How do you personally deal with stress?

How do you deal with stress and what are some of the advantages and disadvantages of your choice in how you deal with it?

Do you isolate yourself? Need time alone?

Worker? Focus on work and try and take your mind off things?

Throw yourself directly into the problem right away?

Procrastinator?

Food?

Exercise?

There's any number of ways people deal with stress.

Me personally I usually isolate and sometimes procrastination. The good part of what I do sometimes is that I remove myself from the situation and try to give it time to think about it. This allows me to step back from the situation a little and make better decisions.

The bad part of how I choose to do with stress is usually when I isolate too much, and just stop communicating to anyone. Having sort of the mentality of wanting to help everyone else, I will often go to extreme lengths to protect others and always try to be the strong person, even if I may need help myself, which will actually be counter productive at times so that's something I need to work on.

Depends on the situation.. I can shut down and stop talking to people, I can get angry and lask out at people who don't deserve it, procrastination is also one way I handle it. Right now is actually a good example. I have a million and one things that *need* to be done and done soon. So what am I doing? I'm wasting time here

I do procrastinate sometimes. And sometimes I just sit and think. Another thing I like to do is go through iTunes and make a playlist that reflects my mood. I have way too many playlists...

I cut my hair.

Or completely shut down.

I should point on these are only when I have a very hard time.

I guess it depends on what is stressing me out. And getting away from whatever that is.

Unfortunately, I end up picking up a bad habit that I end up having to break myself of again. Each time it gets harder and harder. I am not a friendly bull when I am withdrawing from nicotine.

I often withdraw..or go for a walk. Something that usually clears my head.

Hmmm, I rarely get stressed so I don't know that I have a consistent pattern...

I guess I sleep more. But that may not be a reaction as much as I get stressed easier when I'm exhausted so maybe its simply the crash-and-burn part of being stressed? When I wake up after a long sleep, even if the situation has not changed, I seem to reset myself mentally.

In the two times in my life I have been furious stressed I go for a walk.

Withdraw. To think, step back, breathe, question, be refreshed,
cry, pray, plead and ask for wisdom.

Sleep more which is an "escape". Not good because I usually
becomes very apathetic.

Write. Things I can't say I can write.

Chocolates. Self explanatory.

Long walks. It clears my head and steady my heart.

Worship songs. Nothing is better than praising HIM during tough times. It is not my natural inclination but I always try to worship HIM even when I do not feel like.

Reach out. I have to do this after the "withdraw" part or else I am stuck there.

Withdraw, fast. Just try to think it out and find some solution. I pray for God's Will and wait. When I'm stressed you can often find me pacing back and forth clicking a pen, or in my own world listening to music, or munching on some type of food with the best pensive face you will ever see ;D

I also procrastinate hahahaha.

I've noticed that taking a break and spending time with friends or family helps with stress a lot sometimes; especially when I'm not entirely sure why I'm stressed.

Two months ago I started seeing an acupuncturist for depression and anxiety. It was weird at first, but it worked! It actually balanced me out. Its not cheap, but I plan on going at least once a month. I also work out, hang out with friends, even do little activities to get my mind off what I'm thinking about, even if its just for a few minutes. I also try to pray about it.

*Moved to the General Discussion Forum*

I would listen to music, draw, play the guitar or play video games.

Oh dear, I am terrible at dealing with stress and it is something that I am most embarrassed about. I say this because I find my behaviour to be quite unhealthy and it is something that I pray about and work on all the time. It's not as if  Ihave one set thing I do when I am stressed, but I am always striving to be that person who just takes a walk, and has it all together again. lol. I am not them. But hopefully one day I will be.

1. I procrastinate terribly. Try to ignore the purple elephant that is squashing my life!

2. When I do start working on it, I don't stop. I always have this idea that if I work harder the stress will stop. Sometimes this is true, but sometimes it's not, and it's hard to find out when that is.

3. I do my hair. LOL. Or will do something to it like a hair mask. Trim the ends. Something, at any time of the night.

And of course, I pray. A lot. A lot a lot lol!

Either I try to withdraw and retreat from the situation, or (in the 9 times out of 10 when retreating isn't an option), I try to lower my horns and charge through it. I really wish I could say that I pray a lot when I'm stressed, but the truth is that when I'm stressed, I actually feel very separated from God.  Like this illustration:

When I feel myself getting stressed, I usually need a little time to myself. Take a walk, go for a bike ride etc. If I can head it off before it gets too bad, I'm good. A lot depends on where I am and what's going on, of course. Stress can make me grumpy, and people are apt to take grumpiness personally. As such, it's often better that I leave and return when I'm in a better mood. If nobody is around, however, I'll usually just plow through it.

I typically need to freak out/pour my thoughts out to someone when I am stressed. Otherwise, I think everything in circles and it just makes it all worse. That and cry - I'm entirely emotional

exercise is a great stress reliever.  

by taking my mind off what I am stressed about