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Coach Morse
08-27-2008, 11:56 AM
While you are working to build your business, dealing with clients, employees, competition, challenging economic times and so on, what are you doing, if anything, to relieve stress?

I used to smoke; admittedly not a healthy way to relieve stress. I did that for 22 years.

Two years ago I quit smoking, started running and joined my local gym. Today my exercise regimine keeps me healthier, happier and more relaxed on the job.
:)

KristineS
08-27-2008, 12:05 PM
Exercise, that seems to help particularly when I'm mad or tense.

I've also found that turning on the fountain in my backyard and sitting and listening to it is quite soothing. It feels very serene.

I used to be an emotional eater and I used food to deal with stress. I finally learned some different coping mechanisms and I think it's really helped. I've lost 32 pounds so far.

cbscreative
08-27-2008, 02:28 PM
Stress, what's that?

Well, seriously, I've actually gotten to the point where I don't have any, but I certainly have enough reason to have it though. In my case, it's faith. I heard someone say a few years ago that the Word of God can never fail. That really stuck with me, and no matter how stressful things might seem, I've found it to be true, so I let go of whatever might try to cause stress, and trust the promises I have in the Bible. If those promises weren't true, I would definitely know it by now, so I've given up fretting or stressing.

With that said, I still need to think things through so I look for solutions to any challenge I face. Because I work so much on the computer, I find I need to get out and get away. In nice weather, that's usually a bike ride (often combined with swimming). During the winter, I do a lot of x-country skiing. When the weather doesn't allow either, I'm still working on that one because I'm not as active as I should be. Excercise does stimulate creativity and problem solving.

the goat
08-27-2008, 06:05 PM
Guinness!!

thehunterswife
08-27-2008, 07:38 PM
It helps to try and remove yourself from a stressful situation. If all else fails yoga is good for the mind, body and soul. It helps a lot with my headaches and stiffness from sitting at a computer all day.

cbscreative
08-27-2008, 07:45 PM
Funny, goat. I was going to say CC, Jack Daniels, Wild Turkey, or Seagram's.

billbenson
08-27-2008, 07:57 PM
Drugs.Sometimes I wish it was the 60's. - just kidding.

If you are a dog lover, pets can be great. They like you no matter what. Not to say a stiff drink on Friday when the phone quits ringing doesn't taste good as well.

KristineS
08-27-2008, 08:02 PM
It helps to try and remove yourself from a stressful situation. If all else fails yoga is good for the mind, body and soul. It helps a lot with my headaches and stiffness from sitting at a computer all day.

Yoga is a good one. I do it too on occasion because I can get really stiff when I sit at the computer.

Blessed
08-27-2008, 10:57 PM
I stay up late at night after my hubby and the baby are asleep and write things on the small business forum :D or read blogs or plurk or simply find a good book, curl up with some coffee and try to relax then when I wake up in the morning I am usually in a decent mood and it helps for the next day!

vangogh
08-28-2008, 01:02 AM
I'm guessing no one will believe me, but I rarely if ever get stressed about anything. I learned a long time ago that very little in life is really an emergency or worth stressing about and things invariably get better.

In the past, sure. I've been stressed, but somewhere along the way I came to the realization that stress never adds anything constructive and most of the time the universe has a funny way of working out if you get out of it's way.

When you stress and worry you'll usually make things worse and create more problems for yourself to get stressed over.

The past is gone and can't be changed. The future hasn't arrived yet and you have no idea what it will be like when it's gets here. Just make the best of every moment and things generally turn out better than you think.

Leatherneck
08-28-2008, 07:17 AM
All good thoughts Steve, (Vangogh) I know it works for him, because I know him well enough to know he a real laid back type of guy that takes things as they come and doesn't worry about yesterday or tomorrow with things he has no control over.

I agree with Steve over too CBS also on his feelings towards trusting in lord. If you read the bible and abide by the word of god, you give all your problems to him. He will be there and never fail you.

He blesses me when I'm out on the job and I start digging the holes too install a fence it helps to relieve any stress I do have. Excersise is one of the best thigs too reduce stress, So with my job I get too relieve stress and get paid for it at the same time.

KristineS
08-28-2008, 09:59 AM
I'm guessing no one will believe me, but I rarely if ever get stressed about anything. I learned a long time ago that very little in life is really an emergency or worth stressing about and things invariably get better.

In the past, sure. I've been stressed, but somewhere along the way I came to the realization that stress never adds anything constructive and most of the time the universe has a funny way of working out if you get out of it's way.

When you stress and worry you'll usually make things worse and create more problems for yourself to get stressed over.

The past is gone and can't be changed. The future hasn't arrived yet and you have no idea what it will be like when it's gets here. Just make the best of every moment and things generally turn out better than you think.

This is a trait of yours that I very much envy, but I'm also grateful for it. I know you've talked me down a time or two when I was in stress mode. I'm trying to cultivate more of this attitude for myself.

cbscreative
08-28-2008, 11:33 AM
Actually, vangogh, since we share so much in common and I share the same attitudes, I have no trouble at all believing you about not having stress.

vangogh
08-28-2008, 12:28 PM
Thanks Mak. Thanks Kristine.

Maybe it's not so hard to believe then. I've known a lot of people over my life who spend time with me just because they feel calmer afterwords.

Leatherneck
08-28-2008, 02:28 PM
I think the two Steves would possibly get the vote for the most tranquill on the forum. I'm sure a lot of us take stress well also. We have too find a way in todays age.

Blessed
08-29-2008, 09:24 AM
I find that things - circumstances - trouble with jobs and etc... don't really stress me out. I can deal with those things.

What gets to me is when people I love get stressed and I have to deal with them and they don't want to be talked down. That is when I get stressed. Oh well, I guess it's just part of life!

KristineS
08-29-2008, 10:13 AM
It is hard when those you care about are having a hard time and you can't make it better. Sometimes the only thing you can do is let them know that you care and you'll be there for them. Everyone has to work through things in his or her own way.

Coach Morse
08-29-2008, 11:34 AM
Eating a balanced diet and consistently getting a good night's sleep also helps my body combat stress more effectively.

So does massage therapy. I get a full body massage every two weeks that relieves a lot of tension. I have one scheduled later today - wahoo! :D

KristineS
08-29-2008, 12:09 PM
I've never tried a massage, but I've heard good things about them.

Maybe I should try one.

cbscreative
08-29-2008, 12:24 PM
I have to agree, Coach. What you eat and getting enough sleep are really important. There is a book out called The Maker's Diet and he calls what most of us eat the Standard American Diet (SAD). I've found that even a few changes from this SAD diet can make you feel a lot better. The cumulative effect of poisoning your body with processed foods wears even the strongest among us down eventually. What's amazing is that you think you will crave things if you give them up, but in reality, if you give your body what in needs, you don't crave the things that are destructive.

I would second the comments about stress from a loved one. If my wife gets stressed, that bothers me even though I could easily deal with the circumstances causing the stress. If mamma's not happy, nobody is happy. :)

Coach Morse
08-29-2008, 12:59 PM
I've never tried a massage, but I've heard good things about them.

Maybe I should try one.

Oh yeah, nothing chills me out more than a good massage... :cool:

Coach Morse
08-29-2008, 01:04 PM
I have to agree, Coach. What you eat and getting enough sleep are really important. There is a book out called The Maker's Diet and he calls what most of us eat the Standard American Diet (SAD). I've found that even a few changes from this SAD diet can make you feel a lot better. The cumulative effect of poisoning your body with processed foods wears even the strongest among us down eventually. What's amazing is that you think you will crave things if you give them up, but in reality, if you give your body what in needs, you don't crave the things that are destructive.

I would second the comments about stress from a loved one. If my wife gets stressed, that bothers me even though I could easily deal with the circumstances causing the stress. If mamma's not happy, nobody is happy. :)

The best changes I made to my diet were limiting foods with high fructose corn syrup and eating more whole grains (Thank you Kashi! :) ) and I stopped skipping breakfast.

I also drink more water, eat more fruit and veg (though still not enough :o), and take vitamins every day. :)

cbscreative
08-29-2008, 01:51 PM
Yeah, Coach, it sounds so innocent when they call it "high fructose corn syrup" but it's actually worse than sugar. Sugar itself isn't actually bad until they process it. In its natural form, it has a lot of nutrients that they strip out in processing. We're considering getting a "mill" because whole wheat berries are loaded with nutrition. The reason these aren't in the flour we buy is that they go rancid very quickly, so it has to be removed to keep the flour from spoiling. Unground wheat berries can be stored for years.

Another one that helps us is to remove process oils as much as possible. One reason we have so much heart and artery problems in our culture is the processing they use (vegetable oil sounds so innocent too doesn't it?) changes the molecular structure of the oils and your body cannot metabolize it. Natural oils were once criticized for being high in fat content. But when your body can assimilate it, that's now known not to be bad.

If you want to do an interesting study, look into the history of coconut oil. It got a bad rep in the 1950's and never recovered. In fact the truth about fats and oils is quite interesting since the prevailing beliefs about them are very much controlled by the advertising industry. Strange thing for a marketing guy to say, but not all marketing is good.

KristineS
08-29-2008, 02:53 PM
Eating better has definitely helped me. Since I became more aware of fat and salt and sugar I've been making better choices and I can see it in my weight loss and the way I feel. It's amazing how something that is touted as good for you can have so much that is bad for you in it.

billbenson
08-29-2008, 03:06 PM
I don't really like breakfast foods; from pancakes to cereal to eggs. Its an important meal so I put some protein powder, milk, and some fruit in a blender and drink it. The flavored protein powders are horrible and the unflavored ones are hard to find so I buy it online. I buy frozen fruits at costco and keep in the freezer. Probably costs about $1.50 for breakfast and tastes ok. Not great, but ok.

As a side note, I think there was a thread on the economy but I'll stick this here. I tend to buy in bulk at costco and freeze stuff. I like fillet mignon. They are $18 to $25 per lbs at the grocery store here. I buy entire beef tenderloins and cut them into fillets. That's $7.50 per lbs. Most meats are about half price and I cut them into serving sizes and freeze them. I buy frozen talapia, shrimp, scallops. I'll buy a three month supply. You might suffer on quality in some cases, but things like shrimp are shipped to your supermarket frozen anyway. Saves a lot of money, gas, and time. And I eat well. Oh, and I buy things like dried exotic mushrooms online as well.

cbscreative
08-29-2008, 04:30 PM
I think it's getting close to dinner time.

Evan
08-29-2008, 05:14 PM
My three friends: Jim, Jack, and Jose!

Kidding aside, I just try to seclude myself and do breathing exercises just to relax me. That often helps enough.

I'm not flexible enough for yoga.

KristineS
08-29-2008, 07:44 PM
Breathing and meditation and great helps when it comes to destressing. I've found just concentrating on my breathing can help me calm down. It slows my heart rate too. I've started doing a little focused breathing and meditation in the morning. It starts my day out on a calm note. Very soothing.

lav
08-30-2008, 03:24 AM
The flavored protein powders are horrible and the unflavored ones are hard to find so I buy it online.I found one called Vital Strength, the chocolate one tastes just like a milkshake, I know some are horrible but i was surprise at how nice this one is.

CADesign
09-06-2008, 09:12 PM
Lot of great suggestions in this thread.

Working at a computer all day definitely tends to stress my body so I try to practice good ergonomics and take regular breaks away from the keyboard and screen.

As for mental stress, I sure deal with day to day hassles much easier now than when I was younger. I also find that being my own boss, having more control over situations, more confidence in my abilities and the freedom to go in the directions that I feel work the best really helps keep the stress level down.

Eating well and getting enough sleep sure do wonders as others here have mentioned. I need to work on these, especially eating more fruits and vegies.
Drinking lots of water is probably one of the easiest ways to help keep the body working like a well oiled machine, both physically and mentally.

It's good to hear how others deal with stress, good topic for a thread!

Dave

kenlew
09-08-2008, 10:08 PM
Shoot skeet, drink good Kentucky bourbon, smoke good cigars...

llcollins82
09-08-2008, 10:30 PM
i tend to just watch tv, and the stress floats off me. shows that work best are the shows on E! or DVDs of Friend and Entourage.

vangogh
09-08-2008, 11:06 PM
TV works for me too as a way to unwind. It's less about stress for me than it is to recharge my batteries.

kenlew, given your location I would have thought it would be Tennessee whisky. Isn't Jack Daniels right there. I could share some stories about drinking Jack in my younger days, but it's a family blog.

cbscreative
09-08-2008, 11:17 PM
Jack Daniels is good, yes, and especially Gentleman Jack, but with choices like Maker's Mark and Wild Turkey, I'd say the KY bourbon suggestion has plenty of merit too.

vangogh
09-08-2008, 11:37 PM
I have nothing against Kentucky Bourbon. I'd agree the suggestion has plenty of merit. I was just thinking kenlew's location would have led to more Jack Daniels consumption.

Dust Mite Man
09-11-2008, 01:10 AM
Unwinding here in NZ is not to difficult (if it happens at all) as its pretty relaxed here. I live by the beach so I go and sit on the dunes and listen to the waves. A good way to start the day is watching the sun rise. If I get the chance I go fishing but if not just kick back with friends and meet with Jack.

vangogh
09-11-2008, 01:22 AM
I live in a very laid back town myself. Boulder is the kind of town where if you see someone wearing a tie it stands out. Very casual place that moves at its own pace. Hard to be stressed too when there are mountains sitting across the street. Everywhere you look it's so beautiful here the scenery relaxes you.

KristineS
09-11-2008, 08:27 AM
It does seem to be easier to relax when you live in a place with beautiful scenery. Traverse City is like that too. You don't have to go very far at all and you're in some lovely woods or on the shores of Lake Michigan. Very soothing.

billbenson
09-11-2008, 12:24 PM
Not exactly on topic, but I've noticed a trend toward dressing more casually in business. Florida and California have always been more casual as some other places I'm sure. Today, though, you see the President of the US giving a speach with a suit but no tie. In banks officers of the bank have a shirt with a logo, no tie. I bet wall street is still pretty formal as well as other industries. Still its a nice trend IMO.



I live in a very laid back town myself. Boulder is the kind of town where if you see someone wearing a tie it stands out. Very casual place that moves at its own pace. Hard to be stressed too when there are mountains sitting across the street. Everywhere you look it's so beautiful here the scenery relaxes you.

orion_joel
09-13-2008, 08:31 AM
I do agree that in many respect clothing in business is getting more casual, but also more differences happening in the most unlikely places. I think that more casual clothing can lighten the mood and make it a little more relaxed in the work place. However, it is not always going to be the best thing for every industry.

Where management in almost every industry used to be a collar and tie affair there are many industries that are dropping back to one uniform for everyone at every level. One retailer i used to work for even the Managing Director of the business would wear the same uniform as the sales assistant at the checkout. While i think this can in some respects make the company appear more level in respect to roles, it does nothing more then blur the lines of manager and employee.

billbenson
09-13-2008, 02:14 PM
On the opposite end of the spectrum, schools in Latin America require a uniform. I think that would be a good thing here because you don't have the peer pressure of wearing those $100 tennis shoes. It doesn't work though, unless all schools do it. In Latin America most if not all schools do it, so kids aren't embarrassed to go out with their uniform on. If only some schools did it, I doubt it would work well.

vangogh
09-14-2008, 01:05 PM
I don't think combating peer pressure is a good reason for forcing school uniforms on kids. Uniforms also teach kids not to be individuals and instead to view themselves as part of the machine.

billbenson
09-14-2008, 03:14 PM
I don't have kids, so its an observation, rather than an educated analysis. Also, its not likely to happen across the board in the US so it's really a moot point. That being said, from what I see parents are buying expensive stuff for their kids to wear so they can fit in. Either that or the kids are shiplifting stuff. Kids shoplifting is something I know something about as it was my college job to catch them for sears.

vangogh
09-14-2008, 03:24 PM
Uniforms or not some parents are still going to by expensive stuff for their kids to wear and some kids are going to shoplift. It's not really a school issue.

cbscreative
09-14-2008, 09:07 PM
One might argue that the school system is about making you part of the machine regardless, and school uniforms are not required for that.

In the now famous words of the theologians and prophets named Floyd:


Hey! Teacher! Leave those kids alone! All in all, you're just another brick in the wall.

mr.ro
09-22-2008, 01:40 PM
Work out. Get out the house so my minds not running around thinking about what's wrong.

Just get to the gym turn the ipod up and hit the weights. Seems to get my stress levels down a whole lot.

KristineS
09-22-2008, 04:22 PM
Working out helps for me as well. It tires out my body which seems to quiet my mind. I've only recently discovered that, but it really does work.

Aaron Hats
09-25-2008, 01:59 PM
I hope to start relieving some stress next week when pheasant hunting season opens.

Aaron

KristineS
09-25-2008, 03:17 PM
Yum! Pheasant. We usually have pheasant for our Christmas dinner. It is always yummy.

I'll have to ask my Dad if he's going pheasant hunting this year. I hope so.

Watchdog
11-16-2008, 05:45 PM
I typically like to stuff my face with junk food - but often I hop on my bike and do 12 miles out the state trail or ever a few laps around the river in town.

On the 19th of Nov I'll be on a plane and I'll be displacing stress with soaking up southern california sun in Los Angeles :)