Well I've reached that point of the semester where I'm completely overwhelmed and the end seems so far away. Rather than crawling up in a corner and crying like a kid, I'm trying to find ways to mellow out a bit.

So far the only real stress reliever for me has been a nice warm shower, followed by come hot chocolate(with a candy cane in it), and some sleep!:D After all I've had some semesters in the past where I skimp on the sleep, and end up pretty having a nervous breakdown.

How do the rest of you guys cope with stress? :)

I'm not in school anymore, but self-pampering always works when I am stressed about something. I love taking a hot shower and giving myself the works (shaving, body scrub, foot scrub, pedicure, etc.). I usually break out all of my foot creams, hand creams, treatments etc. and go all out. And shopping (you must limit yourself though!) always works. :)

I suck at relieving stress! I'm taking Zoloft and that helps (I'd be absolutely nuts without it) but I still get more stressed out than I should. Hot showers and sleep definitely help me. I also take a lot of deep breaths, talk to someone I'm close to about whatever is stressing me out, write in my journal and pray. :)

Relieving stress is not my strong point. My methods are really only temporary, but they include listening to music, excercise, socialising, leisure shopping, and recently I started taking supplements for work related stress. It all works, but only temporarily like I said. Wouldn't it be nice not to have a worry in the world, ever?

It can be as little as enjoying some dessert to needing to be with my boyfriend for a night to calm down. Do anything that makes you happy!

*retail therapy :D (but with limits LOL)

*boxing (I highly recommend beating the hell out of a punching bag ... if you're in school, perhaps your gym has one? It can do wonders being aggressive against something you can't hurt ;) )

Ooh...I like that boxing idea. Being able to be aggressive without any consequences might be helpful to me. Haha ;)

Sleep is my #1 stress reliever. It clears your head, refreshes you, and keeps your mind off those things for a few hours.

I exercise 5x a week and I think that helps me a lot with having a good sleep at night :) because I will wake up the next morning feeling fresh and relaxed. I also enjoy a warm shower with some aromatherapy. Another thing I do is applying a face mask and lay on bed while I read a magazine or book. Oohh, I almost forgot, coming here to the boards and bringing a cup of coffee with me to enjoy is a *must* for me every single day :p :D

Listening to music can be a great stress reliever, but try not to listen to anything too depressing. I have some nice 80's mixes that cheer me up and de-stress me. A hot shower or bath is also very effective for me, especially if I use yummy smelling bath products. Playing with animals is de-stressing, it's been scientifically proven, *lol*. Ooo and doing arts and crafts is fun and stress relieving also. Go to Michaels or your local crafts place and you'll walk out feeling better, I swear. =)

For me it's listening to angry music, weird I know. I listen to a lot of angry industrial and metal, rock, etc. Shopping, I agree with boxing, and working out at the gym, you improve your body and it makes you feel better.

I go to the beach and walk along the shore or I shop.

Taking a nice warm shower with a favorite shower gel, listening to music and singing my heart out, shopping, going out with friends.

Oohh, I almost forgot, coming here to the boards and bringing a cup of coffee with me to enjoy is a *must* for me every single day :p :D

Amen, sistah ... how could I have forgotten this?! *sips coffee w/Paola* :D

I actually love baking when I'm stressed (oddly enough I don't eat much when stressed but I got stressed a few weeks back and stayed up all night baking like 12 dozen cookies)

I also will turn on some horribly sappy movie and cry lol.

I love this thread. :)

Christine's boxing idea is such a good one-I don't box, but when I'm stressed (or downright annoyed/angry) I love going to the gym and running until my legs give out. It wears me out which is what I need.

I'm not so good at stress relief. Most of my stress is school related, and usually the only thing that helps me unwind a little is to start knocking out the assignments. Once I get a few things done, I start to feel better. Making a list and checking things off helps too. Otherwise, I like to sleep, sing while I drive around, take a long shower, shop, etc.

Hm.... I'm not very good at stress relief, either. haha.

But I do like to throw clothes hangers. Haha. Sometimes I just need to throw something... and clothes hangers don't break, and usually don't do any damage :) And you can get a whole lot of them :D

Baths are also nice. As are cheesy Lifetime movies :)

Hey now I'm super happy that I started this topic, since some of these ideas are pretty cool! Ha ha! Retail therapy(with limits) is another way that I like to unwind sometimes :).

Keep 'em coming gals! :)

Retail Therapy for sure lol Also time w/ the BF & getting a mani or pedi is relaxing. A glass or 2 of wine doesn't hurt either ;)

Retail Therapy for sure lol Also time w/ the BF & getting a mani or pedi is relaxing. A glass or 2 of wine doesn't hurt either ;)

Yeeeessss...I love me some wine. :p

I'll curl up in bed after a long day and read a magazine.
;)

It depends on the stress. Usually, lifting weights, running, or having a go at the punching bag helps. I also meditate, play with my pets, or talk about what's stressing me.

I've found that using lavender essential oil helps me feel calmer. I like aromatherapy. I'm using lavender oil in my homemade leave-in conditioner for my hair, and I also put two drops on a Kleenex and keep it in my purse. :)

For me, the best thing I do for myself is take an inventory of all the things I have going on and the things coming up...and try to eliminate any of the extras.

I take care of all the little things I can do if I just make the time to do it...like balancing my checkbook/finances, pay up bills, shop for & catch up on the necessities like food, oil changes, etc. The important stuff.

I set aside any of my WANTS & don't worry or think about them until the rest of my life is under control. I scale back on my meal planning & cooking, and keep it simple.

Then, I kind of hibernate for a while. Most of my close friends do this too, so it's not out of line when one of us goes missing in action for a while. They/we always resurface when we're ready, and it's just understood that we need to be left alone for a while.

Then, I kind of hibernate for a while. Most of my close friends do this too, so it's not out of line when one of us goes missing in action for a while. They/we always resurface when we're ready, and it's just understood that we need to be left alone for a while.

I do this too.

I HAS HAPPY PILLS :D

I need them, badly lol

Retail therapy, even if I don't necessarily buy anything even, just going out and getting lost in a store somewhere staring at things and getting my mind off my troubles is always a good thing.

I write too. Or get lost in a book. Basically...getting lost and avoid reality, ha.