Stress relief techniques?

campanella · 2014-08-03 08:00:47

As I'm about to enter my final year of highschool, I find myself stressing more and more over my future and grades and etc. A recent visit to the doctor's office for a week long stomach pain and lost sleep has shown that I'm stressing too much and my health is starting to become affected by it. He prescribed me some medicine and that was it.
I've tried clearing my mind and focusing on other things, but my thoughts somehow always end up back to my issues and the cycle repeats itself again. Listening to music helps a bit, but the moment I even BEGIN to think about anything it's like, wow mission failed. While others think I'm just overreacting over the little things (which is somewhat true, I'll admit) once I start to work myself up over one issue I can't control myself from it. The most common advice I've received is 'stop stressing,' which is as helpful as being on a boat and handing me a twig when I ask for a paddle.

Do any of you have some exercise, a routine or technique that you do whenever you feel this way? Any recommendations?

darkelfqueen · 2014-08-03 18:01:04

I have a few tricks I've picked up for my anxiety.

1. When studying/working/doing anything, work for 25 minutes, then take 5 minutes meditation break. There's a website called "Donothingfor2minutes" that challenges you to leave the mouse for 2 minutes and just stare at pictures of nature and listen to music. There's also another website that teaches you how to meditate. I forget its name now but I'll get it for you later.
2. Meditate for at least 10 minutes before sleep. Listen to nature sounds or very light music and close your eyes. Focus on your body. Feel everything around you. The weight of clothes on your skin. The seat you're sitting on...just for a few minutes and it does wonders!
3. Write in a journal before bed any thoughts/worries/concerns that you get to empty your mind.

There were more but I don't remember them now.

Oh and drink water! Drink lots of water. It helps!!!

neriah10 · 2014-08-03 18:19:55

For stress I do yoga. Especially the "Corpse" pose. Which you just lay flat on your back for 5 minutes and only think about breathing.
Or I take handful of coloured pencils, and colour something like Hello kitty.
Stress is one of those things that can be talked out too, or expressed out. I stress about my grades a little too. But then I kind of tell myself that the reason I'm there is to learn, if they didn't teach me something, or I didn't understand, there is never a time when I can't ask someone for help.

darkjewels · 2014-08-03 21:09:02

there are several ways to deal with stress without need to kill your liver and stomach with medicine.

you can buy a punchbag(and some boxing gloves, if your hands are sensive) and discount all of your stress on it(if it doesn't relief your stress, it'll get you tired enough to get some sleep, wich helps too.)

you can try to doodle/draw/color/paint stuff(even if it's a bunch of random angry lines and circles)

you can try playing games. preferentialy ones that will make you focus on it (so your mind doesn't have time to stress about something else). or maybe some relaxing games where you will be more concerned about what to do next than about other stuff.
(types of) games that worked for me: Gemcraft series, several flah RPGs, Creeper World series, several puzzle types(listening to musc while playing tetris/bubble shooter/jigsaw puzzles also helps), minecraft(if you can't purchase it, there are good pirate launchers and good poorly-made-free-clones too), etc.
kongregate.com, newgrounds.com and armoragemes.com have tons of free flash games(newgounds even puts the age classification(Everyone/Teen/Mature) on the game's thumbnail if you move your mouse over it). vladstudio.com/puzzles has tons of gorgeous pictures you can play with as jigsaw puzzles(while listening to your music, since the site itself won't provide any).

and you could also try to avoid to do anything besides school unless you REALY feel like it or unless it is not getting you tired(when i need to stay in college all day long, or go to it twice a day or go to it while attending to japanese classes on saturday mornings, i start to act like a zombie)

or maybe try taking naps during your freetime. you know, instead of doing like me and sleeping anywhere that seemed safe...

picalilll · 2014-08-03 21:09:21

In the last couple of years, at the end of highschool and the end of college for AS and A level's I was badly stressed.

Usually by going out with friends or just chilling in the park or something helped. I had to leave the house every weekend, just to clear my head and stuff.

I listened to music also, when going off to sleep. I hardly slept which wasn't fixed till after my exam. Towards the end, I did have sleeping pills. Which worked a treat!

Also, just having a good cry worked for me. When you have so many emotions mixed up, I just sat in my room at night and cried. My eyes may have been sore, but I felt a lot lighter and good for crying. Nice release.

Hope that helps xxx

laurabow · 2014-08-04 06:10:38

Go to YouTube and search for ASMR. Although ASMR itself refers to a tingly sensation that some people feel, the videos are also meant to be relaxing and help people sleep. You don't need to actually watch the videos, either. Just put in some headphones, lie back, and relax.

You may need to listen to different "ASMRtists" to find one whose videos are most relaxing for you. Not sure where to start? Bob Ross's show, "The Joy of Painting," that used to air on PBS is sometimes put into the ASMR category. Just watch or listen to Bob talk about "happy little trees" and tell me you don't feel better already. :-)

darkelfqueen wrote:
There's a website called "Donothingfor2minutes" that challenges you to leave the mouse for 2 minutes and just stare at pictures of nature and listen to music.

I like that idea. Going to check it out.

campanella · 2014-08-05 17:31:30

Ahh thanks everybody. Now I'm thinking about getting into yoga, since it seems so relaxing. I've also looked up some breathing exercises in case things get a bit too much to handle.

@laurabow Thanks to you, I just organized a very long playlist of ASMR tracks. Why didn't I know about this earlier? It's so calming

zen0n · 2014-08-06 00:56:04

What I do is fill my day with lots of things so that I don't have time or a spare thought to give in to a stress. Even if I don't leave my house that day, I make sure I have a schedule and I'm focused on completing it, like my list of things to do for the day would be to: watch a movie, clean my room, finish a book, exercise, cook dinner, draw etc. Enough things to keep you occupied during the day, but not too much that you can't finish! I do this everyday and it keeps me focused on the day I'm trying to get through instead of having the spare time to think about things that I can't control that cause my stress.

laurabow · 2014-08-10 06:24:15

campanella wrote:
@laurabow Thanks to you, I just organized a very long playlist of ASMR tracks. Why didn't I know about this earlier? It's so calming

Glad you're enjoying them! Many ASMRtists create new videos every week, too, so there's always something to choose from.

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#1 2014-08-03 08:00:47

Stress relief techniques?

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Re: Stress relief techniques?

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#4 2014-08-03 21:09:02

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#5 2014-08-03 21:09:21

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#6 2014-08-04 06:10:38

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darkelfqueen wrote:

#7 2014-08-05 17:31:30

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#9 2014-08-10 06:24:15

Re: Stress relief techniques?

campanella wrote:

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