Stress

[batskeets]

The massage was great yesterday. I don't feel 100% today, but I do feel better.

I'm still not sleeping great, though, and I sometimes catch myself doing the clenchy-jaw thing when I'm trying to fall asleep, so I'm guessing it's some kind of residual stress. Normally, when I get so stressed out that I feel the need to be nice to myself, I go have some comforting food. Usually something exceedingly bad for me, like pizza, or a piece of cake from New Seasons. I haven't really been able to DO that over the past couple of weeks, though, because I'm trying to eat clean. Gah!

I've essentially lost one of my major ways of dealing with stress. I'm not really one of those people who pigs out every time something bad happens--although I *did* have some long periods of depression, back in the day, where I just ate badly all the time--but I'm apparently quite the stress-eater. I do at least manage to draw a line somewhere reasonable nowadays, but I never quite realized the extent of it until I didn't have the option at all.

So, um, meh. I can't be getting hour-long table massages every week, because that'll add up in a hurry. But just sitting around having a take-five moment doesn't really help me, either. Reading a book used to work, sometimes, but it often gives me a headache or makes me fall asleep, because I already use my eyes so much.

What should I do instead? Any stressmonkeys out there have some good tactics? (and no need to say, "decrease your stress!" because I'm already working on it)

Comments

[ghost-girl.livejournal.com]

Girly things destress me. I buy Glamour or Marie Claire or some other ditzy magazine, ooh and ahh over new makeup, and then paint my nails.
Alternately, playing my DS helps a lot, but sometimes I can't do that because of eye strain from staring at my computer all day.

I'm also trying to get myself to stop eating when I'm stressed, and omg, suck.

[misshepeshu.livejournal.com]

For myself, watching something fun on DVD (I have a huuuuuge backlog of movies and TV shows, which makes this easy) works really well nowadays. Or picking up a fluffy book that's not remotely law-related. Or sleeping. Oh god. Sleep. But that's probably my law school sleep schedule talking :D .

[sarapada.livejournal.com]

As a fellow stress eater, I feel your pain. (Actually, I don't, because I'm not actually doing something about it, so you get a sincere gold star for that - but I can imagine.) Is there anything clean that you can eat that might fill that niche? For example, my normal go-to stress eats are peanut butter-related, but I really love nectarines. A nice, ripe, sliced-up nectarine... oh, man. So delicious I don't even care there's no bread involved. Another option might be a nice beverage - I don't know what your options are there with the clean eating, but I know a hot mug of tea is terrifically relaxing to me.

Massages really do help me, and I know I'm lucky with the whole best-friend massage-therapist barter-system, but the most I'm able to do that way is every-other-week (both for economic reasons and because I'd feel bad taking advantage of Kerry), and it's best to have in-between strategies as well. Yoga tends to have a similar effect for me as massages do.

Last but not least, one of the big reasons that knitting has stuck with me as long as it has is that it's soothing and repetitive. Doing something with my hands, with a nice tactile element, is so different from what I normally do in my life that it totally puts me in a different place.

[monkeyhole.livejournal.com]

World of Warcraft. It's basically trading one addiction for another, but at least MMOs don't have a direct negative impact on my health like alcohol or drugs.

[helloandie.livejournal.com]

ummm... i always start smoking again. it works really really well to decrease my stress and make me over-all pretty happy until i quit again.

i would NOT recommend this method. it's expensive and it tastes bad. :/

From one jaw clencher to another ..

[nidaba.livejournal.com]

I drink tea (something calming like chamomile) or go outside for a walk (for at least 15 minutes). When TMJ acts up I put a heating pad on my jaw (that seems to help).

Headaches are a little more difficult to deal with since (for me) they usually are caused by a lack of sleep or way too much change (aka stress overload).

My advice, do what feels good (physically & mentally). The one catch, make sure it is something that will continue to make you feel good afterward.

[lillilah]

I take a break and either play video games or read. I also make a huge effort to plan what I would like to accomplish in a day, so as to not overload myself.