I have discovered that baking bread is a wonderful stress reliever for me. No machines, (other than the obvious oven needed to bake the bread in) just me, the dough and a solid surface to work on. Somehow watching that little ball of dough nothingness rise into this glorious mound of temptation begging to be baked...and pounding it back down, only to have it rise up and beg again to be baked, sets me right with the world. Crazy, but it works! Now I have to find someone to give all of this bread to.

Don't even get me started on the wonderful aroma drifting through my house as it bakes.

Lol! Just re-read this and it sounds like I am making S&M bread!

Watch tv


Have a glass of wine or whatever

Dark chocolate does it for me

Listening to music or working out. Depending on how I'm feeling, my choice in music will vary. If I feel like I need to lie down and relax I'll go for something like ambient black metal, traditional doom metal or more ambient or accoustic folk metal. If I feel angry, anxious or generally wound up I prefer more aggressive thrash, death metal, rawer black metal or occasionally some speed metal depending on the band.

Sometimes watching a movie, tv show or documentary helps, too.

If it's later in the evening then I just go to sleep. I find I'm more liable to get depressed, anxious, angry or on edge at night if I've had a bad day. A night of sleep usually gets my head right again.

every night is different
 

After a difficult day at work I go home take a hot shower. I chant my prayers in front of my alter. I take Hercules for a walk.
I cook dinner and eat dinner. Watch Television go on FB or BFP. I read a bit and fall asleep.

Normally I come home, immediately change my clothes go outside and play with my dogs for about 45 min. Today I drove 1 1/2 hours to pick my dad up from the hospital and bring him home, clean his house, go out and get his meds..help him and reassure him it was ok to lean on me for a change. He has been diagnosed with type2 luekemia. But before that I was so angry at work today because of a hopsice nurse for not doing her job. She is retiring in 3 months and has contracted the worse case of "short timers disease"!!!!. but as I tried to unwind on my way home from pops, I get a call telling me my resident passed away tonight without gettting her comfort meds I was fighting for today from that nurse!..they arrived 15 min after her death!..I am so angry and sad I want to punch something!.. but I just cried all the way home..knowing I did all I could do within my limits today..played with my dogs and now I need to just go to sleep!..

phew..wow that felt good to get out..thanks for listening! :)(f)

My dogs taking me for a walk.

There would be this little being waiting for me...

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net...50649_2809.jpg

-- Walking, while thinking, walking until it hurts, or I'm tired...Without planning a destination , within reason, and returning when my mind is clear

-- Praying, talking with My Pantheon, ranting raving, respectfully of course{i don't need more problems y'know?}

-- Listening to Music...Loud..Loud...sometimes ground-trembling music, and dancing wildly until I collapse.

-- Long...Long-long-long-long hot Shower, it must be shower..not a bath, the water rushing down soothes within its hot wet embrace..Sometimes I don't notice the hot goes away, those are really bad days...

And finally

-- Make sure nobody is around, human or animal...And scream, shout, kick hit whatever is available, maybe break a few things that aren't exactly important but breakable.


Above all?...And this may sound selfish but, it's me...

I have to be left alone to do all this...The more I'm asked, or nagged, or pestered...The worse I feel, so I usually say "it's nothing I'll be fine" and walk away...
If I do see the other person is hurt because I supposedly push them away emotionally, when I'm calm and collected...I will sit with the person and explain and THEN we can talk about my bad day

:praying::mohawk::rrose:

I deal with this problem a lot. But I have learned to take advantage of my 45 minute work commute and try to chill on the drive home. I play old 70's music, smoke a cig if I need it, and talk to the Goddess. When I get to my long gravel lane off the main road, I say Here is the road to my little beach cottage back in the woods!! Then I drive slowly down the lane(I have to its full of huge pot holes! LOL) and once I pull in my driveway, my spouse is up with the door open (I call her when I pull of the highway and come down the back roads) and there are my dogs lined up at the door waiting for me. I forget all about the job by then.

I hike...and if I'm too tired I at least go sit by the river...and sit...and It helps my mood.

Altitude affects attitude :)

i save my yard work for fridays just so i can unwind, a good nites sleep helps...and if i am still stressed out on saturday morning a movie or a good book helps to get me out of "work mode" :computer:

I pull out the unwanted vegetation growing on my face with tweezers.

Depends on what was bad about it but common solutions are:

• A good hard workout
• Good music on loud
• Cleaning my house
• Reading- I have a few "escape" books that always can hijack my brain
• Make a plan for something positive to do, either later that day or even later in the week/month. Something to look forward to and change my focus.
• See where I can create change in the situation- can I fix what's going wrong.
• See where I can create change in how I'm reacting or responding to the situation if I can't change the situation itself.
• Sometimes I just need to laugh - usually with the kiddo. We'll play a stupid game, pull pranks on each other, watch I Love Lucy...
  
  I count my blessings, look at what I have to be grateful for. It's a lot.

I head for water.... bath, shower, lake, ocean.... kitchen sink, lol

My favorite is to just take a nap while Fifth Element plays in the background. Or Blade Runner..... or something really mindless from the 50's and 60's film noire collection.

Self-appointed Spa
 

For extra-crappy days:

Come home and shed all clothing and replace with ratty (but soft!) pj pants and a tank top. Pet the doggeh forever. Light some incense. Burn some candles. Sack out in my evil bed with a good book or talk on the phone with someone who makes me smile while covered in a decadent face cream.

:blueheels: