What's your coping mechanism?

[Calliope]

This is mental health, right? Couldn't think of anywhere else to put it.

Anyway, when you're feeling down or stressed or overwhelmed what do you do to keep yourself together?

When I was little I used to climb a huge tree in my backyard and sit up there for hours just to get away from it all and have my thoughts to myself. Nowadays I just journal everything and will have a written dialogue with myself until I feel in control again.

So what do you do?

 

[ndovjtjcaqidthi]

Take walks, listen to music, read, write, make art.

I used to do the sitting in a tree thing when I was little too..

 

[Aleria]

I listen to music, sleep, read...

And I used to journal a lot, too...

 

[cascadeco]

My temptation is to lie down and just contemplate/decompress/process, but, exercise probably works best and does the most good. It really helps.

 

[fghw]

Think about it until I'm out of thoughts, eat something, watch TV, sleep on it. Results will vary.

 

[prplchknz]

isolate go inward

 

[cafe]

Be by myself and zone by reading, surfing social media, etc.
Sleep.
Take myself out on a date and/or buy some nail polish or a book, etc.
Listen to music that reflects my emotions as kind of a purge.
Yammer and vent as a purge.
Write about it, also as a purge.
Do mindless, mundane but necessary stuff to give me a feeling of control.
If it's nice out, sometimes I walk.

 

[EJCC]

This is the most Te thing ever, but in most situations, I find that the best way to de-stress is to tackle the stressor head-on. So if a task is looming over me, I force myself to just get it done.

In situations where there's nothing I can do, and/or I've done all I can, then I try to do something distracting to take my mind off it. Talk to friends, listen to a podcast, clean around the house, make a battle plan/to-do list for later. Something that takes enough brain power that I'm not actually capable of thinking about the stressor and doing the task at the same time.

(TL;DR I get a bit manic under stress.)

 

[Halla74]

Anyway, when you're feeling down or stressed or overwhelmed what do you do to keep yourself together?

The bigger problem for me is recognizing when I'm stressed out.
I tend to "bulldoze" through alot, and before I have time to self-assess and figure out my overall level of stress, I typically wind up getting busy with something else and on and on I go... This very typical of Enneagram 7 types, so it's not surprising to me, however it is somewhat of an annoying default once I do figure out I'm stressed and need to decompress.

Now then, answers to your question - my coping mechanisms arr below:

(1) Extreme Housework (Create Order)
(2) Yardwork/Landscaping (Create Something Good)
(3) Carpentry (Create Something Functional & Beautiful)
(4) Rampage at the Gym (Burn Up Excess Adrenaline)
(5) Listen to Music (Redirect my Mind)
(6) Meditate (Clear my Mind)
(7) Deep Thought and then Draw Diagrams that Resolve the Stressor (Solution Modeling)
(8) Watch Some Comedy with my Wifey

Nowadays I just journal everything and will have a written dialogue with myself until I feel in control again.

This is of similar benefit as my diagramming sessions.
I'm big into systems theory and workflow/process engineering, so my approach to journaling is more of a visual process.
Many times some type of behavioral pattern is the source of stress in my life.
For example, procrastinating.
Once I figure out I'm procrastinating I can consciously change my time management priorities (e.g. no fun stuff until my work stuff is done each day, etc.) until the stress is resolved.

Cheers!



-Halla74

 

[LadyLazarus]

I don't cope well, I'm not good at distracting myself.

I tend to blow up when something bad happens though, so probably arguing.

Usually I just break and let things get to me though.

 

[Randomnity]

Sit in nature for awhile and just watch everything. Long walks/exercise in general. Drink massive quantities of tea. Eat treat food (sometimes junk, sometimes just fancy stuff). Comfort eating isn't a great habit, but thankfully those times don't happen very often.

 

[á´…eparted]

I mope, piss, moan, complain, seek others, take the path of least reisitence, ignore it completely, and overall try to avoid it hoping it will go away or work itself out. Eventually, there will be some sort of external factor that will force me to deal with it, I will FREAK out really bad, be under constant emotional pressure/strain. Somehow I will get through it, and in hindsight be pissed at myself for worrying so damn much.

In general, I don't cope well. I have the same (flawed) coping mechanism as Allie Brosh of Hyperbole and a Half

 

[citizen cane]

Nature, alcohol, and/ or exercise.

 

[NPcomplete]

I usually start with things that I find soothing: long walks, books, music. Sometimes my lone self isn't enough so I confide in someone close. That can be soothing too. Then - usually, while I'm being soothed - I pick the situation apart and think of a way out. Once I have my way out, I stop all soothing activities and get myself out.

 

[Freesia]

I read, watch tv or listen to music, or else I enter fantasies in which I pretend that I'm someone else, usually someone who either does not have the same problems as I do or is well-equipped to tackle the issues at hand.

Or I just don't think about it.

 

[Firebird 8118]

When I find myself too overwhelmed, I try to mentally escape from it all. I dive into my music and/or books, and I try to stay occupied with those activities for as long as I need to, until I'm ready to face my challenges once again.

 

[Opal]

Depending on the stressor I'll obsess or avoid, walk, listen to music, write, draw poorly (not often), exercise (mostly anaerobic), game, or take supplements.

 

[Showbread]

Exercise, music, journaling, venting to friends. Lots of venting. I generally need to verbalize my feelings/process out loud. Otherwise I get way too trapped in my own head and start thinking fairly irrationally.

I also stress bake. Particularly bread. Successfully baking bread is very rewarding.