What do you do to manage and release stress?

[ActiveMind]

Just wondering about what outlets and techniques fellow INTPs use to manage and release stress?

I have issues with stress release even though I am fairly active physically, enjoy gaming and drawing among other interests. It's like I don't know how to channel the stress or anger in order to let it go and just stuff it away somewhere until it manifests in emotional outburst or action. Meditation seems to help a bit but I feel like it is something that will take years to build up to the level I need.

 

[DrGregoryHouse]

Regular Exercise.

As much sleep as possible.

Meditation 20 minutes a day.

Have a 24 hour plan I don't deviate from.

Avoid crowded places with too many people or cluttered surroundings.

After social situations, take time to unwind.

Avoid negative people.

Got a divorce. <--- biggest factor in reducing stress/ anxiety.

 

[TheScornedReflex]

Too much sleep is bad. Have sex

 

[Tannhauser]

Philosophy, of course.

 

[Urakro]

Jam on a guitar or play drums.

Eliminate the stressor(s) if you can, or do something to fix it. If it's things not getting done, get the most important ones done (biggest stresser for me). If it's people, make amends or burn bridges.

 

[Polaris]

I generate and maintain stress.


Keeps me on my toes.

 

[Ayuhime]

Sleep or research more devotedly. Or watch some lpers, maybe learn using a programme finally, make subtitles/karaoke lyrics to songs. Mostly sleeping though, and rest is just finding something to keep myself busy.

 

[Sinny91]

Firstly, get high.
Secondly, clean/organise.
Thirdly, exercise - preferably outside.
Forthly, soak in the bath.
Lastly, sex and/or sleep.

That routines kept me outta jail this long anyway.

 

[emmabobary]

Kill ppl

No, seriously. Finishing tasks, that releases stress in me for sure.

 

[Minuend]

I have a tendency to go into a constant stress mode when engaging in an interest that fascinates me greatly. Like if I find a new videogame I really like playing and spend hours either playing or reading about playing. This will make me continuously agitated and stressed and at the same time I really like engaging in that videogame. Even when I stop playing, the thoughts usually continue to churn and the stress remains if I don't actively counter it.

So I focus on two points, on the back of each shoulder- and breathe. It helps me remember what being relaxed feels like and I'm able to go into a more relaxed state. Taking a deep breath helps.

If I'm stressed in the evenings, I disengage from activities that are stressing a few hours before bed time. Turning off the pc and read is a very quiet activity. If I'm still agitated when I'm going to bed, I try to go into the drowsy feeling I get right before falling asleep. If my head is noisy, I listen to very quiet music.

I generally try to keep a schedule with not too many activities so I have a lot of time just being home and try to relax.

Sometimes a quick nap helps.

Part of it is also learning to recognize when stress starts building so you can disengage and stop it from growing.

 

[Grayman]

When I get into a situation were my stress finally catches up wiht me after me continually setting it aside it is because I failed to do a number of things before it got to that point.

Things I fail to prioritize:
Organization
Lists
Completing Tasks

Now I 'feel' like organization and lists are not important because they waste time that I could be using for other activities. Why organize if i know were things are at and why make lists of things when i know what needs to be done? By organizing and making lists I allow my mind to release resources that I can use on more immediate tasks.
You could also say that the more you give your mind to do the more stress you will have and putting these lists on paper/computer allows the mind to release resources and therefor stress.

Organizing is important because it clears your mind of having to remember the locations of so many things and the many locations you might have placed them. By creating specific and categorical places for your tools/items you can release resources in your mind in having to remember so many locations.

Completing tasks is important because it helps keep your list short and the things/tools you need to organize and keep around to a minumum. By focusing on the smaller tasks and getting them done right away you can then have more mental resources to put toward the complicated tasks.

 

[Peripheral Visionary]

Meditation seems to help a bit but I feel like it is something that will take years to build up to the level I need.

It shouldn't. If you are actually doing it daily, then you will see a difference in ten to fourteen days. A two week program of meditation has been shown to greatly reduce PTSD in 80% of participating Iraq war veterans. They had some group therapy sessions as well, but my guess is that your stress is no where near their level.

20 minutes, as GHouse suggested, is good. But five minutes is better than nothing if that is what it takes to ensure daily commitment.

While a divorce will reduce your stress in one sense, it is extremely expensive. So that may add to your stress in other areas.

Cannabis is a terrific stress reliever if you live in Colorado or Holland. Otherwise, there is a concomitant stress associated with acquiring a reliable dealer and avoiding law enforcement.

Take a long bath in epsom salts. The magnesium infiltration will relax you and help you get a good night's sleep. If this is not doable, take magnesium supplements. Limit yourself to two cups of coffee a day and drink more green tea instead. I like Gen-Mai-Cha. It tastes like chicken soup.

Playing a musical instrument or drawing is very beneficial. In forces you to engage other parts of your brain and is conducive to relaxation and problem solving. This is why Sherlock Holmes played the violin.

Basically, do anything that is strongly associated with INTP preferences: Read, study, think, write, become engrossed in a good movie. Work on your novel/symphony/software/cancer cure/plan to rule the world. Be by yourself as much as possible.

 

[Grayman]

I would avoid temporary stress relief options UNLESS they give you the relief you need in order to tackle the actual causes of your stress. Simply focusing on temperary stress relief may only reifnorce the act of ignoring your stress and your problems.

I think meditation is a better option for temporary stress relief than chemicals because it offers more clarity which is necessary for dealing with issues. It is still a tool to be used in dealing with your actual problems and not the actual solution to the problem.

 

[r4ch3l]

It shouldn't. If you are actually doing it daily, then you will see a difference in ten to fourteen days. A two week program of meditation has been shown to greatly reduce PTSD in 80% of participating Iraq war veterans. They had some group therapy sessions as well, but my guess is that your stress is no where near their level.

20 minutes, as GHouse suggested, is good. But five minutes is better than nothing if that is what it takes to ensure daily commitment.

This is true. I've done a couple of vipassana retreats and they were brutal but I came out a different person on the other side, sort of re-wired in a way. The "high"/calm/perspective doesn't stay intact if you don't continue to meditate though. I fucking hate meditating, I will make almost any excuse not to do it because turning off the brain is hard. So I strongly agree that 5 minutes a day every day is the best to start because you will actually do it. Consistency is the key.

Another incredible tool for stress and PTSD that has proven results on war veterans is TRE (the Trauma Release Exercises). If you're not ready to meditate this will provide similar effects and really calm down the body and nervous system. It's very powerful. After a session it's common to feel a little disoriented or tired, sleep like a baby, then wake up with a sort of euphoria or sense of well-being the next day.

Exercise, as suggested by many. I like hard workouts to get endorphins up and turn the mind off. I used to do yoga but I would focus more on whatever was bothering me. Now I only pay for classes that kick my ass so hard I don't even have the ability to think about anything but the pain.

Basically, do anything that is strongly associated with INTP preferences: Read, study, think, write, become engrossed in a good movie. Work on your novel/symphony/software/cancer cure/plan to rule the world. Be by yourself as much as possible.

Yes, this is important. I feel disconnected and depressed when I don't have sufficient time to read and learn about whatever I'm obsessed with in the moment. Some of my friends and family think it's bad and contributes to depression but I strongly disagree. They don't understand that this stuff is actually fun and relaxing to me.

I also find that I have less stress when I take a few minutes to write in a journal every or almost every day. It lets me dump out whatever thoughts are bothering me or dominating the rest of the mind and makes me feel like my life adds up and is coherent even when things feel totally overwhelming and uncertain.

 

[Peripheral Visionary]

Exercise, as suggested by many. I like hard workouts to get endorphins up and turn the mind off. I used to do yoga but I would focus more on whatever was bothering me. Now I only pay for classes that kick my ass so hard I don't even have the ability to think about anything but the pain.

Yeah, I forgot to add my thoughts on exercise.

Yoga, I agree, is vastly over-rated. There is--IMHO--a much more beneficial exercise system that is even older than yoga: calisthenics. It is coming back into vogue because people are wising up to the insanity that physical fitness requires a three-thousand dollar precision engineered mechanical device. I would not be surprised if the real benefits of yoga are from the portions that are most like calisthenics.

Calisthenics can really get your endorphins juicing if practiced with progressive intensity. I recommend the book "Convict Conditioning." Don't be put off by the title; it's excellent. And all you need is some floor space and maybe a tree limb or overhead pipe or the monkey bars down at your local park. You'll get fit like our hunter-gatherer ancestors.

On the other hand, some INTP's need a boss to get properly motivated. If this is the case, do as r4ch suggests: sign up for an ass-kicking class.

But if you aren't into intense exercise, the ultimate INTP activity may be a half hour walk. It is perfect for all INTP's because it can simultaneously satisfy the need for alone/cogitating time and it requires no extreme effort. And there is evidence out the wazoo showing its benefits in stress reduction.

 

[Lol]

I try to think less

 

[QuietFire]

Thrive in it

 

[Analyzer]

Yeah, I forgot to add my thoughts on exercise.

Yoga, I agree, is vastly over-rated. There is--IMHO--a much more beneficial exercise system that is even older than yoga: calisthenics. It is coming back into vogue because people are wising up to the insanity that physical fitness requires a three-thousand dollar precision engineered mechanical device. I would not be surprised if the real benefits of yoga are from the portions that are most like calisthenics.

Calisthenics can really get your endorphins juicing if practiced with progressive intensity. I recommend the book "Convict Conditioning." Don't be put off by the title; it's excellent. And all you need is some floor space and maybe a tree limb or overhead pipe or the monkey bars down at your local park. You'll get fit like our hunter-gatherer ancestors.

On the other hand, some INTP's need a boss to get properly motivated. If this is the case, do as r4ch suggests: sign up for an ass-kicking class.

But if you aren't into intense exercise, the ultimate INTP activity may be a half hour walk. It is perfect for all INTP's because it can simultaneously satisfy the need for alone/cogitating time and it requires no extreme effort. And there is evidence out the wazoo showing its benefits in stress reduction.

Yeah calisthenics is where it's at. Thanks for the book recommendation. I've done some weight training in the past but I stick to calisthenics, some isometrics, and aerobics.

 

[Lancee]

Stress is a body's method of reacting to a challenge. The body's way to respond to stress is by sympathetic nervous system activation which results in the flight response. Because the body cannot keep this state for long time, the parasympathetic system returns the body's physiological conditions to normal. In humans, stress typically describes a negative and a positive condition that can have an impact on a person's mental and physical well-being.
TRE is trauma relese exercise which are very effective in releasing stress. You can visit oppmerksombevegelse to know more stress relieving tips that will really help you in living a healthy life ahead.
take care..!

 

[Ex-User (9086)]

I meditate, I wasn't much into spiritual practice, however I recognised that I was meditating since childhood, I didn't know it was a well-known technique back then.

If there is any situation involving intensive negative emotions and I feel them rising in me and I know my release will have destructive effects, I seek to dissociate, clear the mind and renew the focus by thinking of what was my original intent for being where I am.

Works very well, although since I have no comparison other than myself, anything I use would seem effective.

Often pausing to introspectively analyse the origin of emotions and reactions of myself and people involved is enough to see the futility and negativity of those and to control them.

 

[Architect]

I've eliminated most forms of stress from my life, stress is a young persons game. What remains is when somebody around me is stressed, like my NF wife, so I pick it up. But that's usually transitory.

Otherwise when dealing with the micro-stresses I exercise every day, watch a movie, play music or play a video game.

 

[ygnextend]

Hiking for hours..I let my mind wander or just don't think about anything. It keep me from yelling at people when their stupidity bothers me.

 

[Yellow]

I like to try to wander around a large city or small forest. It's soothing and challenging. Sex is good too, but only if it's particularly active, and doesn't involve any kind of talking. That and music, games, reading, writing, or art. Dancing is really helpful if I'm not physically exhausted too. Pretty much anything that doesn't involve verbal interaction can be used for stress relief.

 

[Reluctantly]

quiet with tasty food and drinks and alcohol and some kind of entertainment, usually video games or tv.

 

[xbox]

2016 has been shit so far. I've basically been spending countless hours playing sims 3 but now I want to buy a keyboard since I can't find my old one.

 

[Seteleechete]

Apathy

 

[Ex-User (9086)]

Challenge and peaceful places or empowering social/solitary situations. I've found that if I channel my frustration toward my goals I can use it to drive me to become more active and attentive. I sometimes envision myself and the world as two separate entities and when it presses me with problems I think "I haven't shown you my best yet, you fucker" and so I imagine I'm fighting with it.

If I'm trying something and it fails often times I will smile and try to do it even better. You'll often see me smiling after I've broken expensive equipment or made social/public mistakes, this means either I entered my tranquil cold fury focus mode or my happy challenge-loving mode.

For as long as I'm physically healthy I'm optimistic about my life.

That said I have complete attitude of acceptance for my limits and for the inevitability of my decay and demise. There were and will be moments when I can't perform or fail at something and there are boundaries beyond which I can't hope to leap. Despite this I consciously harbor an attitude for ignoring limits and own weaknesses so that I can improve and give more out of myself than I believed I could, even if it may later prove to be impossible, impossibilities should be ignored and tested repeatedly, as long as one wills it.

The worst times for me are when the circumstances restrict me from regaining my composure, disable my clear thinking and ability to apply it to reality, usually in a way of my mistakes and ineptitude or poisonous people in my life, or obligations/sudden accidents of some kind in short succession. I tend to then feel depressed from time to time, but it's chemical, I'm aware the depression/exhaustion doesn't help the situation so I live alongside it doing my own thing less efficiently due to low spirits, waiting till it passes.

I think at those times I most strongly benefit from positive emotional experiences, I try to wake my feelings up from the forced encasement so that they restore vitality to my mind. It can come about by positive interaction with people, indulging my sadness or anger and then using it to restart my sense of calm and direction. Melancholy, anger and sadness have a positive side when I can use them to boost my sensitivity and curiosity about the world outside of me. Really, all of my problems have always been in my head, even when the circumstances that were a significant factor behind causing or solving them were external I had to look to improve those external and internal variables from inside first.

Possibly it can be useful to think about negative factors as subtractive maluses that slowly take away from the individual's stamina, it's not critical until the negatives outweigh the positives and the natural regenerative rate of the mind-body. Then slowly the most demanding functions begin to shut down, things like ability to interact with others, to perform inspired work, to experience emotions or understand subtle cues about situations and dangers tend to go down first as they require the most creativity and available energy. After those go down one can't rely on them to regenerate the already withered state and it catches one in a prison in a way.