Alright, I've got a lot on my mind lately, emotions are a little stormy and works being a real pain. The results of which is stress through the roof, which is starting to materialize into physical pain like a heavy chest and head aches. Its starting to feel like I have a ball of pain in the center of my chest.

Is there anything legal out there that can help relieve some of that stress? Be it drinks or pills or anything?

Working out isn't quite doing it for me, nor pretty much anything I used to do to lose some stress.

Suggestions?

(No masturbation jokes please)

Earl Grey.

Meditation. Works very well for me, and for those who practice it.

As far as really simple things goes... I'd try finding a nice shady spot outdoors where you can read quietly... After a long day/week of being inside all the time, or working all the time, or dealing with unpleasant people or anything like that, it's really wonderful, if you've got a good book.

Get a massage?

Simple relaxation: Some Tea and soft music.

Exercise relaxation: Rock Climbing. You might be sore afterwards, but its fun!

Those are some mighty fine suggestions.

Rock climbing sounds fun, though I get a feeling at one point I'd go f-it-all and just let myself fall, hahaha.

More suggestions please, its interesting to learn what people do to relaxe!

About meditation : Are there any good websites that offer good guides to proper meditation techniques?

I mix myself a drink and pop in an amusing DVD. I'll watch something on TV if it's good enough, but commercials can have a rather anti-relaxing effect on me.

Read a book in the bath.

But laminate it first.

vicodin or valium? Legal if you know someone with a perscription, or saved any from getting wisdom teeth out.

Maybe...I never really looked online. I'll be more than glad to give you a few pointers.

Meditation is very simple, and very hard. The first thing I recommend is to start gradually and slowly, maybe meditate ten minutes at a time. A beginner would be lucky if he or she can focus for ten minutes. The reason I recommend this is meditation is like everything else in life: starts from something small, and grows to something strong. A tree is planted, and it slowly grows. Nothing strong at first, but give it time, and it'll have deep roots. People often desire results immediately, and now, and often times those wear off faster than methods taken by a slow and strong approach. Which leads me to my second tip:

Don't expect to understand or feel meditation, or be relieved by it immediately. That's desire of yourself. The goal of meditation is to clear your mind of everything, including understanding, feeling, or being relieved by meditation.

Breathing is important. As one grows older, he or she forgets how to breath. Unborn children breath with their, in layman's terms, belly/umbilical to get nutrition into their bodies with oxygenated blood. They hold onto this habit as they grow older throughout childhood, until eventually, when they're an old man or lady, they're breathing very shallow and from their chest. Air is important. You can live weeks without food, days without water, and only a few minutes without air. Give it the respect it needs and breath deep into your belly.

Focus on nothing, and concentrate on everything. Thoughts are always streaming through our minds...they become words, images, plans, and answers to questions also found in our thoughts. The goal of meditation is not to "block out all thoughts completely" as some might believe, but rather...let them stream through one's mind without him or her focusing on each one. It's hard to explain, but eventually you'll get it. The best metaphor I can give for this is thoughts are like a rushing river to those who don't meditate. If you build a dam and not let any water through, eventually the dam will collapse and you will be overcome with the flood. Instead, let your thoughts become slower and flow into a pond, and eventually a lake. Concentrate on everything related to your meditation. Focus on nothing related to your thoughts.

Other than that it's pretty simple. Just sit down, or if you want, lay down, and breathe deeply and slowly, thinking of nothing. It'll be difficult for you at first, but you'll get it. Eventually, you want to get to the point where you can inhale for 30 seconds, and exhale for approximately the same or longer amount of time.

I prefer to be outside while meditating with fresher air, but if you want to be inside, try to choose a spot where you don't visit often. i.e. if you have a house, choose a guest room with open windows.

just take some ritalin lol

I tend to just unwind to music like Yanni or classical. That can relax me anywhere.

Yanni's Live at the Acropolis is incredible!

Alcohol and ***.

Haha true enough. At our school we had top roping (where you wear a harness and have a safety rope) or bouldering. Bouldering is cool because you only go 8 / 10 ft in the air while youre climbing and if you fall the floors are padded. Its not impossible to get hurt, but after a year and a half of climbing I dont have any serious injuries.

I went with happydud all the time, its a lot of fun.

How about a visit the firing range?

When my mind will just not shut up. I throw on the head phones and listen ambient music - no lyrics or anything. Lyrics and words tend to destract me focusing on relaxing my body and quieting my mind.

Also from experience if you do want to try meditation you might want to turn off the phone. After the some time and effort I was all comfortable and relaxed and then BAM the phone rings and startles me.

I don't know how much caffeine you might take in day to day but cutting down on it helps for me.

Exercise is a really really good way to fight stress. When you say working out isn't cutting it anymore it concerns me.

I'm in a state of stress myself where strategies like exercise, meditation, and exercise are not going to cut it alone. That is why I had to find to find my female equivalent of testicular fortitude and say I really need help and ask for the big guns like prescription meds and therapy again.

go for a drive, smoke some cigarettes, go out with friends and do something fun

http://forums.massassi.net/vb3/showthread.php?t=51524

Cigarettes
Handle of Beam

I'm trying to stay away from prescriptions and doctors, but if this keeps up I'll have to do it, or I'll end up at the hospital one way or another.

And no smoking for me, heheh.

It feels like I'm going a little out of my mind, but I'm going to try some of the things suggested here.

good advice so far i reckon.

meditation is great *IF* u can empty your mind.

Booze is a no, it makes u feel worse afterwards if u over do it.

jerking doesnt do that much

Cut out caffiene and do rock climbing.

if(getThingFlags(source) & 0x8){
  do her}
elseif(getThingFlags(source) & 0x4){
  do other babe}
else{
  do a dude}

Thats probably the tough part, right now my mind's in overdrive and tries to analyze everything.



While I'm not suicidal, things are pretty ****ing rough right now and I wouldn't want to risk that. I don't like the idea of not waking up after doing something stupid.



Yea, cutting caffiene is a work in progress, I drink a hecka less than I used too. Rock climbing I might try if I can find a good local place to do it.

My suggestions are measures that make you feel better temporarily. Afterward if anything you feel worse, prompting you to keep it up. It's delightfully self destructive.

I'm the worst person in the world to give advice on taking care of yourself. If it were me I'd try to score a prescription and hope for the best.

e:Oh, I am qualified to comment on cutting caffeine, though. Energy drinks and coffee were destroying my digestive system so I got fed up and just stopped drinking them. Helped the digestive problem, but hell do I ever miss it. It's so much harder to get through the day without it. Honestly, I think not having it has made me more depressed and given me more anxiety.

so I know you said legal options, and I know you said you don't smoke.. but if you smoked a joint man you'd feel 100% better

It has crossed my mind.

I was so waiting for jedikirby to say this.

Double edged sword, IMO. Yes, I feel more calm when I smoke weed. Yes, it allows me to relax and sleep well for once in my life. But the fact that it works so well means it can be hard to get on without it, it can become a crutch. I also find myself ridiculously bored when I have nothing to do and I don't smoke weed, which leads to depression.

I don't think I've really decided if the good outweighs the bad.

Glad you realize meds and docs may be an option you may have to end up resorting to. I've tried to stay away from the docs as much as possible. I've just hit my point of needing them before I end in the emergency room. I hope you don't you get to that point.

The rock climbing things sounds cool and something I think where your mind has to be focused on the task instead of all the other stuff that is bugging you. And I think one would have to learn how to control their breathing to do rock climbing. Maybe bring someone along to try it out with. If you can't find a place for rock climbing look up some activities you haven't tried and sound interesting to you.


Another thing where I'm in a relaxed meditative like state is when I am making art or just doodling. Don't know who much you are into drawing or anything. Having a chunk of clay, play dough, or silly putty to play with can be awesome. Like a stress ball you can really punch and leave a mark in.

I'd second the weed-smoking. I don't do it myself, but I know a lot of people who do and it seems to help them.

I like to play air guitar and sing along to my record collection. This is ideal for you because IIRC you own your house and so don't have to be embarrassed when your room mate walks in on your version of Van Halen's 'Can't Stop Lovin' You'.

Not sure about substances, but when I'm stressed or irritated I usually load up a UT game or old school Halo and just blast until I forgot what my problem was. Probably won't work for everyone, but somehow it does for me. Gibs and/or whomps are healers.

Well, games and seeing friends help get my mind off of things temporarily, where I get into a state of decent happiness and enjoyment, but I swear to god the change is instantaneous. The very second I am alone I can feel the painful ball in my chest just form up again, probably worste than before.

What helps me a lot is just driving through the countryside with loud music playing. Helps more than anything else I can think of, takes your mind off everything.

My solution has always been to avoid whatever it is that's causing stress. It's both very effective and at times problematic, but it works.

If you live in a big city, the stress of the hustle and bustle can really do a number on you if you aren't built for it. Maybe you're just one of those people meant to go at their own pace. You may have to switch careers, location, etc., but it may be well worth it.

Weed is pretty awesome when it comes to relaxing.

But when that is not available, I just sit down and listen to music pretty much. I've got my one "chill-out" album that has never failed me when it comes to trying to relax.

Bouldering is ****ING AWESOME

only because you dont have to wear a harness, and those things wrench your balls off.

if(getThingFlags(source) & 0x8){
  do her}
elseif(getThingFlags(source) & 0x4){
  do other babe}
else{
  do a dude}

I haven't read the rest of the thread so my apologies if something has been mentioned.

Sex is an obvious choice but I don't know whether or not you're single. I personally enjoy sitting back with a good book, drinking some hot tea & listening to ambient or classical music (e.g. Carbon Based Lifeforms or Mozart). I also find that hiking alone can relieve a good deal of stress. A good weekend camping trip with just one other like-minded but not too loud person is great too. I took yoga for about a year once & enjoyed that as well.

I've started socialising less and less because I can't cope with the downer that comes mere minutes after the social wotsit ends. The buzz of socialising doesn't come close to making up for how bad it feels afterwards.