Stress!!
 

How do you deal with the stresses of life ? Just spent four days away from everyone and no cell phone to bring me back. Just wondering how everyone else handles it. Thanks Glenn

Bicycling for major stress, motorcycling for daily stress...both done alone.

Bicycling as well, and go to the gun range..

Pusse' du jour.
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Seriously, retire from it all...that ought to do it.

I just drive the 911, better on a lonely road, and I am refreshed. Takes 30 minutes.

Gym is a second one.

Go to the shooting range.

Sadly haven't had time to bike.

Biking or walking. Getting lost in making music.

Don't go to PARF....

oh Milt

Dogs are pretty good for stress

Talk with God. Most people call it "praying" but I do more conversational that King James.

Spend time in nature. Walk, hike, bike, kayak, fish, hunt, cut firewood, etc. Just get away from people and the internet.

Fix it....seriously...one way or another. Eliminate it or find a release...preferably the former ;)....good luck!

There is a burnout/breaking point where the first step is to let those around you know you need to be dead to the world to rebuild.

I'm not sure that is the stress you speak of or not. If it is, you need to offload to where your mind can be more efficient by having less to think about.

On the other hand, I deal with stress by getting outside and moving. I work out my problems, solve them, and that lowers stress. The body in motion and solitude lets me resolve in a higher state than just being around people or sitting still.

I need exercise. It is essential to me.

^^^^
When I was self-employed years ago, at one time I hadn't had a vacation in 8 years.
I played a lot of tennis, at night under the lights, 4 - 5 times per week, for 2 - 3 hrs. at a time.
Go home and almost fall asleep in the shower.

Usually just leaving work and heading out for a few waves does it. I refuse to take work home - no way. I’ll stay late or go in early, but it stays in the office. Pretty low-stress life overall. Way better than what I left behind a few months ago. No regrets. That stuff is for the mainland anyway! ;)

Mtn biking fir me.

Endorphins or something.

Not to be a dick (although I have the requisite skills) it really depends on the type of stress and where the stress(es) emanate from.

Exercise is key: I exercise 6 days a week: AARP Shuffle around the farm, Elliptical, Stair Climber, etc...nothing over the top. I also box twice a week with others of my age. You can time the punches with a sun dial.

Emotional, interpersonal stress I deal with directly. I have zero patience for anyone adding emotional stress to my life so I confront that head on, especially if I have not held up my end: Root through it, fix and move on.

Can't be fixed? Buenas tardes, Rust Picker.

Other stresses in life (business related, career related, etc.) are as inevitable as they are predictable...and can work for you.

Hard work, planning and knowing that failure isn't the end of the rope helps alleviate stress...then go work out.

Yeah, this doesn't sound stressful at all!

https://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/1001362-humanity-i-crashed-my-mtn-bike.html

;)

I suppose it depends upon the stress.

Driving the Boxster
Meditation/Praying
Exercise
A good night's sleep or two
Watching a movie/listening to music
doing something with your hands (building/fixing something)
Vacation/time away from it all

Some things just put a dent in stress to help keep it at a normal level. Somethings can reset and melt it away for a reboot. Like I said, it also depends upon the level and source of the stress.
Those can all do the trick

To the many good suggestions here, I would add meditation. I was skeptical of it at first, but have found that it works well.

It's important to realize that stress is a normal part of life, derived from the natural defense mechanisms that kept humans alive all these millenia. Those who did not have a keenly-felt sense of stress (such as being alert to the presence of predators) did not survive, and thus did not enroll their genes in the evolutionary chain.

Stress is crucial to any kind of achievement. I have a doc friend who explains it as the "performance-anxiety curve," which plots performance on one axis and stress on the other. Up to a certain point, the progression is nominally 1 to 1, i.e., stress and performance go hand in hand, until the curve hits an inflection point, whereafter stress continues up and performance falters and, with the application of more stress, noses down and degrades rapidly. High-performers manage their lives so that they "surf" along the peak inflection point of the curve. Those satisfied living under the curve somewhere--where most people live--accept less achievement as the price of reduced stress.

My life reached a stress crescendo about 8 years ago. I wound up with some free time on my hands and set about finding my 'center.' Two strategies were very helpful. First, I managed my breathing. I could NOT inhale and then exhale smoothly. I worked on that. Also, I listened. Mainly I focused on bird songs. It worked, and I have been continuing the progress ever since.

At least once per year, I pack a backpack and go on a walkabout. Alone. In the high elevation locations (above 5000'). It is amazing what several days without hearing a human voice can do to your soul. Retreats do the same thing. Multi days without speaking or being spoken to. Alone with your thoughts only.

Being chronically behind on sleep has me taking a nap at the end of most days now. It rinses out my brain. Now I need to get back to lifting.