I personally enjoy taking long walks. It doesn’t matter if it’s in the woods, on a bike trail, or just through town. There’s something nice about just meandering and being alone with your thoughts while still being immersed in the outside world.

  • bbbhltz@beehaw.org
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    1 year ago

    There was a period in my life that lasted about 4 or 5 years when I refused to admit that I needed to decompress. I had multiple employers, spent 6 days a week leaving before the sun came up and coming home after dark. I was drinking upwards of 10 coffees per day plus loads of soft drinks. When I did get in I would watch series or movies late into the night. I gained weight and developed anxiety. I also began having migraines multiple times a week. Then I developed pericarditis. I lived like that for a long time. Just popping Xanax to get through the day.

    Finally, I managed to see a neurologist who confirmed my migraines (unilateral acephalgic etc. etc.) and gave me a doctor’s note and strict instructions. The TL;DR of those instructions was: REST.

    So, I gave in and admitted defeat. That was the first step.

    Very quickly my stress levels dropped. It took a few months for the pericarditis to stop.

    I stopped all caffeine and other stimulants. Stopped the Xanax. Energy levels exploded.

    Step 2 was doing something with that energy. Something I hate with a deep passion: EXERCISE.

    After almost 5 years of thinking my life would just be like that it only took 6 weeks for things to get back on track. I deflated and dropped from 108kg to 82kg.

    You didn’t need to story, but everyone else here is right. Rest and moving your body helped. Mentally, I was even more creative. I was friendlier. I was even recommended to apply for a promotion.

    If you need to decompress, I think sleep is the best. If the sandman ain’t visiting, then combine with movement and fresh air.

  • Pigeon@beehaw.org
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    1 year ago

    Put on some music and sing your motherfucking heart out. 👍

    This is always a good idea, but it’s an especially a good idea if you have a lot of energy that you can’t just will away or let go of. Sometimes when you can’t calm down or slow down, you can redirect and reframe that energy instead, until you’ve vented it out.

    • andrew@lemmy.stuart.fun
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      1 year ago

      Can I opt for a higher paycheck and a stress-free working environment? I think I’d like that slightly better.

    • piece@feddit.it
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      1 year ago

      Yup! I’m 21 so it’s not like I have much experience, but stop working as a waiter in a shitty 5-star holet to do the same job, with a shittier contract, but in a much better and laid back working environment has been a game changer.

      Yeah I earn less, but I have more time to study and relax and I don’t hate the place I have to go to six days a week, so…

  • negi@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    Just sleep longer.
    6 hours is too short. 7.5 hours is OK. 9 hours is best in my case.

  • brewvarlet@beehaw.org
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    1 year ago

    For me it’s yoga. Doesn’t have to be long or even a structured session, just taking the time to stop and stretch and reconnect with myself and my body does wonders.

  • Zummy@beehaw.org
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    1 year ago

    I have a few things I like to do! In no particular order:

    1. Make a pour over coffee. From measuring, grinding, pouring, and all, it takes 10 to 15 mins. It’s the perfect amount of time to make for a break for something. Then you get all the nice aromas, warm mug, and caffeine general helps stabilize my mood too.

    2. Walking or sitting outside! Gets the blood moving, change in air, sometimes you hear the birds or insects.

    3. Take a relaxing bath. You can go extra hard with bathbombs for fragrances and stuff too.

    4. Light candles, incense, dim lights, put on jazz or some other nice background music. Dim moods and calming smells and good sounds help bring good sensory experiences to block out any bad feelings.

    5. Lose myself in my instruments. Playing anything requires my focus and forces me to turn off my depression spiral thought patterns and focus on creating something wholesome and pure.

  • Snart@beehaw.org
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    1 year ago

    The absolute daily bare minumum: Drink 2 liters of water. Eat as little processed food as possible and as little sugar as possible. Yoga for 10 minutes. Intensive breathing meditation. Sleep for at least 6 hours a night and fall asleep before 11.

    On top of that, walk, jog, or run 2 miles every day and read things to expand your mind.

  • evistre@beehaw.org@beehaw.org
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    1 year ago

    Honestly: Smoke weed. It helps chill me out.

    My favorite is to smoke in the back yard with a little fire in my Solo Stove going. Preferably with marshmallows. I can zone out for hours out there. I live in town, but there is greenery along most of my fence, so it *feels *secluded even if it really isn’t. My neighbors have a new fountain they put in a little pond in their front yard, too, so I get to hear the water :)

  • Durk@beehaw.org
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    1 year ago

    Well, when I’m at home a cup of tea usually does the trick. When I’m outside on the other hand, I like to take long walks, I just pick a direction and start walking without worrying about where I’m going and stop thinking, maybe with some music in my headphones. I do this until my legs start hurting, and by that point I feel better.

  • Mnglw@beehaw.org
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    1 year ago

    I do meditation. Not mindfulness because I need dissociation for my chronic pain management. I basically do a version that I altered to stay as disconnected from my body as possible and just focus on emotions and observing them.

    I also use a yoga ball sometimes, helps me regulate as well

    Edit: I am physically disabled please do not peddle me a CBT based chatbot or whatvever.

    • Josiane@beehaw.org
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      1 year ago

      To manage chronic pain you might want to look into the app Curable, my therapist recommended it. It’s a very well-designed app, there’s also a free trial (it’s under $100 for a year). It helps you reprogram your nervous system, but it also feels very supportive. It’s like care and support whenever you need it. I highly recommended it. 👍

      • Mnglw@beehaw.org
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        1 year ago

        It sounds a bit iffy to me that app, ngl

        You can’t cure what’s causes by a real physical disease causing dislocations in my body, I can’t reprogram my body into making my connective tissue actually work work. I can’t reprogram my brain into being cured as the name suggests

        To me this app looks from a cursory glance like the type of stuff I get peddled by people who don’t believe in my disability and instead call all chronic pain “psychosomatic”. I know that mental health can cause physical symptoms including pain and worsen it. But that doesn’t mean all pain is psychosomatic.

        If people like me are not careful with what they say to certain people I can be undiagnosed with my physical disease by a therapist who knows nothing of said disease

        • Josiane@beehaw.org
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          1 year ago

          You’re right that when you said ‘chronic pain’ I assumed that it was more like the usual chronic pain that people experience today, this app would be helpful for that. I spoke too soon and didn’t have enough information about your condition, sorry. But I meant well, no need to get aggressive… But it’s also to manage pain in general (there’s a free trial if you want). And it’s an extremely well-designed app, like I said, recommended by a therapist, and it’s helped a lot of people including me. I never said that all pain is psychosomatic.

  • JillyB@beehaw.org
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    1 year ago

    I really enjoy working on my car. It’s almost meditative. When you’re under the car with a rusty bolt to remove, all stress disappears as you focus everything into an extremely small problem. When that bolt gives, you move to the next small problem until the job is done. At that point, you’re left feeling satisfied knowing that a complex problem had been solved with your own two hands.

    • Micromot@beehaw.org
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      1 year ago

      Same thing with working on electronics you just comcentrate on one problem which gets you distracted from everything around you and makes ypur mind relaxed when finished

  • Larvitar@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    Definitely exercise is great for stress management. Something about cardio cuts through stress like a knife through warm butter.