How do you "De-stress?"

[Sierras]

I've been a bit more stressed out with life lately, as I'm coming very close to a big move to a big city and worrying about everything that comes along with that, so I've been looking for ways to "de-stress."

For me, the whole candle-lit bath and listening to soothing music really just enhances my stress and makes me focus on it more. Usually, I unwind with some intense electro or dubstep, run around at all hours of the night, and try to do as many crazy things as possible. Maybe that's avoidance though.

I've recently started doing advanced yoga again, and that's actually working quite well. I've been having acupuncture too, and surprisingly, that's also helped.

So what about everyone else, how do you deal with stress and unwind?

[Amelia G]

Exercise through the endorphin hit.
Super hot bath.
Try to make sure I eat nutritiously and don't skip breakfast.
Try to sleep enough.
Overeat delicious things.
Read or watch something engrossing.
Chill with close friends/family.
Travel to see the sun set in a different spot.
Look for the positives.

Also less effectively, various other less desirable options.

[Cafe_Post_Mortem]

Sugar, caffeine and movement.

Biking used to be the favorite, or walking. Do either till I drop.Dancing was fun to, but usually if going out dancing is an option, I am not that stressed to begin with. These days those, walking and biking at night is a stupid pain in the ass so the Wii-fit gets more play when I need to burn a little.

[Bikerpunk]

Right now, beer.
In the future, by not being in a situation that causes stress.
House'll be paid off, will have some savings, skills. In other words, by retreating from other people and generally not putting myself in sitches where I'd have to worry....

Converting the property into a small farm - will always be able to eat, drink even if civilisation collapses.

[Mr Karl]

I don't really.......my stress makes me angry and that gives me focus........but when I really need a break I watch Degrassi

[Sierras]

I don't really.......my stress makes me angry and that gives me focus........but when I really need a break I watch Degrassi

How very Canadian of you. I'm not going to lie...sometimes I watch Degrassi...it just sucks you in and won't let go....and it's so horrible!

[nathanmbailey]

I've got a big truck tire and a sledgehammer in my garage. I also take angle grinders and cutoff wheels to scrap metal or when I've actually got the parts to do so, work on my Mustang or Jeep.

[VoltaireBlue]

I kill things every sunday with two d10s with aza and keiko. In fact, I just got home from gaming with them. and it was awesome. I killed lots of things.

[Mr Karl]

the guys I play with all have little kids now, or carreers so it can be like pulling teeth getting a saturday booked.....it's only about 4 times a year for the D&D..........

[Raza]

I'm not very susceptible to stress; most of my waking hours are spent on uppers just to keep me doing stuff. When something does sneak up, a 15 minute break with a glass of cola spiked with tryptophan and/or valerian extract usually fixes me up.

Once in a while I'll accidentally overdo some norepenephrinergic drug and experience real stress; in those cases, it's usually GHB until I come down again.

[Aza]

I kill things every sunday with two d10s with aza and keiko.

I de-stress by continuing to sculpt the soon-to-be-published fantasy world in which they kill things.

Of course, most of my stress is empathetic in nature... on the rare occasions when I allow it to affect me.

[Janiac02]

I go out with friends most Thursdays and listen to a jazz trio a few of my friends put together. Taking one night a week to pretend problems don't exist usually makes me feel much more able to face things the next day. I also keep a journal that I only write in when my mind is in massive turmoil. I look back and read my previous entry, and usually I see how silly I was being.

[Toe Cutter]

Am I the only one who gets fucked up and smokes a ton of cigarettes?

[aXa]

Am I the only one who gets fucked up and smokes a ton of cigarettes?

im both trying to do that less nowadays as well as finding other ways to de-stress.

[Sierras]

Am I the only one who gets fucked up and smokes a ton of cigarettes?

No....I just can't keep with with the whole yoga and acupuncture thing, I've reverted back to just getting fucked up
and doing crazy things until 10am. You're not alone!

[Class-Punk]

Meditation, training (exercising), creating; media, gaming, & getting enough sleep.

[BiggTruxx]

long workout + several games of pickup basketball at the park
or
a 2-3 mile run + a nice rest...

also,
orange tea, decaf...

@ToeCutter: I used to just smoke Old Golds and drink whiskey, but i think i was giving myself heart disease... Yeah, I know... I am a quitter, and quitters never win. But at least I have a liver. Sort of.

Destress playlist: Aphex Twin, Selected Ambient Works 2; Sting, Songs from the Labyrinth; Brian Eno, Music for Airports

[VoltaireBlue]

I've started smoking certain herbs. It kinda works.

[Dana Dark]

Hypnosis downloads - Ha. They really do work for me and I have tons of them in my mp3 player. I also use Mind Body and Soul types of music ;P

[Kinkaid]

Erm. I was addicted to body piercing and various other forms of pain for a while 6_6 So I'll pitch in with the others and say "Exercise!" because if I could marry my endorphins, I would. Or have their illegitimate child, at least.

I also enjoy surfing the internet mindlessly for 6 hours straight until I've become part of my couch and can't even tell you what I've been doing the last hour and a half.

Paying other people to rub me. No, not like that.

[mystoo]

Loud music.

[angelbeau]

i have a very odd way of de stressing. i actually do human flash suspension. it relieves so much tension and stress. totally clarifying and euphoric. =]

[Kinkaid]

angelbeau, would you clarify/elaborate on "human flash suspension"? Did you mean flesh, or quite literally flash? I'm getting visions of people on hooks but cannot place the term as anything more or less than that so thought I'd ask!

I've always wanted to do a suspension of some kind but I live in a very conservative area. I think I'd have to beat the evangelists back with an inverted cross if they got wind of the whole thing....

[Raza]

Which's ironic, cause, y'know.

[angelbeau]

angelbeau, would you clarify/elaborate on "human flash suspension"? Did you mean flesh, or quite literally flash? I'm getting visions of people on hooks but cannot place the term as anything more or less than that so thought I'd ask!

I've always wanted to do a suspension of some kind but I live in a very conservative area. I think I'd have to beat the evangelists back with an inverted cross if they got wind of the whole thing....

hahah well i cant post pictures on here yet. but if you go to facebook and type in las vegas suspension syndicate then youll see what im all about. =D

[ForrestBlack]

I've been finding the whole de-stress thing difficult lately. Every time I look at any of the social networking sites I just see news that makes me mad or sad, and a lot of the nightlife things just haven't seemed as fun to me lately. I really want to go stay in another city for a week or so. I think I need a change of scenery.

[nathanmbailey]

Am I the only one who gets fucked up and smokes a ton of cigarettes?

Seems not, but I quit smoking. I still drink a glass of whiskey when I get off work, but luckily there are alcohol friendly studies that say that it's actually healthy.