What do you do to relieve stress?

giftedRN · Aug 29, 2001

Well Brandy,

In order to relieve stress sometimes, I stop working for a while and pray, then I get a bubble bath and try to think possitively at all times.

Having my daughter here with me in Tampa while attending school is a bit stressful because she tends not to go to bed very early and I need to study at nights. Both of us are living alone,hence, she always depends on me for attention. God is working everything out. Sometimes I am so tired and stressed I have to take some deep breaths or take a walk around the block. Most importantly I PRAY a lot.

Let me hope this helps.

CarolineRn · Aug 29, 2001

Easy, Primal therapy. I scream at anyone who gets in my way.

Little joke.. About >

Seriously, I like to read anything not school-related. Maybe drink some herbal tea, and take a long bath. Go watch a sunset, or maybe even shop!

NurzofFaith · Aug 29, 2001

I would have to say I do various things! I attend church regularly and lean heavily on my faith.

I also have a close friend to confide in which helps, I surf the web, watch mindless tv programs or movies and sometimes I just

need silence.

I also listen to my favorite tapes driving to and from class. This relaxes me and pumps me up for what may lie ahead!

Above all I keep in mind I am *one* person and can only accomplish so many things at once...my newest favorite thought is "Divide and conquer"!!

Channa

P.S. I am also all for those bubble baths...Calgon take me away!!

When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, Never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.

--HB Stowe

peaceful2100, BSN, RN · Aug 29, 2001

For me personally I like to take a nice soothing bubble bath and have a nice cup of lemon herbal green tea with some soothing jazz music playing. It is important to have something to relieve stress. I have been especially stressful lately because like Annmaeri I have trouble getting my daughter to go to sleep anytime before 10:00P.M. no matter what I do. Someone suggested to me going to sleep with her around 800 or 830 setting my alarm clock for about 1130 or 1200 and studying for about 3 hours then go back to sleep until the time I have to wake up but I worry if that will make me more sleeply the next day or what. The days I get out of class at 1200 which is every day except Tuesday I am going to stay at school until 400 or 430 before I pick my daughter up from day care and that will give me a few hours of studying. I really do not want to leave my daughter at school past 500 because she is there at 730 or she will be there at 600 am when I start clinicals two days a week once we get to the hospital clinical. I just feel bad enough already that she is in daycare a lot and someone else is raising her during the day although I do trust the people who take care of her. But I guess it is like my Mom and Dad keeps telling me I am doing this to provide a future for me and her and one day she will see what I did for us and admire what I did as her only parent involved in her life.

kennedyj · Aug 29, 2001

I like to pick on nursing students

Kidding.

With school stress I will go to a park on a sunny day, take a 6 pack of beer, a good cigar, and my laptop. I would work on a paper, study, review. But I would be relaxed. At the end I would be relaxed and productive at the same time.

J

delirium · Aug 30, 2001

Stress relief, what a great topic right now.

This is what I do. I have a huge dog. She's the most adorable thing, but BIG.... stand on her back legs and put her paws on your shoulders looking you in the eye kind of big. Her back is about as high as my hips kind of big. Jessie does not understand stress. She is the greatest stress reliever ever. We go play fetch, or go for a walk around the neighborhood, or drive down to the beach.... or just roll around on the floor. Its funny, its like she knows when I'm stressed. Whenever I sit down, she flies into my lap and just looks at me, and then her football, and then me, and then her football. Doesn't take me long to get the message.

Other than that, and spare me the lectures about the evils of malt liquor, I like to have a beer or two. A bubble bath. A mindless movie. Sex is also a good stress reliever. :eek:

Take care all.

BrandyBSN · Aug 30, 2001

Found a new one tonight....

Seagram's Wild Strawberry Banana coolers.... yummy :)

kewlnurse · Aug 30, 2001

When i was in school there was, and still is, a brew pub about 2 miles down the road, half way between school and the job i had at the time... yeah i know don't use alcohol for stress relief..... blah blah blah....

Bonnie Blue · Aug 31, 2001

I try to work out regularly. I have started doing yoga which seems to help quiet my mind and lower my HR and BP. Now if I could just take that feeling to clinicals...

I also use talk therapy and occasional romance novel.

craff1 · Aug 31, 2001

I love to read, but find that if I get caught up in a book I neglect my homework for it. So I allow myself to read magazine articles. This helps my stress level. I study for a block of time, then read an article about something unrelated. I like bubble baths too. Since I don't drink (anymore!!) ice cream has become the vice. (Well, at least it won't kill me, soon anyway!!) Getting my BA drove me to drink!! Had to quit that shit or I never would have graduated. Surfing this site is a new hobby of mine. I'm telling all my nursing student friends about it. And who can forget? Watching ER reruns from the first year! LOL!

fergus51 · Aug 31, 2001

Similar to Rebecca, I play with my dog. Only, she's a chihuahua so I always win. There is something about a chihuahua growling and snarling as we play fight with a sock that just cracks me up. I have read that petting a dog lowers BP.

After play time she sits on my lap while I read travel guides to daydream/plan my next vacation. A change of scene is so important now and then.