How do you stay calm in our stressed out world?  Life can be pretty frenzied & overwhelming. Problems come up out of nowhere. We have bills to pay, gas prices are scary, relationship problems, family members & friends get sick & we feel helpless or we have health issues of our own . Our jobs can be stressful, or we worry about getting a job/career. Being a student in school can be a heavy load. I try to be a good spouse, parent, friend, employee, student, & inthe00s board member, but I make mistakes, we all screw up, or other people do & it hurts us. In our daily lives, so many things weigh us down & make us weary.
Yet somehow, we make it through. What do you do, what techniques can you share that help you find a sense of peace or calmness to relieve some of your burdens.  8)
 

here's one way to deal with it.  just go to gibbos The Positive Feeling Thread  http://www.inthe00s.com/index.php?topic=33479.0

shameless plug for my pal  8)

I go home and relax,Play with my Playstation because customers over at Pathmark can really stress me out. :P

I go home and relax,Play with my Playstation because customers over at Pathmark can really stress me out. :P
those are good escapes from the daily grind Howard

listening to music provides me temporary relief and calmness

those are good escapes from the daily grind Howard

listening to music provides me temporary relief and calmness



I love music myself.

I love music myself.
do you play any musical instruments?  for some people, that is a stress reliever

do you play any musical instruments?  for some people, that is a stress reliever



I used to play a musical organ,It was a Yamaha.

I used to play a musical organ,It was a Yamaha.
my daughter has one in her room. I used to play one when I was younger. now I just listen  :)

my daughter has one in her room. I used to play one when I was younger. now I just listen  :)


Was it a Yamaha?

Was it a Yamaha?
I think it was  ???  I just checked and it's a Casio

I think it was  ???   I just checked and it's a Casio


Oh that's nice I love those organs.

Playing guitar is one way I blow off steam, among other things like gaming and music.

talking to a dear friend, writing, taking a walk, crying, listening to music, taking a hot bath.

Play with my Playstation

Is that slang for something else? :P :D

Is that slang for something else? :P :D



LMFAO!!! ;D :D

So that's what they're calling it nowadays?!! ;)

Sing, play my harmonica, Go in my garden, eat chocolate, taking a bus ride somewhere else or walking  to some nearby stores. 

In such situations...

Sometimes I just turn on the radio and listen to music... or turn on the TV and go to Music Choice. Other times I feel like taking a walk...but mostly I like to just stay home and relax...with the dog.


eat chocolate,

I like to do that too :)

Sing, play my harmonica, Go in my garden, eat chocolate, taking a bus ride somewhere else or walking  to some nearby stores. 
I was wondering when someone was gonna say Chocolate!

I know for a lot of people, physical exercise/working out gets the endorphins up and that can make you feel better.  I like to put on my headphones and crank up the Rock really loud and visualize being at a concert. My main source is reading my favorite bible verses that seem to help me handle stress & pressure and it seems to help me lead a fairly peaceful life.

Music, read or listen to audio books, gardening helps a lot. I just potter around in my garden and chill out.

Music, read or listen to audio books, gardening helps a lot. I just potter around in my garden and chill out.
I agree that gardening is very therapeutic and rewarding when it looks good after your time and efforts

Is that slang for something else? :P :D


No,It's not,get your mind out the gutter. ::)

denial works.

take the dog to the beach.. i find when i get back to nature, the material things don't matter much to me.  it's a big help.

How do you stay calm in our stressed out world?   
i don't. i continually freak out.  :o

Alcohol.



































:D

right. and alcohol.









































http://planetsmilies.net/tired-sleeping-smiley-4635.gif

When I get overly stressed, I get a bottle of Spumonti and turn on music. The kind of music depends of my kind of mood. If I am angry-I play angry music (like Meatloaf's "Life is a Lemon") or if I am depressed, I play sad music (like Madonna's "You'll See") etc. etc. And I will constantly jump from one genre to another. And I usually go all over the place in terms of the music I will listen to. My biggest problem is deciding what to play next. And yes, the Spumonti tastes SOOOOOOO good with all types of music.



Cat

I dream...asleep and awake :)

I normally 'unwind' by plotting slow, painful demises to my sworn enemies...








...failing that, a spot of gardening!

Is that slang for something else? :P :D


ROFL!  ;D


The best way for me to handle stress is listening to music or sneaking away by myself for a little while and maybe going shopping... :)

I punch a pillow.

I punch a pillow.


Is that slang for ... ah never mind :D

Is that slang for ... ah never mind :D
haha one could keep going with this.  :D

haha one could keep going with this.  :D


Howard makes it too easy ;D

haha one could keep going with this.  :D
;D  one can only hope so.    when I created this thread asking for techniques or things help to get calm or peace, I forgot to consider certain members techniques  :o

How do you stay calm in our stressed out world?   Life can be pretty frenzied & overwhelming. Problems come up out of nowhere. We have bills to pay, gas prices are scary, relationship problems, family members & friends get sick & we feel helpless or we have health issues of our own . Our jobs can be stressful, or we worry about getting a job/career. Being a student in school can be a heavy load. I try to be a good spouse, parent, friend, employee, student, & inthe00s board member, but I make mistakes, we all screw up, or other people do & it hurts us. In our daily lives, so many things weigh us down & make us weary.
Yet somehow, we make it through. What do you do, what techniques can you share that help you find a sense of peace or calmness to relieve some of your burdens.   8)
 


  Worrying is a waste.  I have a bad habit of simply ignoring problems and then hoping I die before they catch up with me...

  Nothing you can do about the pressures.  You knowthat already.  I know that when I'm stressed-out the worst I'm usually tired and cranky.  I find it helps to do one of two things (or both) to help soothe a troubled soul...

  1.  Take a shower...
  2.  Take a nap...

shower is a good one especially when I'm a might "stronger" that I ought to be . I know when I'm done I feel very relaxed. I really need to get my hot tub going because sitting in that thing for 30-60 minutes is the best

shower is a good one especially when I'm a might "stronger" that I ought to be . I know when I'm done I feel very relaxed. I really need to get my hot tub going because sitting in that thing for 30-60 minutes is the best


  I'm not talking a shower to cleanse your body, but a shower to cleanse your psyche and watch your troubles, temporarily, run down the drain...

  Probably cheaper than yoga lessons... ???

   I'm not talking a shower to cleanse your body, but a shower to cleanse your psyche and watch your troubles, temporarily, run down the drain...

   Probably cheaper than yoga lessons... ???
I hear ya, just pretty much just stand under the hot water and let it do it's work. it's good therapy

;D  one can only hope so.    when I created this thread asking for techniques or things help to get calm or peace, I forgot to consider certain members techniques  :o




http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/6104/howardtechniquespg1.png

http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/6104/howardtechniquespg1.png
omg! Howard's dream...  a sex guru  :D

As long as I can get up every morning and make it home in one piece, have a roof over my head and food to eat, I don't worry about much else...money every once in awhile but I've been through worse times.

Sleep is good too.

   I'm not talking a shower to cleanse your body, but a shower to cleanse your psyche and watch your troubles, temporarily, run down the drain...

   Probably cheaper than yoga lessons... ???


I love to cry in the shower....let the tears run down the drain with the water.

Yet somehow, we make it through. What do you do, what techniques can you share that help you find a sense of peace or calmness to relieve some of your burdens.  8)


When in trouble or in doubt,
I play DEFCON to chill out.

Single-player, real-time (aka "office") mode, with the only light in the room coming from the big monitor.  The pace of the game is slow enough that you can do Real Work (by which I mean "reading all the usual blogs and message boards" :) on the laptop with the brightness turned low, and let the original largely-ambient soundtrack and the pretty glowy visuals work their relaxing magic.  An evening spent watching your homeworld get turned into a planet-sized lava lamp never fails to bring back a sense of perspective:  no matter how bad it is, it can almost always get worse. 

The other way to use games to relax is to find a game that's sufficiently engrossing that it takes up your entire brain's processing capacity.  Fast-paced abstract shooting games like the original 80s Tempest and Robotron:2084 are great for inducing that "in the zone" feeling.  Tetris at its highest levels can also be a handy way to induce the effect; no matter what blocks it throws at you, you get into a mode where you can take anything the machine dishes out.  Anyways, when I'm using those kinds of games to relax, I'm after that feeling.  Works best in rhythmic/repetitive games where you've gotta make at least 2-3 decisions per second or faster, and when you're playing exactly at your skill level; the game is never easy, but it's never frustrating either.  Hard to describe in word, but anyone who's ever played a game of this sort (or who has played sports at a high proficiency level) knows what I'm talking about.

Listening to music
Hot bath
Petting my cats (no that's not slang for...  :-X )  ;D

and pretty much playing ostrich and either going for a drive in the country roads late at night, or posting on message board, or playing any number of games online.

Once in awhile I'll even attempt to talk with my beloved, and it sometimes helps.  Imagine that?  :D  ;)

When in trouble or in doubt,
I play DEFCON to chill out.

Single-player, real-time (aka "office") mode, with the only light in the room coming from the big monitor.  The pace of the game is slow enough that you can do Real Work (by which I mean "reading all the usual blogs and message boards" :) on the laptop with the brightness turned low, and let the original largely-ambient soundtrack and the pretty glowy visuals work their relaxing magic.  An evening spent watching your homeworld get turned into a planet-sized lava lamp never fails to bring back a sense of perspective:  no matter how bad it is, it can almost always get worse. 

The other way to use games to relax is to find a game that's sufficiently engrossing that it takes up your entire brain's processing capacity.  Fast-paced abstract shooting games like the original 80s Tempest and Robotron:2084 are great for inducing that "in the zone" feeling.  Tetris at its highest levels can also be a handy way to induce the effect; no matter what blocks it throws at you, you get into a mode where you can take anything the machine dishes out.  Anyways, when I'm using those kinds of games to relax, I'm after that feeling.  Works best in rhythmic/repetitive games where you've gotta make at least 2-3 decisions per second or faster, and when you're playing exactly at your skill level; the game is never easy, but it's never frustrating either.  Hard to describe in word, but anyone who's ever played a game of this sort (or who has played sports at a high proficiency level) knows what I'm talking about.
It's Global Thermonuclear War, and nobody wins.
But maybe - just maybe - you can lose the least.            how cool is that  8)    that sounds awesome. So this is definitely a unique form of relaxation. I like it

I've seen youtube vids of the nuclear strikes on video games and I'm sure I would get addicted if I started. my friend at work is a former marine and he's really into flight simulators on his computer.



Petting my cats (no that's not slang for...  :-X )  ;D

oooohh Patty  http://bestsmileys.com/blushing/6.gif

Patty you've shocked Mike! Now that's something that doesn't happen every day.  ;D

Patty you've shocked Mike! Now that's something that doesn't happen every day.  ;D
you got that right, it's hard to shock me and she did it, and she made me laugh at the same time  8)

Patty you've shocked Mike! Now that's something that doesn't happen every day.  ;D

you got that right, it's hard to shock me and she did it, and she made me laugh at the same time  8)


lol All in a day's work.  I was just playing on Jason's teasing Howard that everything he says equates to er...some other acitivity which shall remain nameless. 

lol All in a day's work.  I was just playing on Jason's teasing Howard that everything he says equates to er...some other acitivity which shall remain nameless. 
yup, you did your job well today. and yes, Jason was having fun with that.

lol All in a day's work.  I was just playing on Jason's teasing Howard that everything he says equates to er...some other acitivity which shall remain nameless. 



um... dry humping?  ??? ;)

http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/6104/howardtechniquespg1.png



#1 Best Seller at your local book store. O0  ;D ;)

omg! Howard's dream...  a sex guru   :D


How much does it pay?

http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/6104/howardtechniquespg1.png


Aiyah!

:D ;D ;) :D ;D ;)

I practice on my guitar...it's impossible for me to play music and stay mad for long.

Sometimes I curse when I get home.

I practice on my guitar...it's impossible for me to play music and stay mad for long.


I need to practice alittle more often(mainly to get better at a few trickier songs).

I take a nap or I eat some comfort food.

It's Global Thermonuclear War, and nobody wins.
But maybe - just maybe - you can lose the least.            how cool is that  8)


What can I say, I was an 80s kid. 

I grew up with the idea of the NORAD screens from the movie War Games not only as my vision of how the world would end... but also as the highest-stakes video game imaginable :)

And I'd just finished reading this interview with the people (both real-world hackers and movie folks) who were behind the movie.

20+ years later, the movie still resonates.  Wouldn't we all prefer a good game of chess...

What can I say, I was an 80s kid. 

I grew up with the idea of the NORAD screens from the movie War Games not only as my vision of how the world would end... but also as the highest-stakes video game imaginable :)

And I'd just finished reading this interview with the people (both real-world hackers and movie folks) who were behind the movie.

20+ years later, the movie still resonates.  Wouldn't we all prefer a good game of chess...
if you ever change your name, pick Professor Falken or WOPR  ::)  that movie was on about 2 weeks ago and of course we watched it. I think I have a couple of books somewhere on nuclear war weaponery. For a short period in my life I was facinated by "end times" books and this one book I have Arming For Armageddon described the many types of nukes and their capabilities. I've never played the video games but like I said, I've seen some of the Youtube clips and the nuke strikes are awesome with the sound effects of the blast.

When in trouble or in doubt,
I play DEFCON to chill out.



Hubby plays that too on occasion.  Also some kind of submarine game, Silent Hunter 4 (by Ubisoft).  It's got really good graphics (I like the look of the ocean.)  It's almost like being there (well, except for the smell... maybe I'll put a dead fish under my chair for realism.)


To chill out I watch videos on my computer, something either fun (like The Muppet Show) or something that reminds me how good my life really is (like Oliver!).  ;D

To chill out I watch videos on my computer, something either fun (like The Muppet Show)
sometimes watching something light like that is a nice break away from the crazy stuff that's always on

To chill out I watch videos on my computer, something either fun (like The Muppet Show) or something that reminds me how good my life really is (like Oliver!).

I used to watch Sesame Street. ;D   

http://info.detnews.com/dn/history/shelters/images/11.jpg

http://info.detnews.com/dn/history/shelters/images/11.jpg
in event of nuclear war, clearly, girls = live, boys = die

in event of nuclear war, clearly, girls = live, boys = die


Like it should be ;)

Like it should be ;)
only chicks like this will  survive http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A9G_bDqcDIpI8_wAGf6jzbkF/SIG=123ifvul7/EXP=1217093148/**http%3A//www.kmf.org.pl/fx/link/t2/aktorzy/03.jpg

Save the Chicks! ;D

I read or listen to music.  Sometimes (weather permitting) I sit out in the back yard and stare into space.

I go home after a long day at work and relax,put on the A/C and watch some TV.

80's cartoons on you tube. :)

80's cartoons on you tube. :)


80s ANYTHING on youtube.  ;)  :D

80s ANYTHING on youtube.  ;)  :D


Just yesterday I was listening to an 80's one hit wonder by Gary Byrd And the GB Experience on Youtube "The Crown" (1983).