How do you react to stress?

[reyd reid reed]

Poll question: How do you react to stress?

I think people have different reactions and coping mechanisms...what are yours?

[bigwillq]

1. I try and deal with it in a practical manner

but a few beers never hurts either! :) :hi: :beer:

[reyd reid reed]

12. That's how I generally Try...

The operative word being, "try"

The beer's starting to sound pretty good, though.

:hi:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. My dear reyd reid reed............

It does depend on what sort of stress it is...

If I know something stressful is coming at me, then I try to be ready...

I try very hard to have my ducks in a row, if you will.......

If it is a surprise, then .....well, it depends.......

If the stress is shocking enough, then I can lose it.....with dire consequences......

Ordinary stress is something I can ordinarily handle......normally.......

I try to stay calm....it's no good if I lose my head.

I hate being stressed......

Being happy is what I want......and I want everyone around me to be happy too......

Interesting question! I see that tonight's your night for the philosophical questions.......:hug:

[reyd reid reed]

13. I'm usually fine until things pile on and on and on and on...

Then I start to go into 'shutdown' mode.

I mean...there's only so much...

Funny how people react differently...but at the same time, very much the same.

[qnr]

3. Practical (albeit, very 'growly') n/t

[reyd reid reed]

16. I like that. Very simple, straightforward...

Bet you keep things in order most of the time...

:hi:

[Guava Jelly]

4. I deal with stress mainly because I have no choice but to deal w/ it

Life can be hard and cruel at times.
All we can do is change what we can and try to keep our sanity.
I've tried many things and found that you can't drink or smoke or cry your sorrows away.
You have to just deal with what you have and change what you can.
:)

[reyd reid reed]

17. Very wise, practical and realistic view...

:hi:

[bicentennial_baby]

5. Other...it depends

Generally, if it is a sudden stress, I will go into 'crisis mode' and take care of everything. If it's a gradual stress that becomes unbearable, I generally withdraw and listen to a lot of music, smoke butts, etc... :shrug:

[reyd reid reed]

19. I'm kind of that way, too.

In an emergency, when something unexpected come up, I take care of it. I don't even think about it until later and that's when I stress.

If it's something that comes at me slowly...or things that build up over time...I go into ostrich mode. Unless and until something hits the critical stage and then I get it taken care of.

Then I get stupid.

Or maybe I get stupid first and that's why I go into ostrich mode...

[Lavender Brown]

6. with panic

although I'm trying to combat this. :shrug:

[reyd reid reed]

20. Panic is scary, isn't it?

I hate it...I do it often enough, but I hate the way I feel.

It makes me feel out of control and powerless...the panic takes hold and it's like I'm frozen.

What are you doing to fight it?

[Lavender Brown]

51. Generally, by taking deep breaths

I'm also going to exercise more to get out the energy that goes into panicking.

[jobycom]

7. Depends on whether I can do anything about its source, or not.

If it's stress like a deadline or a sudden emergency, I'm very good with it. I keep a level head, react smoothly.

If it's the type of stress I can't do anything about, I don't handle it as well. I write a lot. If it's bad enough, I stop eating altogether. I try to work it off by running or biking.

And I post on DU so all of my loving friends can share wisdom and well wishes! :hug:

[reyd reid reed]

21. That last sounds like the best remedy of all...

I'm okay with deadlines...that's just pressure and I can usually deal with pressure. Sometimes I thrive on it.

It's the day-to-day stuff that piles up and seems like it's out of my hands...I try and write but that usually makes me feel worse.

Yup...I do like that last one.

:hug:

[Dangerously Amused]

8. I used to live in denial and pretend everything was fine.

That didn't work out so good.


Now I'm just a bitch. And much happier.



:hi:

[reyd reid reed]

11. Heh...

I think that's gonna be my new mechanism.

From this day forward, my motto shall be: "Fuck you."

Hey...I like it. It has a certain lilt to it and just kinda rrrrrrollls off the tongue, don'tcha think?

:hi:

[Dangerously Amused]

47. Do it. My motto now is "Who cares what YOU think?!?"

It makes life a heck of a lot easier.


:thumbsup:


:hi:

[reyd reid reed]

48. I'll bet it does.

I like it!!!

[Chan790]

9. Other

meditation.

[reyd reid reed]

23. Do you use tapes or something like that

Or do you have your own way of meditating that's uniquely yours?

[Chan790]

31. I have my own ways.

I've been doing it for so long that it's basically cross my legs, close my eyes, open my mind and melt into omnipresent non-existence at this point. Sometimes I recite from my Tao Te Ching if I'm feeling particularly anchored to reality when I don't want to be. My favorite for that is #16.

If you can empty your mind of all thoughts
your heart will embrace the tranquility of peace.
Watch the workings of all of creation,
but contemplate their return to the source.

All creatures in the universe
return to the point where they began.
Returning to the source is tranquility
because we submit to Heavens mandate.

Returning to Heavens mandate is called being constant.
Knowing the constant is called 'enlightenment'.
Not knowing the constant is the source of evil deeds
because we have no roots.
By knowing the constant we can accept things as they are.
By accepting things as they are, we become impartial.
By being impartial, we become one with Heaven.
By being one with Heaven, we become one with Tao.
Being one with Tao, we are no longer concerned about
loosing our life because we know the Tao is constant
and we are one with Tao.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

10. I am Cleopatra, Queen of Denial.

The worse it gets, the more I ignore it. Stress? What stress...?

[reyd reid reed]

24. LOL!

I like it.

I know it.

I've lived it.

[PassingFair]

14. Other:

Cheetos and Diet Coke.

[ScreamingMeemie]

15. Cheetos??? Cheetos???

What happened to Nuts??? :hi:

[reyd reid reed]

30. Ooooooh...

I haven't done that in Years...

[PassingFair]

34. The Cheetos are eaten in in secret, the cashews are just cover...

the careful observer will detect orange residue
on household surfaces and under the fingernails.....

[reyd reid reed]

26. Sounds like my kind of thing...

Add some chocolate and I'm there.

[Oeditpus Rex]

18. Drugs

:bounce:

[reyd reid reed]

27. Share?

[Oeditpus Rex]

35. C'mon

[reyd reid reed]

37. Awwww

[Oeditpus Rex]

39. No, I mean

c'mon over 'n' get some. :hi:

I was trying to follow your one-word hed lead. :blush:

[reyd reid reed]

41. In that case, darlin'...

I'll be right there.

[femmocrat]

22. It depends on the source of the stress....

I wish I had a healthy outlet for managing stress better... If it's minor, I exercise, go for walks, play with the dogs, clean like crazy, go shopping, read... and while away the hours on the computer.
Which is pretty much all I have been doing lately.

[reyd reid reed]

28. Sounds like you put yours to work...

Turn it into something positive and productive.

I'm impressed. I wanna be like you when I grow up.

[Iniquitous Bunny]

25. Briefly panic and freak out- then take care of business.

:)

[reyd reid reed]

29. Sounds to me like a perfectly normal response...

Of course...that would be my definition of normal and sometimes that's a bit questionable...

[Nevernose]

32. Clean the house, then eat mashed potatoes and fried chicken

Fried chicken and mashed portatoes make everything better. Especially when the dishes have been washed. Twice, just in case.

[reyd reid reed]

36. Oooooh...you can come to my house and stress...

If I do anything at all productive when I'm stressed, it would be cook. And I can cook up some fried chicken and smashed 'taters and pan gravy and biscuits...

And you can eat and do the dishes.

Twice, just in case.

:hi:

[Nevernose]

40. Mmmm, gravy...

Although, as a redneck from the South (originally), I have to take umrbage with your cavalier assumption that mere biscuits could possibly be a substitute for corn bread -- the real kind, with actual corn and genuine butter, and perhaps some green beans with salsa served as a side. Maybe some black-eyed peas if I have the time, cooked with bacon...

[reyd reid reed]

42. Salsa?

With green beans? Bacon. Black-eyed peas? Bacon. Bacon? Bacon.

And cornbread's good...but I like that better if I'm making okra. With fried chicken, it's gotta be biscuits.

And don't forget the sweet tea.

[Nevernose]

43. Okra? Marry me?

I'll sign a pre-nup, if you want. You can cook, and I'll clean. Deal? D:

[reyd reid reed]

45. As long as you'll do the dishes...

You're on.

[Mutley]

33. A little of A, B, and C.

:crazy:

[reyd reid reed]

38. Hey...nothing like variety, huh?

And hey...at least that way, you've got all your bases covered, right?

:thumbsup:

[Mutley]

54. Way to find the silver lining.

:thumbsup:

Actually, you should see it. It's probably quite entertaining for everyone but me.

[reyd reid reed]

58. Awwwwww....

If you hurt, we hurt, hon.

:hug:

[hiro]

44. Let me put it this way

If stress/difficulty in life was an enemy in a fight, I'd be held back by it for a while, and then I would recover myself, look for an opening, and then tear it to pieces.

-H.

[reyd reid reed]

46. Good...

Never let 'em getcha down...and if they do for a little while, come out swinging and never let 'em win!

[Shine]

49. Other: It depends on the situation.

If it's related to my kids, stress usually involves me raising my voice and being impatient, which doesn't always help, obviously.

If it's in a situation outside of the home, I'm much more centered and balanced, and handle things methodically, but not always.

Other variables are: time of the month, how hungry I am, if I've gotten any exercise, if I've had (or NOT had) any sex lately....you get the picture! :D

[reyd reid reed]

50. Lots of variables...

I wish it was more cut-and-dried. 'A' triggers 'B', resulting in 'C' and they all lived happily ever after.

[pitohui]

52. the only way out is forward

you just try to see something useful you will do that will help and take it a bit at a time, maybe it helps to be aware that there is always stress -- ok, not always stress like a stupid tree smashing your house to bits, but be honest w. yourself, when i wasn't stressed abt that i just found something else to stress abt

if you drink or panic every time you are stressed, you will have no time to do anything else

which is not to say that there is never any room in the schedule for a drink or an anxiety attack, but most of the time most of the people seem to react to stress by marching doggedly onward

what choice is there really?

[reyd reid reed]

59. The only other choice is to let it beat you...

And I don't know about anyone else but I'll be damned...

[skygazer]

53. I make lists

I don't do stress well and it's impossible for me to cope with it like "normal" people do (I'm longtime bipolar).

I've learned that I can deal with it if I use my own coping methods, depending on the source of stress.

With work stress or overwhelming tasks to do, I find making lists helps to clarify what my immediate goals need to be and how to best organize things. Organization is key in my life - it does a lot to reduce stress. I run very much on a schedule.

Emotional stress is more difficult but I've learned to step away from it and try to analyze it - is it something that's worth stressing over? Is it indeed an issue or am I inflating it? Do I have a legitimate concern? Often when I've done that, I discover that it's less of an issue than it originally seemed. Other times, it is an issue but I've organized my thoughts in such a way that I can easier deal with it. Sometimes it's difficult for my loved ones that I pull away at times but they know my limitations and understand for the most part.

I've been working on this all my long life and it will never be perfect but I haven't had a severe depressive or manic episode, or a panic attack in over 7 years (I don't take meds anymore either). So I must be doing something right.

[reyd reid reed]

60. Sounds like you've got a good understanding of what's going on

And what you need to do to handle it. No easy task...

:applause::applause::applause:

[YellowRubberDuckie]

55. Work for a busy newspaper for a year...

You'll find that nothing is more stressful. Everything else is gravy.
Duckie

[reyd reid reed]

61. Yup...

I've been here for four years now. Not busy-busy but busy enough. Deadline stress isn't the same thing, though. I enjoy that...love it. It's the other shit that piles up and threatens to overwhelm me from time to time and then, every once in a while, the major obstacle that jumps in the road.

[ikojo]

56. In extremely stressful situations, I just want to

go to sleep for a long period of time.

[reyd reid reed]

62. I know the feeling...

:hug:

[LeftyMom]

57. My appetite changes

and I either eat a great deal or almost nothing.

[reyd reid reed]

63. And when you eat a lot, is it all junk?

That's what I seem to do.

My ass doesn't like it.

[LeftyMom]

64. Either that or starchy comfort food kinda stuff

I can't really complain too much though, as vegan junk food is still a pretty big step up over the sort of stuff most people eat when upset.