STRESS; techniques of coping with it

[demonblaster]

Hi Everyone 👋 all inputs very welcome.

We all have stress in our lives at some stage unfortunately because it's so powerful. The good part is it can be used in our favor to help us.

I haven't yet mastered managing it although have learnt including being here l some ways to manage it.

Please feel free without judgement to talk about anything that you've found helpful no matter big or small breakthroughs potentially it could help many.

I believe we're all capable of learning which means there's HOPE in turn giving us a reason to work towards a better happier future.

🌱 new beginnings ⚘

[demonblaster]

SD and Sean S many thanks for keeping this thread alive.
Hi everyone reading too ☺

Sean S I'd like also to thank you for taking the time to write out that impressive list from the book which at some stage I'd like to talk about each point.
I also liked you explained reasons for a few of the points. Well done another great contribution.

Back to basics with stress release well more so managing it I'd say is deep breathing again which has been proven to help various states physically as well as with mind control I believe.

As we well know in times of stress our bodies tense which inhibits oxygen flow as well as free thought.

Our focus is on the task at hand which of course is great if we can use this energy accordingly.
Unfortunately we can't always well maybe haven't yet learnt to which is always possible.

Recently I've been under high stress. You can't not be aware of that strong energy I guess feeling in the chest that as mentioned if we can use it all good. Otherwise it tends to sit there keeping us wired I guess.

A couple of things helped.
Breathing deeply several times again removing the focus temporarily can give some relief as well as distributing oxygen throughout our bodies.

Another technique I've found helps that I'd forgotten about is along the lines of meditation.

When breathing deeply be aware of especially the tight muscles around the neck and shoulders.
On breathing out slowly keep focus on those areas maybe start with the neck and consciously feel them relax.
Do this a few times.

The more relaxed we are the better we feel.

I'll bbl (be back later) to talk more about simple meditation.

Also redirecting our minds to something good that happens/happened in our lives can have a significent change in our mental state.

If we can learn to control stress in our lives that we all have at varying degrees and times I'm sure our physical and mh (mental health) will benefit dramatically.

Hope we need.
We have that because we're all capable of learning.

Anyone's welcome to talk on any threads.
We potentially could be helping many.

Thanks for your time and listening.
Best to everyone ☺

[S_D]

Hi DemonBlaster,

Thanks for starting this great thread! I'm sorry to hear you've been under high stress recently. I hope things get better soon. Deep breathing is such a lovely and simple way of bringing ourselves back into our bodies and its amazing how easy it is to forget this one, so thanks for the reminder 🙂 I like your ideas of also focusing on releasing any tension in the neck / shoulders while doing our deep breaths and redirecting our thoughts to happier memories. Another easy and simple stress relief technique I use is letting out three - five sighs. When we let out a few big sighs we can sort of trick our brains into relaxing. Looking forward to reading about your simple meditations and other strategies. A quick grounding technique which can be helpful at times of stress is to think of five things you can see, five things you can hear, five things you can smell, five things you can feel, five things you can taste etc have you tried this before?

[demonblaster]

Hi everyone and thanks SD ☺ Yes feeling a lot better mentally thanks.

I managed a few seconds one time in a full throttle mania which is not only full on but can take your mind South in the process too.

Although for only seconds it gave me a great sense of peace for a short period of time.

Simple meditation.

I've not studied it but have heard a lot of good about it. And that it takes work and practise. It wasn't that hard.

From what I gather it's about relaxing and being aware of breathing.

I pictured a nice place on the beach, sun on the water which was calm and felt comfortable in my seat which is important.

Closed my eyes feeling the sun while being aware of steady breathing and saw with my inner eye the beach scene.

Since I've experimented with more. Sitting comfy with a huge vat of warm syrupy liquid very gently and slowly pouring over my head relaxing neck muscles as it drizzled down. It was beautiful. No mess of course 😄

Another way to relax muscles is in the shower let the warm water flow over your head.

Being consciously aware of relaxing your neck muscles can help. Again... helpful with breathing.

Good hearing about the quick sighs SD. i'll remember that.

I also heard and like is to think of ...

...5 things you can...

• See

• Hear
• Feel
• Touch
• Taste

It's good grounding and bringing us back to the now. Distraction too is always helpful.

Thanks SD always great input from you ☺

Feel free anyone that would like to join in 👋

[Sean_S]

Hey guys,

I actually became quite relaxed just reading your post Demonblaster! Like a sort of relaxing script. Mini guided meditation 🙂 The syrup one is super creative, well done. I'm gonna use that for sure.

Sighing totally works, SD. Good one. That heavy outbreath occasionally elicits dramatic relaxation for me.

I have a weird idiosyncratic one that I often use. I'm not really advocating it, just sharing for fun. I watch nature videos from the Witcher 3 in HD; watch the day and night cycle, weather change. I cast it to the tv, sit perfectly still and just watch the trees swaying, hear them creaking and listen to the gorgeous music. It's like slow TV. Calms my brain after studying.

https://youtu.be/BNPOWZJ72tE

https://youtu.be/VuYsiQyahB4

Or a youtube channel called TheSilentWatcher; real nature footage.

I have a fetish for trees creaking in the wind! Deeply calming. There is a thick forest in my town filled with spooky, twisted (non-eucalyptus) trees with bare trunks and branches (only leaves high up in the canopy above) and families of Currawongs observing me with yellow eyes as I walk. The entire forest creaks. I love it.

Sean

[demonblaster]

Hi everyone and Sean always good seeing you and thanks for your posts they're very helpful.

I love trees well most of them so I can relate to a degree how you'd get pleasure from their sounds. It's good having anything that puts you in a good place. For me it's hearing birdies singing, not the squarkers though ☺

Thanks for the links too.

Natures beautiful I find it can be very relaxing watching and hearing and of course some beautiful aromas from flowers, wood even rain some people like the smell of.

I think with any frame of the mind if we get pleasure from something it would have to help destress.

Memories of good happenings are a great tool to call on as often as we can.

Stress like depression and anxiety tend to block our minds. We're able to and with practise helps make room for other thought which we need.

Best to you all good people ⚘

[Ggrand]

Hello Deebi, Sean and everyone...

I also love trees and listening to the birds singing their joy..

Sean..your trees sounds absolutely amazing...The howling wind does have a calming effect...

I believe that most of our anxiety and stressing comes from everyday living..and nature is their to heal our souls..for those who can take the time to connect with it...I have on a few occasions gave the big gum tree opposite my home a hug...It helps me sometimes in bouts of loneliness, stress and depression.....

Kind thoughts everyone..

Grandy.. 🌲 🌳..

[demonblaster]

Hi everyone 👋

Hey dear Grandy thanks for popping in and sharing what helps you. Love the sounds of that gum tree.

Nature really does have a calming affect. Trees there's something incredible about them isn't there. Strong solid and silent. True survivors. Love the look of them and the bark. So much character.

Music can have a positive effect on stress depending on taste of course. At times I've danced to up beat or just sat quietly listening to the beautiful sounds of the flute

Writing can be helpful too. Just letting it out on paper can shed some of the load.

Thanks Grandy Sean and anyone posting. Feel free anyone to post if you'd like it could help any number of people.

Go easy all ☺

[Sean_S]

Howdy all,

"beautiful aromas from flowers, wood even rain". I should integrate some nice aromas into some of my grounding techniques. Totally underutilized sense now that I think about it.

"sounds of the flute". Me too. Big fan of various flutes, especially the wooden kind.

"I have on a few occasions gave the big gum tree opposite my home a hug". That's lovely Grandy. A literal tree hugger! My type of person 🙂 We evolved in trees after all; they've been with us since the beginning! Yep, gratitude and love for nature should be part of most mental health treatments I reckon.

I recently discovered a stress reduction technique that works quite well for me. When my anxiety is high I have a terrible feeling emanating from my solar plexus. Like a savage wave of emotional pain. If I rub my palm in circles over my t-shirt right in the center of my chest it creates warmth and sensation which kind of overrides it, when combined with breathing and some positive self-talk (like compassion).

Sean