Meditation

vikinganna87

It seems that in almost every interview I read, the famous person mentions meditation and the impact it's had on his or her life.  Do any of you have experience with this?  The reason I'm asking is because I'm trying to reduce the overall stress in my life - or specifically - my strong reaction to certain things.  For the most part I'm fine, but for example earlier today I got an email that frustrated me so much that I had to leave early for lunch to cool off, then call my friend to vent.

Aside from meditation, what do you do to relieve stress?  Are there things you do that have a long-term impact on your overall anxiety level or things you do to calm yourself if something/someone is causing you stress?

I exercise regularly and sleep on average 8 hours per night. I've done yoga sporadically in the past and am wondering if it's something I should prioritize.

 

lovemesomemonster

I have tried the meditation thing but it takes a lot of practice and I seem to fall out of it quickly. It's harder than a killer long run in my opinion!

I do yoga a lot, if I'm having a particularly stressful day I will take 20min during lunch to go through a yoga flow and it seems to calm me just focusing on that and my breathing. I do find that it makes a huge difference in my anxiety when I am practicing regularly.

TrixieJess

I blow shit up in video games. The more violent the better. Preferably with a lot of guns and rockets.

I'll do yoga because I like the stretch, but if I need stress release, I need a violent video game with a lot of fire power.

princessleia22

TrixieJess said:

I blow shit up in video games. The more violent the better. Preferably with a lot of guns and rockets.

I'll do yoga because I like the stretch, but if I need stress release, I need a violent video game with a lot of fire power.

Blasting at stuff with real guns at the shooting range is highly effective at stress relief too. That's one of my favorite activities after a bad day. 

I also do yoga on occasion and find it helps a lot, but don't do it as often as I should. I'm trying to get back into a regular routine though.

Massage or mani-pedi is also a good stress reliever for me.

Or just going home, finding a quiet spot, and reading a book is great at calming my mind and reducing stress.

erinkelsey3

I always feel so much better when I meditate for 5-10 minutes a day. I have some anxiety issues and meditation really helped. I used to do it right before I got ready for bed and I would sleep sooo much better. The difference between 8 hours of sleep and 8 hours of restful sleep was pretty significant for me. 

Also if you're stressed out midday or in a situation that you can't really do much to calm down, focusing on breathing deeply and evenly sometimes helps. 

[Deleted User]

I used to mediate in college, and just fell out of it as my life became more hectic, but it definitely did help.

I downloaded a guided meditation podcast and would listen to it in bed while I was waiting to fall asleep. I didn't usually fall asleep listening to it, but it calmed me down and made me drowsy and relaxed.

Right now I do a small amount of pilates/yoga right before bed. It's not really working though...I keep having stress-induced work nightmares. SO annoying.

CMGragain

Needlework.  I learned this when my father died.  When I get very upset about something (not often), then I need to do something with my hands.

TrixieJess

princessleia22 said:

TrixieJess said:

I blow shit up in video games. The more violent the better. Preferably with a lot of guns and rockets.

I'll do yoga because I like the stretch, but if I need stress release, I need a violent video game with a lot of fire power.

Blasting at stuff with real guns at the shooting range is highly effective at stress relief too. That's one of my favorite activities after a bad day. 

I also do yoga on occasion and find it helps a lot, but don't do it as often as I should. I'm trying to get back into a regular routine though.

Massage or mani-pedi is also a good stress reliever for me.

Or just going home, finding a quiet spot, and reading a book is great at calming my mind and reducing stress.

Not as easy to do in Canada. I like the video games. Also, I bake for stress relief. Nothing like a seven layer cake to calm the nerves

beachyone15

Bubble baths and wine.

lachattefatale

I have anxiety and panic disorder. I'm slowly making my way through Full Catastrophe Living and its meditation exercises on the recommendation of my counselor, and I attempt to practice good sleep hygiene, consume less caffeine, and exercise regularly. These are all hard things, but IMO the meditation is a lot more difficult than switching to half-caff/decaf coffee and turning off everything with a screen an hour earlier than I'm used to. But they all help.

When I do feel the panic setting in, I have a few coping techniques that might help with emotional responses like OP describes. My first steps are to tell myself to stop (stop reacting, stop thinking about it, stop panicking, etc. as appropriate) and start a deep breathing exercise (I like to breathe in for 5 and out for 7). After that, I do math/number puzzles like sudoku or sukendo, or I'll do long division on random strings of digits. Doing math knocks my brain out of its emotional response into logic and gives me something else to focus on until the panic fades. It was something my counselor suggested and I think it has something to do with hormone releases.

I'm also advised to add an extra workout after panic attacks to help get rid of excess adrenaline. Not sure if that's applicable, but I would guess that if you've gotten worked up over anything, it might be a good release.

In general, I am a big fan of bubble baths with wine, and also killing ALL THE THINGS in video games. But not together, because no electronics in the bath. And also yoga, but I tend to do it with weights and loud music, not as a form of meditation.

justsie

I used to zentangle. It stemmed from an old habit of doodling while talking on the phone and it allows me to zone out easily. I also do something that cuts out noises, like turning off the TV or not listening to the radio in the car when I'm really anxious. 

hellohkb

I need to continue to work on meditation. I have pretty severe ADD and it can be a bitch to sit there meditating and not have my brain focus on 9,000 different things at once. I do like yoga if I can stand to do more than 10 minutes of it. It feels so great for my mind+body.. I should really do a video tonight.

WinstonsGirl

lachattefatale said:

I have anxiety and panic disorder. I'm slowly making my way through Full Catastrophe Living and its meditation exercises on the recommendation of my counselor, and I attempt to practice good sleep hygiene, consume less caffeine, and exercise regularly. These are all hard things, but IMO the meditation is a lot more difficult than switching to half-caff/decaf coffee and turning off everything with a screen an hour earlier than I'm used to. But they all help.

When I do feel the panic setting in, I have a few coping techniques that might help with emotional responses like OP describes. My first steps are to tell myself to stop (stop reacting, stop thinking about it, stop panicking, etc. as appropriate) and start a deep breathing exercise (I like to breathe in for 5 and out for 7). After that, I do math/number puzzles like sudoku or sukendo, or I'll do long division on random strings of digits. Doing math knocks my brain out of its emotional response into logic and gives me something else to focus on until the panic fades. It was something my counselor suggested and I think it has something to do with hormone releases.

I'm also advised to add an extra workout after panic attacks to help get rid of excess adrenaline. Not sure if that's applicable, but I would guess that if you've gotten worked up over anything, it might be a good release.

In general, I am a big fan of bubble baths with wine, and also killing ALL THE THINGS in video games. But not together, because no electronics in the bath. And also yoga, but I tend to do it with weights and loud music, not as a form of meditation.

I'm currently in the middle of a book called Spark by John J Ratey.  I'm only part way though, but it's all about how exercise is great for your brain.  The chapter I'm currently on is about the effects of aerobic exercise on anxiety disorders and depression.  If you haven't read it, I'd suggest looking for it.  

lachattefatale

WinstonsGirl said:

I'm currently in the middle of a book called Spark by John J Ratey.  I'm only part way though, but it's all about how exercise is great for your brain.  The chapter I'm currently on is about the effects of aerobic exercise on anxiety disorders and depression.  If you haven't read it, I'd suggest looking for it.  

I'll look it up. Thanks!

redheadbride15

H and I talk about doing meditation training fairly frequently, as a stress-management technique. We both have anxious personality types, I think it's fair to say. We have started with the iPhone apps for guided meditation (there are a bunch that are either free or really cheap) and sometimes I listen to one when I am freaking out over something and I can't calm myself down.

I will second the recommendation in favor of regular aerobic activity. It has made an ENORMOUS difference for me. I used to have severe insomnia, and this went away entirely when I started running/hiking/biking/doing whatever I need to do to stay active almost every single day. In return I now sleep 8-9 hours every night, and this makes me a much happier person. The endorphin rush that comes from exercise is also really wonderful - it just takes a bit of a push to get into the habit, but then it's addicting. One of my favorite things in the world is standing on the top of a mountain (having gotten there with my own two feet)!

I think the thing that holds me back from taking meditation more seriously is that my mother took it up in her middle age, and got so into it that she actually "converted" and is now a practicing Buddhist. My mother and I are not close (that's a whole other story), and so I have this negative image of meditation because I have always thought of it as "that crazy thing my flaky mother does".

[Deleted User]

I meditate every day and attend guided meditations on Wednesdays (just got back!) and Saturdays at the Buddhist temple in my town.

I started doing it because I was having panic and anxiety attacks. Very helpful but you have to be pretty dedicated to practicing.

There are different kinds of meditation; we practice mostly "loving kindness" and mindfulness meditation at my temple which is a Theravadan temple.

The head monk at out template travels the country giving talks and is somewhat of a "name" here in the U.S. I know he has at least one guided meditation available on iTunes- "Putting Out the Fire in Our Minds" by Bhante Sujatha; I listen to it every morning. He has one on iTunes to help with sleep as well.

He also recommends people new to meditation read "Mindfulness in Plain English" by Bhante Gunaratana, another "big" name in Buddhism in the U.S.

I encourage everyone to try it; you only need to meditate 5-10 minutes a day to begin to see some benefits.

PM me if you want more info! Good luck!