How do you deal with stress?

S

smurfette

Cathlete
Life can be absolutely insane. I"m to the point where I can only get a workout in if I get up at 4:30 am. I have to get the kids in bed at 9 otherwise they wake up with me and interrupt my workout-even at 4:30!

With all of your hectic schedules and demands on your time, what do you do when it gets to be too much?

As for myself, I'm still looking for something that works really well. Deep breathing helps to take the edge off. Going outside for a quick walk. Counting my blessings.

Tell me what you do!

Danna
 
Sounds crazy but I stop what I am doing and give my dogs a hug! They ask for so little and give back so much, it makes me smile!
 
I listen to books on tape when I am cleaning, cooking, washing up, driving in the car, even when shopping in the supermarket. It soothes me like nothing else and with headphones on, the rest of the world can go hang. I also like to hear stories of how others suffer in their lives and how they find strengths to confront their difficulties. Maybe I can learn from them.

I sleep more. A lot more. LIke 12 hours worth this past Saturday night. Boy did I need it.

I make lists of all there is to do and I allot time to each thing to timetable it, so that I can see clearly what I have time for and what I don't. I cut a lot of stuff out. I achieve way less than I used to but I am happier for it.

I make time for my workout whenever possible, I rationalize it, it is for me, it will make me a much happier person when I am done and i will feel stronger and more able to face up to all that awaits me still, all the sources of stress.

I set stricter limits for the kids, scream a them a bit, they get the message and run off to bed with little more warning required. Sometimes it all is too much and that is when the kids need to know that enough is enough for today, they need to go to bed NOW or life will get worse, things will get nasty, Mum will be peuce in the face and their prized possessions may just disappear if they do not listen up! But when that happens, I know it is PMS time for me and the only real remedy is a good book, a cup of coffee and tuck myself up in bed alone, with the door slammed shut, to relax and fall asleep when ready. Those are also the days when I go on strike: I abandon the family members to their own fates: the washing up, next day's packed lunches and laundry will not be done, I am not cleaning up their mess and putting the house straight after they have away to bed, I am going to bed and they can fend for themselves.

Sometimes you just need to tell the rest of them in no uncertain terms that you will explode if they do not leave you alone until further notice.

Clare
 
It's either sleep or I'll eat chocolate!!! The way I figure it, sleeping is better for me!! LOL!!

Carol
:)
 
I can feel for you there, some days I feel like things here ever calm down for just one day! feels like my head is going to do the exorcist spin LOL. I have just gotten back into some of my favorite hobbies, they are cross stitching and I love to crochet afghans and when I am doing that I feel calmer and more collected. I also have my hubby take me to dinner once to twice a week and no kids can call unless it's an emergency. otherwise they call just to say "where are you? when are you coming home?" LOL that helps me alot!
 
Trim your commitments down to the bare essentials. Cancel all purely social activities for awhile and other negotiable items until you feel back in control. Take back your time! Then use it to catch up on sleep and working out. :)

(BTW, Danna, life is what happens while you are BUSY making other plans. As a very busy person, you should know that:)
-Erstwhile John Lennon Fan)
 
As it sounds like you have small children, this may not be practical for you but I read in a hot tub every evening for about a half hour. I love this ME time.

I second the 'hug the dog' advice, as well.
 
I look at DH and say, I'm going to go take a bath. I then get in a hot tub, full of bath bubbles, or Aveda bath salts, and read (with the door shut and locked.). I just ignore whatever I hear going on out in the living room and give all trust to DH and think, he can handle it, I know he can! Those are usually the nights that I make sure that Dh does the dishes too. That way I'm not geting out of the bath just to go do more house work.
In the summer time I hop on my bike when DH gets home and go for a bike ride around the lake. That beats the bath hands down! I get home and feel so refreshed and relaxed, it's a beautiful thing.

Kathy
 
Great suggestions. They get me thinking.

I believe I had another breakthrough this morning. For the first time I felt like my workouts were making my soul stronger.

I'm working on building up my frustration tolerance. I do have an incredible amount of stress in my life. I've worked my way out of some strong depression in the past with great therapists and for a while some Celexa.

Now, I'm to the point where I'm demanding a better quality of mind for myself. I"m not satisfied with just getting through the day. I'm ready to push back.

This morning I did Power Circuit and I was visualizing my spirit getting stronger as I worked through the kickboxing circuit.

It felt great!!

Here's to getting our spirits stronger. Ready to take on the day!

Thanks for all the feedback!!

Danna
 
Danna, I am assuming your kids are baby to toddler age? Do you work full-time? If this is the case, I was in your shoes not too long ago. I could never handle the 5 a.m. workouts too well. I started working out at 9 p.m., when my kids went to bed and my husband would deal with bed time issues. I was less tired in the morning. All I can say, is that your life won't seem too chaotic in a few years. Your kids will adapt to your workout schedule and life will get easier. If you work full-time I don't know how you can deal too effectively with stress, because you are too busy. I needed to work part-time for my kids and my sanity. It was too much to handle. If you don't work outside the home, congrats! Life will get easier, you just have to get in the workout you can and accept it. Believe me it gets easier. :) Sorry if I'm way off the money here.
 
You are close. I have three boys and two of them have autism, ( moderate to severe). We have an at-home intensive behavioral intervention program that has people in my house for 40 hours a week.

I"m in school taking three classes and that gets me out of the house while my oldest is in school. I love it and it is such a nice break.

It is a lot to do to negotiate with the school district and oversee the programs. We have weekly update clinic meetings and you never stop reading and trying to refine what you are trying to do with the kids.

The boys that are affected are 8 and five. We deal with night wakings, general destruction of our home. Just last night the five year old shorted out our t.v. by pouring water on it. Thank goodness he wasn't electrocuted.

The good news is that I got the call at costco and I could pick up a new t.v. right away. It was awesome for my workout this morning!!

I get close to the edge when the incidences pile up. Potty accidents and then running away by breaking through the screen in the window. (I didn't even know he was gone and the neighbors spotted him at the park down the street). Chewing through cell phone adapters, and then a constant noise when they do their shouting things.

Believe me, I'm in much better shape now. I shower, fix up my hair and makeup, workout, go to school and play with my boys. My husband and I date every week religiously. Have to do it or we don't do well at all.

In spite of all the craziness- they really are adorable and charming. We play a lot of chase and tickle games. They have made tremendous progress over the last five years of our intervention programs. We just have about five more to go and then they will be basicaly "baked".

It has been an incredible journey and I relish trying to be a better mom and advocate!

This board is a great support.

Cheers to all of you!
Danna ;-)
 
Wow, Danna. You have lots on your plate and it sounds like you are doing a fabulous job! Keep up the workouts. I know they help a lot. Good for you!
Your-Friend-In-Fitness, DebbieH http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/wavey.gif[/img] If You Get The Choice To Sit It Out Or Dance...I Hope You DANCE!!!
 
wow Danna I can't imagine dealing with all you do good for you for keeping time for you and knowing how important it is I am always trying to be a better Mom Congrats to you!
Now to answer the ? I deal with stress by working out first and foremost Rigfht now I am ata very sad place and the only time I feel normal is when I am working out as much as I would rather stay in bed some days and sleep or cry I get up and move and it does help I have never dealt with such grief before but I have been working out at home for 20 years and it has got me through some difficult times
I laso love to take baths and listen to musice ot go for bike rides or sit on the porch swing and daydream or lay in the sun and feel it revive me I did this yesterday it felt like heaven
Ok those are my answers good ?
lisa
 
>Here is some evidence that stress CAN make you gain/maintain
>extra weight. I've read this in more than one place (and not
>just from the weight loss commercials. :) )

My personal experience in dealing with stress, which I've had an enormous amount of in the last year, is that I LOSE weight.

However, I must admit that under normal circumstances, I do not gain weight easily... a fact that is just compounded when I'm under stress. Guess I'm not the norm, and that isn't necessarily a good thing. Depending on your perspective, gaining weight is just as difficult as losing it.
 
Dana:

given your set of life circumstances, I don't know if anything i wrote is at all practical for you. You don't have a situation you can just ignore when you feel like it. I apologize if anything i wrote seems flippant from your perspective.

To me you are some kind of hero. I don't think I could ever cope with your reality. You seem to me to be a strong and big hearted woman.

Go you!

Clare
 
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