean the dirt off that I am wiping away my obsession. (One may be inclined to believe my home to be immaculate!)

Something that I think would relieve a lot of stress for me, but I haven't quite got the hang of is good time managment. Maybe someone has tips on that. *nudge, nudge*

Oh yes, Barbe-huggles, always an excellent stressbuster!

Just a small note here: This thread in no way replaces professional help. If you are in need of professional help, please do seek it out. The advice and tips in this thread are for temporary relief only.

gotham island fae

13:43 / 24.02.04

As difficult as it can be to get my lazy keister moving, I always feel better when the dishes are done. Looking at a counter uncluttered by pots, bowls and glasses helps me breathe easier.

And for the resentful little passive-aggresive in me, explaining my stress to an understanding friend who is willing to allow me to raise my voice at hir though we both realize that I'm not angry with hir at all works wonders. It gets it off my chest and releases something that my nature tends to bind up inside me. Course, this method really only works for anger and frustration stress. Other types need a little more tender care.

14:29 / 24.02.04

Friend of mine has Borderline Personality Disorder and she sent me these links when I told her I was having problems with anxiety-

Identify your "Twisted Thinking": http://www.bpdrecovery.com/10forms/ten_forms.html

Working through your "Twisted Thinking":
http://www.bpdrecovery.com/10forms/ten_ways.html

I was also told by a counsellor that a good way to calm down from a high anxiety situation is to breathe in through your nose for 7 seconds and out through you mouth for 11. The thinking behind this is to mimic the sigh of relief most people give after a stressful situation has passed. A variation on this is a tantric breathing exercise where you breathe rapidly through your mouth for twenty breaths, hyperventilating essentially, and then breathe in deep breaths through your nose to relax. BEWARE- it will make you light-headed, so make sure you're sitting somewhere comfortable.

These sometimes work for me.

15:28 / 24.02.04

I'll be honest : I put some heavy music on full blast and let my anger out on the astral plane, get a shitload of karma for it by the powers that schmee, and then chill out. Actually i have my own room on the lower planes, it's like a band rehearsal room and i scream along to the songs in my head. Geez it works miracles sometimes.

Or just meditate.

15:51 / 24.02.04

Get prescribed some drugs.
Run away.
Hide.

Not necessarily in that order.

16:46 / 24.02.04

I don't think i was supposed to post that.

I had an agreement that i wouldn't ever talk about that........or at least i think i did.

Ah what the hell, we'll all know everything once we can read each others minds anyway. Then the shit will really start flying..........unless some type of universal knowledge and understanding emerges with it.

*smack* Jack, stop typing!

17:12 / 24.02.04

Kick the shit out of something or someone that REALLY NEEDS KICKING.

Cheap. Easy. Cruel.

17:20 / 24.02.04

1. Snap

2. Emit loud battle cries

3. Fire random bursts from a large-caliber fully-automatic firearm

4. Repeat until stress is gone

5. Wipe hands on pants

If the previous does not work; or is not feasible due to the absence of an automatic weapon, concerns about jail time, or the lack of a good battle cry (I recommend "Spoon!"); consider masturbation. It has always been a pretty good stress reliever for me.

17:25 / 24.02.04

I had a good laugh after misreading the thread title as "Barbra Streissbusters!"

That relieved some tension. Thanks!

18:09 / 24.02.04

well, I was going to recommend singing, but Barbra Streissbusters is a hard act to follow.

18:29 / 24.02.04

A run, a bike ride, something to get your heartbeat up and kicking. I know how hard/impossible that seems when you're feeling down, but if you can get yourself out the door it will work.

20:24 / 24.02.04

Along the same lines as I was going to go for, except for gym or swimming. If you keep going until exhausted, or are trying to do something you really want to do there, it blocks out everything your stressing about.
As for insomnia, last time I did both in one day, I slept for 14 hours solid.

20:28 / 24.02.04

Totally G-Bop! A good fist fight would do the trick too! I am sure those in the martial arts would agree with this.

01:49 / 25.02.04

I am never able to cry and eat ice cream at the same time. This is the only technique that has never once failed me. Not so useful if fat intake is a cause of your depression.

The Return Of Rothkoid

02:10 / 25.02.04

The operettas of Gilbert and Sullivan. I recommend Patience, The Gondoliers or The Pirates of Penzance. They work every time.

03:11 / 25.02.04

histrionic whack job: All of your concerns melt away in GTA.

"Not in the face!"

08:39 / 25.02.04

When you can see the sun, make sure you spend at least five minutes a day doing nothing but facing it with your eyes closed for five minutes a day. Even better if you're indoors and the window is open so it's nice and warm (stops you getting rickets, too...)

09:13 / 25.02.04

There are a couple of novelists who are tried and tested depression/anxiety medication for me. Both children's/YA writers: Diana Wynne Jones and Jenny Pausacker (particularly her book Sundogs, which is just a work of genius). Not because they're escapist but because they create fictional worlds in which emotions are very matter-of-factly significant, like any other factor to be taken into account. Watching people deal with ordinary but terrible things is really helpful for me.

When I'm not feeling strong enough to be inspired, I read so much Ruth Rendell or Agatha Christie that my brain goes into a coma.