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Two years ago i reached my goal weight after loosing about 80 lbs. I found Diet and Exercise to be extremely effective in relieving stress. Wieght training, team sports, Yoga are all fantastic. I will continue to use those with prioritizing method entertwined in those methods. My biggest thing is to make sure that I don't stress myself out, trying to fit a workout as a stress reliever and health benefit on top of everything...
Amanda, Great to hear! It sounds like you have found an activity that you both enjoy and benefit from. Nice!
Dr. Melissa Read
My outlet for my stressors is dancing to music with my one year old son! Not only is it fun to participate with him, it's a great way to forget about my worries for a few moments, if not longer!
Stephen, So glad to hear you have found bike riding to be a great outlet. I imagine this works particularly well during sunset and sunrise to your point. It's great to be able to get outside and enjoy nature!
Dr. Melissa Read
My outlet for coping with stressors is bicycling either before or after work. A sunrise or sunset bike ride can have lasting effect for either a busy work day or for a restfull nights sleep.
I really try to incoperate exercise in my daily routine to relieve my stress. I walk my dog for about 45 minutes every evening after dinner. I notice that on nights I don't do this, my back hurts more and I don't sleep as well at night. Then I have another stressor, knowing that the dog didn't get his exercise.
Helen, Interesting that you should mention this. Shopping can be great exercise. A lot of times, people don't realize how much of an impact just walking can have. To your point though, it's important to watch the wallet too!
Dr. Melissa Read
For me talking openly with someone about what is stressing me is the healthiest way for me to cope
personally I will go shopping can buy something nice and still have exercise from the walking but know limits on cost so I will not end in debt
Before starting a new major project, I consider whether I need to improve my health in some way before adding more stress. This could be to drop some weight by exercising, by improving quality of sleep by deep breathing before bed, or something as small as reducing caffeine intake slowly so that I don't have headaches if I can't take time for a cup of coffee one morning.
Krista, These sound like great ideas. I like how you identify both stressors that can and cannot be eliminated. Yes, books on tape as well as music work wonders for long commutes. You may look forward to this time too, as it can help you decompress.
Dr. Melissa Read
Randall, Excellent to hear. Yes, both stretching and sleep are two great coping mechanisms. Many instructors use stretching successfully throughout their day.
Dr. Melissa Read
The micromanagement situation can be reduced and dealt with, it's just a matter of confronting the person responsible. Now, the commute to work cannot be eliminated but could be reduced on days I don't have to lecture/teach at the school. However, maybe listening to a book or learning something on a disk could be more relaxing than wearing out my playlist on my ipod. It could also be a more productive use of time.
I like the idea of getting more sleep. My schedule often does not allow me enough time to get more sleep, and I need to take advantage of this more often. I am going to try the stretching technique to see if that helps enough. I often have tension in my back and neck muscles due to stress.
Curt, So true. Budgeting is such an important exercise. It helps us stay on track financially and guides our spending. Some people simply can't live without their budgets. It's too easy to go off the rails on spending without them.
Dr. Melissa Read
I strongly agree that there are a lot of healthy ways to relieve stress ,exercise and getting enough sleep go a long way also I believe eating healthy foods makes your body feel its best .Financial problems are a big stressor in a lot of peoples lifes making a budget and sticking to it will help you feel less stress.
I will look more towards sharing my issues with others. I will also work toward watching my breathing at work when I am stressed. I would also like to find time to go for 2-3 walks every week to help reduce my stress.
I have had to learn about healthy ways to cope with stress this past year. I had high levels of cortisol in my blood and was told that this could lead to the possibility of stroke or heart attack in my future if I did not learn how to cope with stress. I reduced some stressors and eliminated the stressors that I could and learned meditation. This is a wonderful way to quiet the mind and get deep relaxation. I also have started to exercise for 30+ minutes 5 days a week. Not only have my cortisol levels returned to normal but I have lost some weight. I feel great and more in control of my life!