Stress, as difficult as it might be to accept, is an important part of our lives. It can bring out the best in us, motivating us toward ever greater heights of personal achievement.
But too much stress, or feeling unable to cope with it, can take a serious toll on our well-being. Follow the flowchart to find out if you might be suffering from serious stress.
While you're here, please share some of your stress-busting tips. I could use them. Others might too.
Cheers,
JJB
Stress when seeing good deal with limited supply then need to ring 10 stores to check stock, then rushing to go to that store before they closed at 5pm last day if the promotion but bus stuck in traffic.
Do you go bargain-hunting by bus?
Cheaper than train, every cents count,…
Not if you miss it lol.
Stressed because I never get to the "in stock" stage
Being in same threads as user with scary dragon gravatar, is pretty stressful… The once-pronounceable username, before letters were rearranged, also pretty stressful.. The stress has never diminished from that one, erwin… :)
Flowcharts suddenly a prime source of stress, JJB.
Conversely, the cute response from pointscrazy below, quite relaxing.
This thread could be a rollercoaster, Jar Jar Binks…
Have fun.
:)
It's scarier when you realise Tas removed his profile pic :/
Even scarier again, when you realise that there never was a profile pic, but that I apparently look like JJB, but with likely fairer skin, a somewhat less pointy and manga-inspired chin, and an inclination to wear a Superman T-shirt that I would never be seen dead in.
Confused? :\ Stressed??
Good! You deserve to be..
:)
@Tas:What is really scary is that Wiki specifically picked out that pic because she knew it would get a reaction from you. Considering she also correctly 'guessed' your age and your date of birth, I'm starting to wonder if my sweet, sweet wife might be a witch o.o
She's being extra affectionate and the garlic breath- mine - doesn’t appear to be slowing her down. Does garlic only work on vampires? o.O
P.s: No one has ever commented on my chin before.Could have been the lighting or maybe people are too polite in real life?
@Jar Jar Binks: The fact that Wiki chose that photo in order to get a rise out of me, is the very aspect that indicates her to indeed be a witch. A Mauritian one. Probably the worst kind and likely well-schooled. A bit of it going around there - Immune to garlic the very least of her powers. Be afraid/stressed.
No need for politeness - as long as you don't have a unicorn horn on your head to balance your manga pixie-chin, you won't be mistaken for a rhino in South Africa and hence won't be poached. This is good.
Permission to be slightly less stressed, about that.
:)
Sleep beckons, for soon, Jar Jar Binks. I hope for you too.
Goodnight.
@Tas: spent the long weekend wondering if maybe I should quit my job and move to Mauritius with Wiki and the kids.
@Jar Jar Binks:
I think that I understand why Wiki-Witch is so cheerful at the moment.. Things are really falling into place for her. Minx.
:)
Devices to protect you from her coven, to become your new area of speciality? Vital research, hitherto left wanting…
Upside does include a certain bullet-point on this page :)
You will find your way with things, whatever you decide to do.
Sometimes reading OzBargain relaxes me except when discussions get too heated.
Watching my kids play happily together also relaxes me but that ends when they start to disagree on what they will play next.
I like reading Sci Fi TV articles and discussions although some of those become heated as well so I never comment on those forums.
Okay I guess there is a pattern starting to develop here.
Watching TV without getting interrupted is relaxing.
I work a stressful job so I've got a few ways of tackling it.
Massage, Beer and Music - Every Friday I enjoy a foot and back massage while enjoying a cold beer with music. If you're gain enough you could try a massage from a professional.
Exercise - Not hard sweat inducing exercise. Swimming is great if you have access to a pool.
Comedy - Go watch Jim Jefferies and laugh your ass off.
I love doing night time drives when it's relatively quiet. Go cruising and pump the tunes.
Where do you drive to?
Anywhere. I usually go for the back roads that I know will be quiet.
Night time driving: I do same and it works all the time…
I used to do stuff like that, then I had children!
I buy condoms and eneloops to counteract stress
It must take you a long time if you need to buy more eneloops; you know they're rechargeable?
Could take a whole day to charge. My needs require constant energy
I once watched a documentary on people like that on the ABC:
@Scrooge McDuck:
Gosh
"Maryanne also meets a man allergic to his own semen, and explores the punishing treatment that could help him"
Wear gloves
@Scrooge McDuck:
Even worse for the three dozen or so people who have aquagenic urticaria -. About as stressful as it gets…
No waterfowl affected, so count yourself lucky, Scrooge McDuck!
@JJB See 'fl-earthy thread' + try and say that three-times fast…
Could take a whole day to charge. My needs require constant energy
regarding condoms or eneloops?
I rarely get stressed and rarely lose my cool.. To keep myself relaxed, I alternate playing relaxing music on a piano and violent video games.
n.b. pressure can be a good thing, but it's not the same as stress.
Smoke a joint.
Or rip a massive haystack
Ever since I've started meditating my stress levels have reduced dramatically :)
Do you use a meditation app?
Nope I purposely avoided using any apps etc. to keep it as basic as possible otherwise it's easy to become reliant on the app or music or whatever it may be
But that's not to say you can't or shouldn't use an app, if it gets you to start meditating then go for it! :)
I was using headspace for a while and it really helped but then life started getting in the way of me sitting still for 15 minutes :( I really need to get back into it. Thanks:)
All good :) seated meditation is beneficial but even just being mindful throughout the day is great! Good luck and peace be with you!
This is something I'd like to try… how did you get started? what did you do? any suggestions for someone starting fresh? :)
Try the meditation subreddit, there are plenty of guides there!
I'm currently reading "mindfulness in plain English" by bhante gunaratana which has been really great! :)
Any more relaxed I'd be asleep.
I like to go for a walk, an hour at least, and listen to a podcast. It really takes your mind off things.
Heaps of good stuff on Radio National.
Also, SmilingMind is a really good app to use…suitably for the whole family and great to do together at bedtime.
How about these (from today's news) http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-21/simple-acts-to-ease-an…
Our top 10 stress busters
Watching television or movies
Focusing on the positives
Spending time with family and friends
Listening to music
Reading
Adjusting expectations
Eating
Doing something active
Consciously avoiding certain people or situations known to cause stress
Shopping
Cheers
Spending time with family and friends
What if they are the ones who are causing the stress? :-)
Well, I guess the flowchart needs arrow (from this) to point to:
Consciously avoiding certain people or situations known to cause stress
when that happens, I go to gym to escape. Do a little bit of exercise and have free hot shower. Not really bad idea considering I don't go to gym much. Might as well use my membership.
So you take a change of clothes?
I always wondered if people have a shower at the gym
Yes, I find a hot shower is very good for de-stressing. Plus trying to sing while at it (even if in reality, its just a bunch of wobbly shrill or croaky noises - no one can hear you, so who cares).
@GameChanger: yeah, I bring a change of clothes and towel. Though I can hire 1, but as ozbargainer, why pay if I can just bring mine in? :p
@GameChanger: nah, always after work. It's hard enough dragging myself out of bed in the morning to go to work. THere's no way I can wake up even earlier to go to gym ;)
@purplelady: this thread is about relieving stress. So clearly not (at the gym), otherwise, more people will be stressed up :-), from the quasi-singing.
Have a joke out of the bad situation :)
I like to go down to the park at night. Its quite peaceful to stand in the middle of an open space, in a still blackness, as the cool winds whip around you.
Cool HHHwhip
Coo-whip!
I like to fight for justice to combat stress.
I like to fight for justice
IRL? or are you just a keyboard warrior? o.O
-Wiki
IRL
Some like to call me a vigilante but I'm doing what every good citizen should.
Have helped many who would have being bent over by people.
I'm intrigued. Tell me more: who were "being bent over" and how have you redressed the situation?
Wiki
Why did you revoke it?
Because this is my account and I'm not going to hail you a hero, not without any proof.
So are you a local hero, GameChanger?
@Jar Jar Binks: Sounds like Wiki is under duress!
Wiki I'm a message away and I will fight for justice for you if need be.
JJB a gentlemen doesn't disclose what they have done, but I have helped many who have being legally conned.
@GameChanger:Ah, the irony!
Wiki is wicket1120. She deactivated her account following the relentless bullying she suffered at your, and another ozbargainer's, hands. Do you not remember her? You sent her so many harassing PMs that she had to block you, and then , if I remember correctly, you started neg-stalking her and generally being such a pest, that she decided to deactivate her account.
Wiki is quick to forgive and forget. She most likely took your "I like to fight for justice" comment at face value, maybe seeing in you a reformed man/woman, hence the upvote from her. She also rarely checks ozbargain nowadays, so I have to pick up the slack which is how I've noticed that only yesterday, yet another user has accused you of bullying them. There was also this comment from Neil:
we've tried to hold out responding to these malicious and deceitful threads and comments. But it seems every day there is a new thread or comment by the same group of people. However, the moderators are now feeling bullied and upset and that's the line I draw (..)
Considering that that comment was posted in one of your threads, I would assume that you are part of that "group of people" who are making even the mods feel bullied.
As for Wiki, she is way less stressed than I am. In fact, she has been quite calm and content lately. Could staying away from people I find disagreeable be the key to reducing my stress levels too? Let's give a go: I'm blocking you .
p.s:Link to Neil's comment for context
@Jar Jar Binks: JJB you're back at it again with those blatant lies, I have never bullied her or neg stalked her. You just want drama and want to spread totally false rumors. I have corrected you before and will do so again.
You're taking comments totally out of context and quite frankly I won't stand for your personal attacks against me.
And from your own comments the Moderators have had numerous problems with you.
I don't wish to respond any further as you're seeking attention and causing trouble.
@Jar Jar Binks:
@GameChanger:
Guys, guys, why all the hostilities? Can't we all just listen to some Will Smith and get along?
Edit: Whoops, wrong willie
I like to fly below the radar. Less stress that way.
I usually just stop whatever I'm doing and put on my headphones to immerse myself in the music. Preferably in an environment where there is 0 noise pollution. Most of the time I let the music take me away. IMO classical music ( the non-eccentric type especially the harp) always works best in highly stressful environments.
When I come back to doing the task/job, I feel a lot better, a heightened sense of clarity and inner peace with myself and the task ahead.
Would highly recommend that you invest in a good set of headphones, people say music is food for the soul.
Not kidding but when I am stressed shopping makes me feel better
Or some newish family comedies
PS yes I am shopaholic, impulse buyer and hoarder of IT stuff and tools
And Welcome back JJB missed your posts, you add a substance to ozbargain
Well it's good no more made up stories have surfaced
I used to be a big stress head until I learned to let go (not give a f#ck). I've found that to be the most important thing. As Alan Watts says, once you stress, you start worrying about stressing because you know its not good for you. And worry equals stress, it never ends.
Being mindful is key to overcoming stress.
Apparently marijuana works wonders. :)
Reminds me of Afroman- Because I got high :)
I'm getting stressed thinking about how stressed I will be when I move to South Africa: starting a new job, living in a new country, no friends, no family, no ozbargain … I'm really dreading it.
No OzBargain?!?! That sounds curious.
No time to waste. Tell your MRS that you must de-stress with OzBargain retail therapy. No excuses, overindulge while you can.
Tell your MRS that you must de-stress with OzBargain retail therapy.
Between the 2 of us, we must own at least 200 eneloops,50 micro SD cards,43 USB sticks, 6 (!) of those toothpaste squeezer thingies,100s of free samples of products we've never used … :(
The more stuff you have, the harder it will be to give them away ( or find people who want them) when we leave.
@Mrs JJB ( aka Wicket1120): Hello, Wiki.
I never had you, or Jar Jar, pegged as hoarders. Two hundred Eneloops is a hell of a lot for any household, even one where backup power for Darthie-Cat's Death Star may need to be called upon.
I was going to make passing reference to toothpaste squeezers in a forum post I was planning, but the pain from the closing of my Poopy-Pine thread remains just too raw :(
I bet Mumma-Mod would never have closed it, but I don't think that Moo-Cher is going to 'Turn Back Time'.
Anyway, Wiki, happy squeezing. Squeeze JJB's, hand, occasionally. It does sound as if he's been quite stressed, and during a long weekend, too. :((
Just because you move doesn't mean you have to leave OZB community. OK, maybe the deals are less relevant, but your friends at OZB are still here …
Jar Jar is concerned, as he has done his research and knows that there is no internet in South Africa :( All communication there is accomplished by way of Zulu war chant -
I think I reassured him in an earlier thread that (when Sth Africa gets the Internet) Scotty will almost certainly start-up SABargain.
He'll also then, occasionally, I'm sure, visit OzBargain to emphasise to GameChanger that in fights against injustice and on behalf of the downtrodden, Spiderman always wins.
In the meantime, and maybe while as thick as thieves with members of his team facing similar upheaval in their move, he will have many new things to do and see in South Africa, and by way of those will make some new friends :)
P.S. Bluesky, he will also know that big moves are always bloody horrible for everyone, but that you do get through them.
The massive amount of Alan Watts lectures on youtube are my go to for trying to relax
when I get stressed and we all do, I stop and smell the roses. That is I remember that I am living in the greatest country on earth, Australia. that there are people who would risk their life to come and live here permanently. That I can open a tap and get fresh water, that I can turn on a switch and get light. that I can go to sleep at night and not worry that I am in a war zone and if I am really sick there is free healthcare 24/7 and if life really throws me a curved ball I have centrelink. When I consciously think of these things my stress disappears quickly.
Was once the greatest country, now no longer. But definitely a very true and powerful post.
Yes, compared to the war torn 3rd world counties you describe, it is truly great.
Middle class have it better in "3rd world countries"
The higher you earn in Aus the more you're penalised. That's why many leave for the US and countries which reward people who work hard.
Stress, I've found is usually because of too many things vying for attention , the mind constantly jumping from one to the other, not really able to resolve any, and finally getting overwhelmed by it all.
I've found making a list, separating issues I can do something about from those I have no control over (includes loved one's antics), prioritising the former according to urgency/importance and planning an a approach, and resigning myself to accept the latter (easier said than done), as a very effective tool to combat the endless chatter of the mind.
Acceptance: I love the way 'The Tao of Pooh' and Osho's 'Hsin Hsin Ming' convey the beauty of transience of nature, however difficult it is to accept it, and thus make it easier to accept when s*** happens.
A long walk (especially after reading them) helps in settling things in the mind and restoring serenity.
Best of luck.
I feel stressed. Graduated in 2014 still couldn't find job in the field, but have causal job at a retail store ATM. Mood up and down from time to time; feels like I am not moving forward and stuck at one point. Family is what keeps me motivated.
Can totally relate, I've been there before too… I used to be working at a call centre for nearly 2 years, the work sucked the life out of you. You could tell some of the people there also seemed to have given up on their life and become complacent with it. Makes sense since I could only stand working there if I blocked out the side of me that aspired for more. Just keep your head up man and you'll make it. At least you got the love and support from your family and that's more than enough reason to keep at it. I did, eventually found a job in my field thankfully.
Its more so the market than your fault.
Unfortunately many factors has destroyed the job market for young and even older people. We have a Uni system that pumps out far too many graduates, technology destroying jobs whilst creating far less, people working longer and a Govt that is inapt and in denial.
All you got to do is create your own opportunities or take the ones that are present to you.
Became minimalist. Got rid of most of my shit. Most things causing stress are the copious amounts of things we own vying for our attention. Became mindful of doing and creating rather than consuming. Don't even watch the TV anymore. The things I do own. Are the things that bring value to me. I even find too many apps, too many ebooks and too much advice telling you how to live is just too overwhelming. We are bombarded 24/7 with crap or work.
and I hit the jenkem bottle hard!!!
Great advice. I'm on the precipice of doing the same.
Give it a go, start small. Get rid of all your shitty trinkets, or all the crap thats filling your garage that you never use but think you will, and use it for your car. There's going to be times when you may fall back into old ways. Hell I bought a PS4 and extra limited edition (20th Anniversary PS1) controller from here because I thought I wanted to relive my youth and play playstation. Had it for 2 months. Didn't even take the extra controller out the box nor did I really play it, felt like I was wasting my time. My dogs kept barking at me if I sat there like a vegetable because they knew I was being an idiot haha. Sold it for more than I paid on gumtree. The $60 controller sold for $150 lol. Did it again with the apple watch. I was curious, but don't need it, just another conduit for being bombarded with way too many notifications and being way too contactable. It annoys me, so Im back to wearing my mechanical.
All the funds from all the shit I got rid off I just dumped it into a vanguard managed fund, all my super is invested aggressively because I am young enough to take the risk. I donated all my excess computer gear by building up computers and donating them, and they weren't pieces of shit either, i3/i5 haswells, 8 gb Ram and Dell IPS 24 inch monitors. I don't live a spartan lifestyle. I just value the things I truly use and make sure they are quality. I also like the space and being able to afford to do things and only have to work part time. People will come to my house and be perplexed as to how I live the way I do and only work part time. Be mindful how you spend your money. I don't even like food courts anymore because my partner cooks way better food at home that I take with me if need be. that being said I do enjoy going to nice restaurants and socialising. People say "Things are going to change when you have kids"…No it won't, I do this so I can actually spend time with my future kids. Besides, they're the same people that baulked when I spent quite a sum for surgery on 1 of my dogs in 1 year, their replies were "You could have bought a new car with that!"…Fact is, I still drive a 90s decade vehicle I know how to work on - all I see is them squander money everywhere. I'd never tell them that I could go into a luxury car dealership and cop a Mercedes G wagon no sweat. Don't want one nor need one. Can't take that shit with you when you die. Besides I get more satisfaction knowing how to do an engine rebuild than just driving it.
During periods of stressful work I enjoyed riding my motorcycle to work or bicycling. It helped to preempt the bad day by starting me in the happiest disposition which gave me a better chance to bounce back. I used to wake up worried about work which meant as the work day progressed the best I could bounce back to was that morning dread. I love motorcycles and it always puts a smile on my face, I walk into work less stressed and no matter how depressing work gets me I look forward to the thrill of riding home. By nights end my favourite memories are of emotions felt motorcycle riding (eg. wind on face, g-forces, gratitude for free motorcycle parking and time saved in traffic) and am excitedly looking forward to the next day of motorcycle riding.
One emotional coping skill that helped me immensely is learning to say "NO". Due to my personality, age, upbringing and culture I felt horrible when saying no to employers, friends and relatives.
There is nothing more satisfying than saying no to overtime simply because you don't need the overtime.
Trying to feed my two babies and putting them to sleep is stressful.
Going to work and checking emails/Ozbargain is easy :-)
Twins? :)
Stress impacts everyone differently and perhaps in most cases is through ones own doing or circumstances out of their control.
The purpose of this thread to find out stress management techniques?