General Chat

as in.. when life hands you a lemon.. make lemonade. How do you all cope when things go wrong in life, what are your "coping strategies" for dealing with stress ?

Wait until everyone is out of the house and I scream, cry, swear and on my quiet moments talk to my beautiful puppy, Fly. Been doing a lot of that in the last five weeks, I can tell you. Hi there Levi. M.

Hi Terri, Hi Morfydd personally my way of coping is... well it varies. Often I come online and chat to my wonderful friends, sometimes about the problem (a problem shared...) but often just meaningless waffle... to help clear the head, it's wonderful what a bit of a laugh can do for you... I've gone down the drinking route from time to time too, although not in a serious way... But some people don't find it easy to talk... what do they do is the question...

Coming on to GC boards; letting off steam to someone close who understands and will just listen to ranting; Bach's Rescue Remedy; lavender oil underneath pillow; stress-relieving bubble bath; little machine thingy from Argos that plays soothing sounds (oceans, birdsong, etc); big shout; big cry; humorous audio books on walkman; teaspoon of brandy (enough for me as I don't drink!) ... and if all else fails, an emergency diazepam!!!

hi paul,just up my street...stress busters...exercise...long walk...breathing in to count of four,and out to count of six...if you dont have a punchbag,make one,great for beating stress...music,be the food of love,its also good for stress,i always put on my fav jon bon jovi album really loud,so what about the neighbours,its only for an hour...candles,soooo relaxing,so romantic,specially in the bathroom,nice long bath,candlelite,calm music,and a glass,or three of wine...relaxation cds are also very good if you cant sleep...bach rescue remedy,can be bought from chemists ,health food shops,completely natural,totally harmless,just a few drops in a small bottle of mineral water,sip all day,takes the edge off anxiety,and stress......best wishes paul....bryan.

Hi Paul, if i'm feeling stressed out i put on my cordless headphones and go into the garden and do weeding etc. After half an hour or so i start to unwind and get into whatever i am doing, it works every time. Sheila x

If it's not pouring with rain or snowing, I go in the garden and knock 7 buckets of **** out of the Swingball, imagining it is the person I'm mad at! Otherwise, a nice soak in a bath with lavender bubble bath by candlelight! Works wonders :o)) Sue

I'm too lazy to suffer from stress. :-))

LOL Trish... Me too You don't have to be stressed to enjoy this though Ginger Lemonade: So refreshing! Ginger Lemonade is offers a brisk flavor that is sure to amaze your guests. Ginger Lemonade 2-4 inch piece Ginger, fresh 8 cups Water (boiling) 1/2-1 cup Fresh squeezed Lemon juice* (to taste) 1/3-1 cup Sugar or Honey (to taste) Peel and grate fresh ginger with a fine mesh grater. Squeeze the grated ginger to obtain the juice, discarding the pulp. To the boiling water add the lemon and ginger juice. Turn the temperature to low and allow mixture to steep for 20-30 minutes. Dissolve the sugar/honey into the mixture. Chill. Serve in a beautiful pitcher, garnish with lemon slices. Serve over ice. Delicious alone or great with a salad. *(about 2-6 large lemons

A bar of chocolate, a good book and sitting by the pond in my garden is usually all it takes. In the winter chocolate and the book in the jacuzzi.

Just remembered this thread from a long time ago... thought I'd nudge it up, since I'm having 'one of those days'...

I am about to go and plant some bulbs in the garden ready for spring, gardening is my way of relieving stress. xxhugxx not stressed today though lol

Well Paul, its like this, I am a very lucky person in life, and when things go pear-shaped, like they seem to be doing for me now, I just think 'well, it's my turn' but my mum always told me from a youngster to turn negatives into positives, and I know sometimes it seems impossible, but thats what I try to do. x

Sally, Thats a nice approach, although it reminds me of the 'everything happns for a reason' line, which I don't buy at all ! lol If you're having a bad time, I hope things get better for you Paul

Oh Paul, you poor thing, tell Aunty Trish all about it, No, seriously - go home and put your fave music on full blast, have a glass or two of your favourite drink and eat some food that you love that you know is bad for you.

Trish, I'm out tonight actually, going to see Saturday Night Fever at the local theatre, so thats a good thing :)

I see life as a wheel with me as a spoke on it. Sometimes I'm at the top, life is brilliant, I'm happy and life if great :0) Then sometimes I'm in the middle (3/9 O'Clock) and life is ok... not amazing but not awful... Then I hit the bottom, and life sucks! (*reports self to abuse*)I feel like rubbish and can be pretty much inconsolable... but I have to remember, I'll be at the top again soon enough! XX <<HUG>> to you sweetie!

Paul, make sure you have a darned good time - and join in :-)) Tell us all about it tomorrow

Thanks Paul, if something works for you then its OK, but I agree, it is not the same for everybody. My problems are very minor to some that I see on these boards, so I count myself very lucky. x

Paul. I am totally gob smacked to coin a phrase....how could you even think of a title like that.....I take back all the nice things I ever said about you.....from a Lemon xxx