Managing Stress

A place to share ideas, concerns, questions, and thoughts about women and the martial arts.

Moderator: Available

User avatar
Dana Sheets
Posts: 2715
Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2002 6:01 am

Managing Stress

Post by Dana Sheets »

So since September I've had a personal stress party. I was double booked with clients, our offices moved, and I was given the lovely task of overseeing the construction of a core for our non-linear digital editing and our LAN while writing the scripts for 5 shows and supervising two editors.

So my stress level has been a bit higher than usual for several months.

I'm curious as to what other folks do to manage their stress during peak work times. Do you just put up with it and wait it out? Get more organized? Go to the gym more? Go to the gym less? More karate? Less Karate?

To tell the truth working back to back 12 hour days plus weekends on the heels of 5 weeks of travel I've been doing much less of gym and karate time simply because it seems to sap the creative energy I need to write and create shows. Other folks ever experience this?

Dana
Did you show compassion today?
MikeK
Posts: 3665
Joined: Wed Oct 27, 2004 9:40 pm

Post by MikeK »

Yeah, right now. My boss agreed to some delivery times that didn't take into consideration people being gone for the holidays. If I'm not too pissed I hit the gym. And send out my resume.
I was dreaming of the past...
User avatar
gmattson
Site Admin
Posts: 6069
Joined: Wed Sep 16, 1998 6:01 am
Location: Lake Mary, Florida
Contact:

Hmmm...

Post by gmattson »

I get energized by a moderately tough workout. My problem is that when I get home around 8pm, I'm anxious to do some work and next thing I know, its 2am. Since I do a lot of work with China, they are just getting up when I'm supposed to be going to bed. On the nights I work out, I just can't get to sleep.

Nights when I'm not working out, I'll end up watching the "tube" or reading a book. Puts me to sleep by 10PM!

Oh yes, stress. . . Been through a bit of that these past few months as well. . . During these times I don't sleep well at all. That's when you will see posts from me at 4AM!

Hope you get rid of the stress Dana. . . long term it can affect your health. . . as you know! :)
GEM
"Do or do not. there is no try!"
User avatar
BrettH79
Posts: 22
Joined: Wed Sep 07, 2005 6:56 pm
Location: Massachusetts

stress relief

Post by BrettH79 »

Prior to Uechi I went to the gym to help with heavy stress times. Now whenever I get stressed I forget the gym and go to karate. I don't think about anything else during class and as for sleeping im usually pretty tired afterwards...works wonders! :lol:
User avatar
Bill Glasheen
Posts: 17299
Joined: Thu Mar 11, 1999 6:01 am
Location: Richmond, VA --- Louisville, KY

Post by Bill Glasheen »

Want to know one of my secrets? When I travel west, I get up early (at 5 AM) and get a great weight and/or karate workout in before eating a good breakfast, showering, and then dressing for a good day of work. I come in clear minded and fresh, and everyone else is trying to play catch-up to me. You do however need to get to bed early. This means I can't party out late at night with the gang. But at the end of the trip when I travel east, I have no jet lag and I'm not getting out of shape.

There's no free lunch. Something has to give, and you have to set priorities. And you need to view the very big picture. This includes scheduling in time for yourself, and time for folks you love. And it sometimes even means making appointments to be intimate for X amount of time.

The more you push the pedal to the metal, the more disciplined you need to be. Discipline also means not forgetting to do all the soft things that make life worth living. And discipline means shedding what you don't really need in your life. You need to learn to say no sometimes.

- Bill
User avatar
Kevin Guse
Posts: 82
Joined: Wed Aug 04, 2004 4:30 am
Location: Nebraska
Contact:

Learn to Juggle

Post by Kevin Guse »

Not too many secrets here. I definitely like the idea of working out. Any one or combination of things seams to do the trick i.e. stretching, lifting, karate or juggling. Yes I said juggling but I’m not a circus clown at least not all the time. My athletic trainers growing up taught us to juggle for many reasons. I have found that over the years it really helps with STRESS. There is actually some research out there that I’ll have to track down that discusses the many scientifically proven advantages that juggling has on the body. Give it a try some time. It really isn’t that hard to learn and you can do it anywhere. Try it in the airport and have fun with the looks people give you. :wink:
User avatar
Oldfist
Posts: 193
Joined: Mon Dec 15, 2003 5:29 pm

Re: Managing Stress

Post by Oldfist »

Dana Sheets wrote: I'm curious as to what other folks do to manage their stress during peak work times. Do you just put up with it and wait it out? Get more organized? Go to the gym more? Go to the gym less? More karate? Less Karate?

To tell the truth working back to back 12 hour days plus weekends on the heels of 5 weeks of travel I've been doing much less of gym and karate time simply because it seems to sap the creative energy I need to write and create shows. Other folks ever experience this?
Dana, yes, I know exactly what you mean. For me it's the type of workout or location/setting that mitigates against my having enough mental energy left to engage it. You're probably more gregarious than I am, but I need to be away from other people and also not have to focus my mental energy at all. So, in these situations, I don't want to be in the studio/dojo nor do I want to work on things that require any thought, e.g. learning or refining forms/kata. I have my own equipment and mats at home, so what I can do that requires no mental energy and does help relieve stress (after I get going and endorphines kick in) is stretching, weight training, kicking, and beating the heck out of the heavy bag - and of course, spinning swords and free form running around slicing and dicing. :D

Also, you sound almost too busy to fit things in. In these situations I also try not to engage a complete workout and the usual 2 hour time commitment, but rather just content myself with "Ok, I'm going to stretch and do a couple of things and get done whatever I get done in the next 45 minutes." Otherwise, I might just say the heck with it and drink a beer. :lol:
John

I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that
I may learn how to do it. Pablo Picasso
MikeK
Posts: 3665
Joined: Wed Oct 27, 2004 9:40 pm

Post by MikeK »

Another thing that I find reduces stress is shooting Airsoft. It forces me to relax, breath correctly and focus on something besides what's bothering me. I like to set up a target in my garage on top of my Wave bag. Since the garage isn't big enough I'll open the door between the house and the garage and shoot at it from inside the kitchen. If my wife found out I'd be getting some extra stress fast. :lol:
I was dreaming of the past...
User avatar
Dana Sheets
Posts: 2715
Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2002 6:01 am

Post by Dana Sheets »

My Dad used to have a target box in the basement stuffed full of about a foot of newspaper. We'd then shoot at targets on it with pellets and BBs from both pistols and pump rifles. Totally fun and relaxing.

Kind of like Kyudo. The more relaxed you are the closer to a bullseye you get.
Did you show compassion today?
User avatar
gmattson
Site Admin
Posts: 6069
Joined: Wed Sep 16, 1998 6:01 am
Location: Lake Mary, Florida
Contact:

"Quiet Mind" tape...

Post by gmattson »

I forgot to mention. One of my students, Steve Benson, helped create a tape that has combined tones with music for the purpose of "distracting" or "re-directing" the mind away from stressful thoughts and helps you feel energized or at night, allow sleep to occur.

I've found it very helpful when I need to sleep. I've given tapes to others who also reports it is helpful.

Steve gave me a bunch of them to sell. If anyone is interested, I'll send one to you for testing purposes. You just pay the postage.
GEM
"Do or do not. there is no try!"
User avatar
Dana Sheets
Posts: 2715
Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2002 6:01 am

Post by Dana Sheets »

Here's a good but simple little online paintball game:

http://www.blitinteractive.com/site_exa ... ntball.htm

:D
Did you show compassion today?
User avatar
RACastanet
Posts: 3744
Joined: Thu Mar 11, 1999 6:01 am
Location: Richmond, VA

Post by RACastanet »

The tapes are good. I got a couple of them at camp a few years ago and told Steve I was going to listen when I drove back to Richmond. He threatened to take them back as he said I'd probably fall asleep at the wheel if I did that. 'Nuff said.

As for stress on the job, when GE got to me I just resigned. That was almost three years ago and I have been supporting myself with my part time jobs. One is as a firearms instructor for a security company... as noted above shooting is relaxing.

However, I am now getting ready to get back into the pressure cooker. I have also been a substitute teacher the last 2+ years and will be getting certified to go full time soon. Second career here I come!

Rich
Member of the world's premier gun club, the USMC!
User avatar
gmattson
Site Admin
Posts: 6069
Joined: Wed Sep 16, 1998 6:01 am
Location: Lake Mary, Florida
Contact:

Susan just sent me this stress reducer..

Post by gmattson »

GEM
"Do or do not. there is no try!"
User avatar
Bill Glasheen
Posts: 17299
Joined: Thu Mar 11, 1999 6:01 am
Location: Richmond, VA --- Louisville, KY

Post by Bill Glasheen »

I know what you mean about shooting, Dana.

I was told by many in my academic research days that I had a "Zen mind" air about me. I attribute it partially to doing open heart surgery in the lab sometimes as often as 3 days a week. When doing delicate surgery on a beating heart, you either get that Zen mind or you have a very short day.

The first time I noted the effect was a day I came into the lab incredibly sick. It was the last experiment in a series, and the cardiology fellow I was working with really could not come back another day. So I dragged my puking butt out of bed, and rallied to do the experiment.

The worst part was the cauterization when opening the chest. Burning flesh is bad enough; I learned to ignore the unpleasant odor. Burning flesh when you have nausea is disasterous. I needed to be excused once during that phase.

But once I got to the difficult stuff on the heart, it was as if someone shut the puke machine off. I still had a fever all day long, but the nausea disappeared completely. Getting control of my tremor to do exacting work was the most relaxing thing I learned to do. I partially attribute my very low blood pressure to what I learned to do in that phase of my life.

Does that help explain the juggling thing, Kevin?

Whatever works for you, Dana.

- Bill
User avatar
Kevin Guse
Posts: 82
Joined: Wed Aug 04, 2004 4:30 am
Location: Nebraska
Contact:

Post by Kevin Guse »

Not sure I know what you're referring to here Bill?? Can you explain? I do think that one who masters juggling with some added complications :wink: while juggling can go into a state of mind where they focus on the task at hand. Using the power of the mind can be tricky but very interesting.

Bill can you please explain how exercise or juggling effects the body. What happens to you physiologically that relieves the stress?
Post Reply

Return to “Women and the Martial Arts”