Going to the gym is obviously the best way to eliviate stress. But very often I also need more to unwind in the evening. Like after I was studying at the uni the whole day, I want to preoccupy my mind with other things in the evening. Sometimes I draw, but mostly I watch stuff on yt or play videogames.
What do you guys do? What did you find the most effective? Especially after mentally challenging days?
Lone_Ranger 3 3y ago
Good things to do:
Bad things to do:
User4566 3y ago
I like to smoke some THC and sit outside while I listen to music or play video games. Be careful, I only do this during the summer because it can get addicting and only when the day is done.
RedPirate751 3y ago
Reading and cooking work for me. I feel good when I'm doing things I know are good for my long term health. That helps me build momentum to tackle whatever it is that made the day difficult.
When you do shit like waste time on YouTube or video games, you actually drain your dopamine system. That makes it more challenging to tackle real shit the next day.
Notorious 3y ago
Agreed, reading and cooking are my go-to. Another thing that helps me unwind is planning tomorrow's day. I used to keep everything in my head but writing it down helps me organize my time and lets me conquer the next days. Its like a running start because you know exactly when to do things, not just what needs to be done. By noon most of my high priority items are done and other people are just starting their day. This in turn keeps stress to a minimum around the clock.
whytehorse2021 3y ago
It's called a catharsis. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-catharsis-2794968 . I usually take 2 weeks off, once a year, go to Thailand or Bali, and have sex all day with everyone that wants to.
[deleted] 3y ago
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User4566 3y ago
^^^^^^^^^^^^
RiverChill41 3y ago
Om my worst days I put down 2-4 beers, play video games and pass out early. My two favorites are a) meetup with a friend or my gf and go for a walk with a view (I live near some nice parks and a river), or b) take a shower, then a 30 minute nap while listening to a Jason Stephenson guided meditation. I usually bounce back after the nap and get better sleep than trying to drag ass for another 4 hours.
Overall though, getting my sleep in order/getting a full 8 hrs of sleep most nights has had a major impact on reducing stress/increasing my resilience longterm.
AbusiveFather1 3y ago
do you go to sleep at the same time every day? i seem to absolutely require an afternoon nap these days, even though i'm getting (more than) 8 hours of sleep, but my sleep schedule is sort of messed up and i wonder if that's the culprit.
RiverChill41 3y ago
I try for 10-11 pm most weekday nights. Weekends it's more like midnight. I'm not 100% on it, but I don't do 2-3 am nights anymore. And yeah, the routine helps. Getting morning sunlight helps. There are a lot of things that can affect sleep. I could ramble anecdotes, but you're better off just going through the Huberman Lab sleep toolkit video and writing down what optimizations you could use for your own sleep routine. It's 1 hr 40 min, and worth every minute.
https://hubermanlab.com/sleep-toolkit-tools-for-optimizing-sleep-and-sleep-wake-timing/
No-Stress-Cat 2 3y ago
Hit the gym or go for a run, make some dinner, clean the kitchen, and chill out with a cup of coffee and browse TRP. Then I either watch stuff on YouTube, look for reviews of stuff I wan to buy, watch anime, or play a video game. Whatever I'm in the mood for.