ScottR
Surfing....
Not in my book. R2R is a super chill place us cool people come to.
Extra stressful times
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DaneGer21
Valuable Member
It does not. A place to gain knowledge and ask for help by people who all care.
R.Weller
Active Member
I started running. I had no idea how much it would help. No gym memberships or any clubs. Just a good pair of shoes (now using Brooks Ghost 12). It's hot now & it's hard to get out & I can feel stress creeping back in. But the heat should break soon so I can get out more frequently.
Scottmac
Active Member
Well this year everyone is experiencing stress because of the madness happening, and the last quarter of the year, (unless there is an astonishing miracle in the financial markets), looks like its going to be the most stressful of all.
It depends on each person, but generally here are 4 do's and dont's that work for me
DO
1. Build a fire, its one of the best de-stressing techniques from time immemorial. Stare into the flames, and you'll feel the stress drain away. If you don't have a firepit, try and get one, but a circle of stones and a wood fire from chopped branches will do the job.
2. Gardening - It works every single time for me. It's monotonously rhythmical, gets you back to nature, gives you physical exercise (a de-stress in itself), fresh air and a sense of satisfaction. Go for fruit bushes trees/bushes as they are the easiest payback. If you don't have a garden, potted plants on a balcony/window shelf.
It's Blackberry season so go out and get some berries to make a crumble/pie. You won't feel stressed if your fingers are stained purple with berry juice of brown with mud.
3. Go for a woodland/beach walk. Preferably with a dog (dogs in themselves are anti-depression, great companions and are always there to lift your spirits.) Get a dog if you can, but nature walks are good de-stressers with or without a dog.
4. Read a good book. Preferably get into a hot bath/hot tub. I know not everyone is an avid reader, but this always works for me when I am feeling stressed.
DON'T
1. Drink heavily. Alcohol is a depressant, may make you think you are feeling better at the time but in the long run makes you worse. It also counteracts any medication you may be on making them not work at all or less effectively. If you really want a drink, then stick Fridays and Saturdays and never before 8 and you'll be fine.
2. Psy medication. This might be a tough one for Americans as I have relatives state side so I am familiar with your culture of very often turning to meds for a quick short term fix, but try your best to avoid. Psy meds are a shot in the dark, as what works for one will not have an affect on the other. There are usually bad side affects esp long term use, can be addictive and damaging. Big pharma makes a gigantic amount of money out of prescribing meds, if your advised to take them just be aware they may have financial motives in mind rather than your health. Besides, If you try the 4 Do's above, IMO you won't feel the need to turn to meds anyway.
3. Binge watch tv. This may not seem like a bad, but i've seen this ruin relationships as you end up giving all your time and attention to the screen rather than family and friends. And at the day IMO its a waste of time and does not give you any sense of satisfaction. At best all it does is numb you as your sitting on the couch gaining weight, and IMO most of it is total rubbish anyway (esp Netflix, what a sewer!)
4. Don't watch the news. News reporters are in the business of finding the most horrific, depressing, anger-inducing stories and filling your head with woe to demoralise you. And if they can't find a story, they just make it up completely, or lie and twist a true story. Besides, does what is happening on the other side of the continent really matter to you and family? Stick to local news as that actually impacts you and your kin. And in the rare instance something in the wider world does directly impact you, go straight to the live source instead of listening to a bias news reader with their own agenda to twist things.
Hope that helps
Scott
It depends on each person, but generally here are 4 do's and dont's that work for me
DO
1. Build a fire, its one of the best de-stressing techniques from time immemorial. Stare into the flames, and you'll feel the stress drain away. If you don't have a firepit, try and get one, but a circle of stones and a wood fire from chopped branches will do the job.
2. Gardening - It works every single time for me. It's monotonously rhythmical, gets you back to nature, gives you physical exercise (a de-stress in itself), fresh air and a sense of satisfaction. Go for fruit bushes trees/bushes as they are the easiest payback. If you don't have a garden, potted plants on a balcony/window shelf.
It's Blackberry season so go out and get some berries to make a crumble/pie. You won't feel stressed if your fingers are stained purple with berry juice of brown with mud.
3. Go for a woodland/beach walk. Preferably with a dog (dogs in themselves are anti-depression, great companions and are always there to lift your spirits.) Get a dog if you can, but nature walks are good de-stressers with or without a dog.
4. Read a good book. Preferably get into a hot bath/hot tub. I know not everyone is an avid reader, but this always works for me when I am feeling stressed.
DON'T
1. Drink heavily. Alcohol is a depressant, may make you think you are feeling better at the time but in the long run makes you worse. It also counteracts any medication you may be on making them not work at all or less effectively. If you really want a drink, then stick Fridays and Saturdays and never before 8 and you'll be fine.
2. Psy medication. This might be a tough one for Americans as I have relatives state side so I am familiar with your culture of very often turning to meds for a quick short term fix, but try your best to avoid. Psy meds are a shot in the dark, as what works for one will not have an affect on the other. There are usually bad side affects esp long term use, can be addictive and damaging. Big pharma makes a gigantic amount of money out of prescribing meds, if your advised to take them just be aware they may have financial motives in mind rather than your health. Besides, If you try the 4 Do's above, IMO you won't feel the need to turn to meds anyway.
3. Binge watch tv. This may not seem like a bad, but i've seen this ruin relationships as you end up giving all your time and attention to the screen rather than family and friends. And at the day IMO its a waste of time and does not give you any sense of satisfaction. At best all it does is numb you as your sitting on the couch gaining weight, and IMO most of it is total rubbish anyway (esp Netflix, what a sewer!)
4. Don't watch the news. News reporters are in the business of finding the most horrific, depressing, anger-inducing stories and filling your head with woe to demoralise you. And if they can't find a story, they just make it up completely, or lie and twist a true story. Besides, does what is happening on the other side of the continent really matter to you and family? Stick to local news as that actually impacts you and your kin. And in the rare instance something in the wider world does directly impact you, go straight to the live source instead of listening to a bias news reader with their own agenda to twist things.
Hope that helps
Scott
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Reefs and Geeks
Well-Known Member
For me i really enjoy going for a calm walk/hike in the woods or somewhere where I can find some solitude. Give myself a good hour or two to just walk around aimlessly and be by myself. usually works for me. My favorite places are anywhere where i can hike by a river. An alternative is to build a campfire. Something about the smell of burning wood helps calm me.
Scottmac
Active Member
Depression/stress/unhappiness is very complicated and based on the individual. So maybe we can give your more accurate advice if you would feel comfortable scoring the following (1-10) without giving specifics:
1. work
2. home
3. financial
3. personal relationships
4. mental health
5. physical health
1. work
2. home
3. financial
3. personal relationships
4. mental health
5. physical health
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OP
OP
ahiggins
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Thank you everyone for your ideas! I finally found a spark of excitement today and I set out to diy a plant ledge for the window in my sewing room (my happy place lol)
Just put the first coat of paint on! I have one massive spider plant that will hang but I’ve ordered 6 baby plants to grow big and happy!
The ledge is 8”x50” and spans the entire length of the window :)
Just put the first coat of paint on! I have one massive spider plant that will hang but I’ve ordered 6 baby plants to grow big and happy!
The ledge is 8”x50” and spans the entire length of the window :)
Scottmac
Active Member
Ha you caught me out. :) Thanks for sharing.
In that case I'd certainly suggest gardening and walks (do you have a dog?), both will help with your mental and physical health to reduce stress.
As for friendships, the same happened to me and my wife. It didn't really bother me as I am quite introverted, but it upset my wife as she is more social. Friends gradually drifted away or started their own families so had less time to share, and if I am honest, we did the same when we started having kids as priorities change. It's unfortunate but a pattern of life.
It's also a harder one to solve during these times as options are limited. Are you able to join any meet up groups? Which State do you live in and how strict are the lockdown rules?
What do you mean by problem child?
Scott
p.s. on your window ledge in your sewing room, add a potted lavender plant. Nice purple/blue flowers and the scent is a relaxant.
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Jilly92
Valuable Member
I research self improvement. Why am I feeling this way. Is it what I eat? Whats in my water? The medicine I take or supplements? And I feel better each day. The aquarist hobby has really taught me alot about my body. And since I've been supplementing with vitamins and getting blood work tests to see what I'm deficient in has really improved everything for me. I even started dechlorinating my water for baths and my hair and skin have improved drastically.
ZipAdeeZoa
Valuable Member
Freediving for me. You just can't take your worries below the surface. I also struggle to meditate (not visually but a decent amount of ADHD) however holding your breath down there essentially forces you into a state of mindfulness and all you can think about is the present. Not to mention you get to see the beauty of the life in whatever ocean, lake or river you are swimming in. I'm starting to get a little bit down recently and I know its because I haven't been able to get into the water recently but I'm hoping to change that!
Seeing a psychologist can also prove very helpful in these situations but if thats not an option then talking to anyone about what your going through is always surprisingly helpful.
Seeing a psychologist can also prove very helpful in these situations but if thats not an option then talking to anyone about what your going through is always surprisingly helpful.
Paul B
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I do what I am going to do right now. Take a walk on a beach early in the morning when no one is there and watch the sunrise.
If I were not near a beach I would go someplace else and watch the sunrise.
If I were not near a beach I would go someplace else and watch the sunrise.
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ahiggins
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I’ll try to get one of those. I like the “growing” aspect of things. Corals, plants, etc. I get them tiny and I give them the perfect environment to thrive and make me babies lol this is the current monster putting off babies.
I appreciates everyone’s 2 cents on this. Too many times we get caught up in the crazy-I think what really got to me is all the election bs and fighting/rioting/scary stuff going on.
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ahiggins
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Gorgeous video. I was scheduled for 2 weeks in rodanthe nc in May....and then they closed it down. Got a refund but my 2 weeks of pure bliss was gone :( it’s my favorite place in the continental US for sure
To just reduce stress I like to go walk... there’s trails near my subdivision with a creek running through one... I walk the whole thing barefoot. I know it might sound hippy-ish but it really slows me down and being able to feel the mud, grass, leaves, and sand on my feet is the most human thing ever. The whole time I just observe, there’s so much to take in I forget about my troubles.
If you’re angry I recommend taking a baseball bat to a nice strong tree. It doesn’t hurt the tree but it’s a nice way of exhibiting anger. Also shooting targets, I take my recurve and shoot targets and that seems to help too.
tvan
Active Member
Life comes every day, good or bad... You are a part of it until you're not....... Use everyday you can, the best way you can. If you don't like where your headed change course... Or buy a coral :)
Just my 1 cents.
Just my 1 cents.
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