I am about to keel over from stress from various sources and I was wondering what other folks do to keep from running around screaming. I play video games! Generally, peaceful ones. I build zoos, for example, and try to build enough restrooms that even if I have 1000+ guests, no one has to pee. And I love breeding pandas!

So, what do you folks do when the ol' stress-0-meter pegs?

Shoot guns, drink beer, chew, and manual labor. Wait this was on my wifes name....well it's not her.

[This message has been edited by Ashley Earley (2/5/2010)]

Ice fishing. It is a very serene and tranquil sport. Especially if you are like me, and never get any bites.

Get lost in a good book or two...My preference these days is anything by Mary Higgins Clark when I am trying to turn off the brain for a while...

You can't hold a quantity of stress in your hand. You can't weigh it on a scale or measure it with a ruler. But, stress can be quantified by recognizing physiological symptoms brought about by the forces pushing your sanity around.

Dealing with those forces in specific ways help you recognize the potential escalation of stressful situations and will allow you to better deal with those situations before they fully manifest.

Dr. Wayne Dyer has good ideas about how to handle stress. Most of his work centers around attitude and acceptance. Check out Dyer. http://www.drwaynedyer.com

[This message has been edited by Heath H (2/5/2010)]

Drink
Hit the heavy bag
Drink
Do curls
Drink

Tattoos. The buzzing sound of the needle is so relaxing. Is that warped?

Nutella on graham crackers works for me, as well as coffee and a good book!

I try not to yell at my husband
If I'm home, and stress hasn't given me a headache, I like hot baths with a good book, or just going to my room and chilling for a while by myself.

A nice glass of wine & splitting firewood does the trick....

Gunnar wrote:

Ice fishing. It is a very serene and tranquil sport. Especially if you are like me, and never get any bites.

Maybe where you fish, the fish are all gay, and you are just offering them the wrong worm.

Tattoos. The buzzing sound of the needle is so relaxing. Is that warped?

nope. i work at a tattoo parlor, and have come to view my job as a relaxing break from student and wife. the buzzing sound of the gun makes me happy; the people who come in are always excited to be there, and the artist i work for loves his job. its a win-win for all involved.

personally, to relieve stress i have a drink with my husband and we play some pool (at the house) while listening/ singing along with the '90's music channel. nothing alleviates stress like making a killer shot!

I need a lot of alone time and when I don't get it I can become more difficult to life with than usual. My husband plans short trips away with the kid a few times a year. That usually does the trick. If a trip is not in the near future, I just hide in my sewing room and quilt. Oh, and beer.

I argue with liberals.

quilting or counted cross-stitch sometimes help too....unless i mess up somewhere and have to rip it apart!

Wendy, grammar queen, I think I'm calling you out...

Life with or live with?

Sorry. Had to do it...

Allergic to beer and one of the causes is of my stress are the needles I am getting poked with for unfun reasons so beer and tattoos are out. Wine, maybe. No ice fishing since I don't have a license.

Man, this has been a stunningly awful year and every day, some other ghastly piece of news pops up.

Deep breath. . .

I watch the local news reports. Tonight here in Houston is a story about a man charged with "Theft of Valour," because he wore about 30 military awards (Purple Heart, etc.) at the Houston Mayor's swearing in last month. He looks less than 30 years old, has a goatee, etc.

Other local report is one about Mayor Ray Nagin of New Orleans wanting all the Katrina evacuees (who we have dealt with for two years) who still live in Houston to count as residents of New Orleans. Law says you are counted where you live April 1 and obviously there is a lot of money and political positions that follow population. Since New Orleans' pop is now 1/2 what it was, they want to claim some of ours?

Honestly, the truth is stranger than fiction. I have to laugh!

One more, to relieve stress I turn off TV and radio, chase my hubby out of the house, and work for about 8 hours on my doctoral dissertation -- because if I am not doing that I am really stressed!

That's the truth and I am sticking to it.

And that is what I am doing the next two days. Sorry, John.

Well, if ice fishing is out, another great stress release is exercise....especially in the great outdoors (which ice fishing does offer a little).

I can twist off from work, head home, get my clothes changed, head down to the local golf course, cross-country ski for 45-60 minutes, head back home, change back into work clothes, and go back to work with taking two hours off. Then, I can go back to work after dinner from 8-10, make up that time, and all is well.

A great work out is a dandy thing to helping you feel better. I've been skiing like this 3 times this week, and the worst thing that has happened are some mighty sore inner thighs.

Gunnar, maybe if you didn't work so hard at keeping those thighs nice and taut, you wouldn't have to worry about the gays trying to slip a hand up your inner thigh.

When I'm stressed, and especially if I'm good and mad, my reaction is strange....I clean. If my husband gets me good and p****d off, the next thing I know, I'm taking out my frustrations on the floor with a mop! I just recently realized I did this and find it a little strange but, oh well, at least it's productive!

BTW..Denise, it's not nice to make unsuspecting people blow pop out their nose!

I'm with Gunnar. Exercise outdoors is the best thing you can do. I've never had a problem that 30 miles on a bicycle couldn't improve my outlook on. Nowadays I don't ride my bike quite as much but digging a post hole, chopping firewood or just running up a hill and back down (possibly while screaming) are all good.

Of course there's also always swearing, throwing stuff, and punching and kicking inanimate objects, but these are less productive and sometimes expensive or painful.

Dark Chocolate

It's a typo, dill. Sock happens.

Xymogen SerenX did it for me during the last few month of my mom's life.

CELEXA, 20 MG......ONCE PER DAY

Look, I'm not trying to be naughty, I'm trying to be real here...

...meds have been mentioned, reading books, fishing, alcohol, chocolate, exercise, arguing with liberals, writing dissertations, knitting and stitching, cleaning house...

...nobody has mentioned SEX?!?!?

Hey, call me naughty, but it's a natural act and there are few things that relieve stress more than that!

Hehe, I know quite a few people whose stress level was increased a great deal by sex...or at least the side effects of it.

When Im stressed I curse the gods and bite my pillow. Please, dont call me a pillow-biter though

...nobody has mentioned SEX?!?!?

Hey, call me naughty, but it's a natural act and there are few things that relieve stress more than that!

I don't know about this one. My mom and dad are two of the most stressed people I know. They always are pointing to something unfair with life...

Just sayin'

Only people who know your family will get how truly funny that remark is, Richard.