There are days that I’m really stressed… I have moments where my head just feels heavy, at random moments in the day. It happends daily that I fall asleep at like 7 in the evening and my short term memory seem’s to be lost more and more.
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When I’m stressed I try to distract myself by focusing on something else. Something like drawing, reading a good story, or listening to music usually does it. Something where my mind is completely occupied
One thing I do is spend too much time on sites like Pixar Planet and tumblr! 
Cleaning, when I feel like it, is another stress reliever. It’s nice to have a clean slate. And I also enjoy walking, especially with the dog. And watching TVs and movies. It’s nice to escape this world when I’m stressed, and see what’s on the tube. Regrettably, I then procrastinate!
Not sure. Im a generally anxious person.
Probably by blending though. Or writing stories.
Hurr hurr, I immediately thought of what my more dirty-minded friends would say if I asked them this question. The answer I’m searching for, I can’t say, because there’s pre-school toys present.
Naughty thoughts aside, the way I relieve work and relationship-related stress is by pysching myself that it, like all things, will come to an end. So, if I’m freaked out that my newspaper page is not going to plan and the layout’s all wonky, I reassure myself that I can always ask my colleagues for advice, and that I will leave the office by the end of the day and have a night of video games and Pixar Planet rambling to look forward to. Or if one of my friends is giving me a hard time, I cool off by watching a favourite movie or writing on my blog, then once the heat dies down, I give him/her a call or I wait till we meet up again IRL and pretend nothing happened. If I’m feeling anxious or bored, I’d give myself a ‘treat’ like wearing a funny T-shirt out or going window-shopping at book and DVD stores or hang out with pals. Or all three.
The trick is to distract yourself with other things to do, which is what most of you have described anyway. I don’t believe in susbstance abuse like going for drinks, or smoking, or binge eating, or (God forbid) drugs. I guess my only vice is eating ramen as comfort food. Spending time talking with family, or shooting at monsters in an FPS, or looking at eye-bleedingly amazing fanart on dA always works better for me (not that I’m a drinker or smoker, etc to begin with).
That TS3 reference made me very happy!
I am totes fine with people doing drugs or drinking. But the point you made is a good one. When someone uses drinking or drugs just to distract themselves as an escape to problems always leads to trouble, and I feel sorry for people who do. There’s a fine line between going out with friends and having a drink, to just drinking your problems away.
Haha, I thought it was the first Toy Story? Also, what’s up with this Captain America meme? I must find out!
By drugs, do you mean like legal ones like caffeine and nicotine? Or semi-legal ones like marijuana and prescription medicine like MDMA? Or totally illegal ones like cocaine and methamphetamine?
I’m not sure about the US (I suppose different states have different laws?) but the law in Singapore is tough on drug possession, so no one would even think of trying the banned ones, much less carrying them! 
Personally i dont think drugs and drinking are good stress relievers. And they open you um to future health problems if it gets out of control.
@TDIT: yeah i kind of figured what you meant.
You’re correct, my mind went off track. And it’s from a line in the new Avengers movie. A very useful meme, for me at least!
I was principally referring to recreational and even over the counter drugs for mind alterating purposes. Legal ones (Marijuana and Alcohol) and illegal (Cocaine, for example).
Each state has separate laws. As of last election, Marijuana is legal in Colorado and another state that I forgot.
Ah, I gotta rewatch it to refresh my memory. Not that I need any excuse, though, it’s a great movie in itself!
Well, I’m sorry I have to disagree with you on the illegal ones. Anything that removes power from people is harmful and bad, and substances which are addictive are one of them. If a person loses such control, it is not only them, but their families who suffer the consequences.
I’m speaking from experience. Some of my friends play video games so much that they flunk their exams and drop out of studies. My work colleagues in my first job complain about the price of cigarettes while they continue to puff on the death sticks. One of my best friends has to have a can of the soft-drink Coke every day or he will feel tired (I swear, this is true).
My dad, I’m sad to say, worked in the tobacco industry as an agronomist. In fact, one of his biggest challenges during his career was trying to fight the anti-smoking lobbies and discredit proofs that smoking causes lung cancer, nicotine is addictive, etc back in the 70s-80s. He is an expert on clove blends, and as part of the job, he has to test them. Unfortunately, this led him to having coughing fits and running out of breath when playing with us as kids. Thankfully, he’s kicked the habit after he’s retired (thanks to my mum’s nagging) and he’s much better now.
All the above examples are legal addictions. I’m not saying we should ban all drugs wholesale (although I would argue that some, such as esctacy or cocaine, are too dangerous to even try). The key word is moderation, and there’s a sliding scale for this (for example, one shot of vodka is equal to three cans of beer, as an estimate). And you have to take into account different people have different reaction to the same substance, some friends I know act very mellow when drunk, while others get very confrontational and even do very stupid things which could get themselves killed.
The one time I got drunk, I ran across a busy street with two of my friends without looking. And I experienced my first (and last) hangover the next morning. I’ve seen with my own eyes and read in countless studies and report about the harm that addictive substances can do to not only their victims, but also their friends and families.
I hope I didn’t sound like I was preaching, believe me, I do have my own minor ‘vices’ like coffee and instant noodles, but this is what I’ve gone through in my life and this is the opinion that I’ve shaped of this issue so far. Perhaps others have had friends with better self-restraint or who are able to balance their vices without letting them take over their lives, or maybe they know something about drugs that I don’t, and I’m always open to hearing an alternative view than what the media (be it overbearing PSAs saying marijuana is bad or shallow reality shows saying drinking is cool) feeds us.
Wait, am I missing something? I must of been misunderstood. Why would you disagree with me? I never said that illegal drugs, (or any drugs) aren’t harmful and bad or addictive. They all are. Where did I give the impression that I didn’t?!
I assume you were referring to this:
I am fine with people in general doing drugs or drinking from the comfort of their home. Never behind a wheel. If someone wants to do marijuana at home to relieve stress, all the power to them. Sure it is bad for you. But if they know that and still want to, that’s their problem.
There is a line drawn. If it’s like cocaine or heavy drinking, and ruining their life, and they were a family member or friend I would intervene. But I know people who do marijuana every now and then, and that’s fine. Whatever they want, it’s not my life.
Without a doubt, snowboarding. However, that’s something that’s more specific and personal for me, because I probably spend more time on the slopes than at home during the winter months.
What I really think everyone can benefit from is a good night’s sleep. I’m a senior in high school, and for the first few months of school, I would always go to sleep at around 3AM. The biggest reason for the absurdly late time is that I have three evening classes every night at a local college after I get home from school and that means I get home really late and I haven’t even started my homework yet. However, I’ve gotten a lot better at time management and now go to bed around 1-2AM. Which is still pretty late, but the extra 2 hours of sleep is heavenly.
Also, I think you should always try to leave about a half an hour of downtime in the morning in addition to your normally activities (shower, brushing, etc.) I like to take this time to play piano or surf the web or just lounge around. It might seem like a waste of time and that it would be better just to sleep a little longer, but I find that my whole day becomes a lot more stress-free if I can start it off relaxed instead of waking up and rushing out the door.
Haven’t been snowboarding in ages!
I also have too much downtime. 
Yup, I was referring to your statement on “I am totes fine with people doing drugs…” When I read that, I was under the impression you were condoning it, and I apologise if I misunderstood you - so it’s more a neutral stance? Yes, you didn’t say they were harmful and bad or addictive, but I was rather surprised to read the “totes fine” statement when most people I know would be against it (most of the people I hang out with are quite conservative when it comes to the issue of drugs).
Thanks for clarifiying, so it’s more of like you’re ambivalent if people want to take drugs for their personal use? In that case, yes, I suppose we’re on the same side for this case. What they do in the privacy of their houses, it’s up to them, as long as it brings them happiness (if only temporarily). I once knew someone who had smoked weed in Sydney. While I am no longer in contact with him, he’s a decent person (if a bit strange, he worships Tu-Pac and likes to flash himself ).
I don’t hate people because they take drugs, although if they’re close to me, I will try to steer them away from it rather than let them waste their money and their lives. But, it becomes abhorrent to me if, like you said, it ruins their friends and family members, and this makes me mad when I read about such cases in the papers or on the Internet, even if I don’t know them. I feel great pity for their children, who will have to grow up fast and live with the stigma of their parent being a coke addict, or their spouses, who have to contend with a partner deep in debt who has to fuel their drug habit, or become abusive when they’re high. This torment to the victims wouldn’t have existed if the addicts hadn’t got their hands on such ‘hard drugs’.
But if they are, say, independent adults who live alone, and want to smoke weed and stare at the ceiling with some buddies, that’s their prerogative. I think they have the right to choose what they want to do with their lives, as long as they don’t leech off taxypayers’ money through social welfare (ie being gainfully employed/actively job seeking and being a productive member of society) and they don’t bring harm to others.
As a historical aside, founding fathers Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington grew cannabis (though there’s no evidence that they smoked their own produce, and it was more for hemp and soil stabilisation). Incumbent US President Barack Obama admitted he smoked weed in his youth. The American poet Edgar Allen Poe smoked opium and was a heavy drinker. But he went on to write one of the greatest works of fiction, The Raven. I’m sure there are other famous drug-takers in history who did good, but these are the few that came to mind.
Oh man, my life would be so much less stressful if I did that.
But alas, I do not.
Yeah, I guess i would be neutral. I’m totes fine with it because people can do what they want, I don’t care.
I guess a good way to describe how I view it was summed up in The Civil War on Drugs. A very funny film by the way, that’s online for free, which I recommend.
“If people out there want to smoke that weed-like stuff that gets you high, as long as they’re not hurting anybody else, it’s not really any of the government’s business.”
I don’t do drugs myself, I tried pot only once. I don’t have a desire to. But a lot of what the anti drug campaigns say about it are blown out of proportion. It is unhealthy, but it’s not really as big of a deal as smoking. You’re just wasting your money, but it’s not like cocaine or anything. So that’s why I say I don’t care if people do it. I really don’t.
Haha, this made me laugh. I love in Northern California, where marijuana is extremely popular. Here it’s opposite, we’re surprised when someone hasn’t tried it!
The drug of choice for the Founding Fathers was alcohol. Which was actually safer than drinking water. They enjoyed being drunk as well. The hemp that they grew was for industrial purposes.
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I have a feeling I shouldn’t be asking this on a family forum, but if you don’t mind, how did it taste/feel like?
Coincidentally, I met up with a potential contact for ramen joints in Singapore (I mentioned it in the ‘What Is On Your Mind’ thread, so I think you’ve read it), and we somehow got into discussing about drugs after my work colleague mentioned her ex used to smoke weed. The ramen girl revealed she tried it in New York, and she described it as “tasting colours”.
I didn’t really feel any effects, because they say it takes a couple tries. But I just didn’t like having smoke inside of me, if that makes sense. And I think it smells bad.
And that’s an interesting way to put it! I can see why some people see an appeal to it I suppose.
Driving helps me a lot, but I usually go in the nature to swim, snowboard, or just a ride with my bike, it helps a lot. I would recommend outdoor sports
Those are fantastic things to do! (For me not so much driving, because if I’m in an attitude I get road rage, and it might not end well 
). I love near lovely and non-strenuous hiking trails. I love it. Being outside in nature is always very relaxing and healthy.
Unless you have an encounter with a Mountain Lion or a Rattler. 
Have you? 