Stress in our Modern Society | How to Relieve it
Modern survival. What about dealing with modern day stress on a day to day basis?
Surviving the stress in this modern world can certainly be a challenge at times. How to deal with it?
Today in most households, both spouses have to work full time just to make ends meet.
Perhaps long days at work. A stressful work environment. A bumper to bumper commute.
Maybe the politics of the day are adding to the load. Sometimes hard to ignore.
Got kids? How about that for a bit more stress in one’s life?
Here’s a good one… financial challenges. There’s hardly anything more stressful in life than dealing with barely having enough money (or not enough!).
Maybe there are issues with the spouse. That’s not fun…
Having health problems never helps.
There can be stress from relationships with friends, neighbors, family. You name it. No two people are alike, so there is going to be stress at times in any relationship.
There are LOTS of ways to get stressed out in today’s modern society. We live lots closer together than our ancestors did. This alone brings on seemingly countless ways to get aggravated.
Not everyone gets as stressed out as the next person. Some people seem to have the ability to let things slide off their shoulders more than others.
There are optimists, pessimists, and those in-between.
Some keep stress bottled up inside and hardly show it. Others show it right away!
How to Relieve Stress
So what do you do to relieve stress?
Good question!
In fact that is the question for you in this post (reply in the comments).
Reduce or Eliminate Stressors
First, logically, figure out what’s stressing you out. Then get rid of it if you can (if it makes sense to do so).
Easier said than done.
Unfortunately we cannot eliminate ‘necessary evils’ in our lives. But maybe there are ways to get around it. Reduce it. Avoid it. The only thing holding you back, is you.
Get out paper and pencil. Write down the things that aggravate you.
Then (when you’re calm) analyze each one. Are there things, even little things, that you can do to minimize it? Yes, there will be…
Stress Relievers
Stress relief! Sounds good, right?
Each of us have our own things that we enjoy. They can be great stress relievers.
There’s not always time to do some of these things, like take a vacation! But surely you can find time to do and enjoy some of the other things…
Some people have lots of hobbies beyond their everyday life and chores. These people tend to be less stressed.
Others have few hobbies or interests. Maybe all consumed by work or something else. Make time. Explore an interest. Even if just a little.
Our age will also affect our interests, our abilities, the things that we do. Every age group has their own stress. But everyone can find their own ‘outlets’.
Find what you enjoy or what calms you. And ‘go there’ as often as you can!
Getting outdoors helps a-lot. There are many things to do out there. Outdoor recreation is good for the soul. Not to mention the exercise benefit.
If outdoors isn’t your thing, there are tons of indoor hobbies. For example Mrs.J enjoys knitting, crocheting, puzzles, painting, playing cards. Though she also likes the outdoors to an extent.
Exercising (in any form, indoors or out) is wonderful for stress relief. Get that body moving…
Get enough sleep! Again, maybe easier said than done. As a modern society we are sleep deprived. Start going to bed a little earlier!
What’s your stress and/or relief?
Continue reading: We’re Creatures of Habit – Break it up sometimes
Easy to get stressed out. Watch a few congressional hearings, realize how hopelessly ignorant our “leaders” are, and realizing how hopelessly screwed up our country has become is just the tip of the iceberg. Couple that with the deluge of uneducated, disease ridden, handout seeking “immigrants” crossing the border in endless legions would stress anyone out.
How to relieve pent-up anger, worries, and anxiety? Do an inventory on your preps and get the satisfaction that comes from knowing you’ve got a fighting chance to survive. Dwell on how you can improve those chances. In my case, go to the range, burn some ammo. Practice, practice, practice, making it more than a little bit likely that if someone comes looking for an easy mark, they will rue the day they picked your place. Being confident in your abilities relieves a lot of anxiety.
Make sure your family and those around you know how much you care for them. Nothing relieves stress better than knowing they have no reasons to doubt your love and commitment to their well being. If you find that someone is angry with you, try to make it right, even if you have to swallow your ego.
Make friends, not enemies. A man (or woman) needs people who want to come to their aid, not seek their demise.
Don’t lie. Lies have a way of being found out. If you tell the truth to start with, you don’t have to worry about a lie coming back to bite you.
My faith is more than just about where I’ll go when I die, it’s about who I will lean on and walk with while I’m living. Who will be with me when all others have fled. Who I can talk to when no one else wants to hear me. Someone who never leaves me all alone. When I keep my eyes on Him, my worries and stress seem to just fade into insignificance.
Sorry for my rambling. I’m getting old and senile. Seems like, more and more here lately, I look back at the mistakes I’ve made along the way, and have a desire not to repeat any of them.
Is.26:3
excellent choice :)
consider also
Php 4:6 Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Bad hearing and a short memory help keep my stress level down. As for hobbies, I love the garden. We have been getting an over abundance of rain so I’m behind schedule on the garden, now I’m really stressed out. We like to go to the firing range and relieve stress there. It is relaxing to blast the hell out of some targets. We even give the targets names some times.
When work is getting to me. I go outside with the dogs and we play or I plan for next years garden and if it is summer, I work in the garden. Saturdays if I get one off, is going to yard sales and the occasional auction.
Stress relief:
You all know what I’m gonna say*….
*1) Horseback riding
2) sitting by the creek
3) taking a slow, back road cruise
4) fishing
5) hitting a few targets with arrows and/or lead
6) camping
7) cutting/splitting wood
8) being outside in general,… weather permitting
9) seeing our stores of preparedness
Stresses:
1) the workplace
2) never ending work/upkeep at home/farm. I usually enjoy, but it’s the rushing to get things done and on to the next project.
3) emergency fixes home/farm
4) horses. Hah… (Only sometimes)
5) bad weather
6) you tube vids shoved in my face
Nuff said, I’m getting stressed
So many of us have spent our lives serving our country, our communities, our families and are now retired. Hard sometimes to be disconnected from the satisfactions of those former activities. When I struggle with this I try to remind myself that there comes a time for sitting under one’s own fig tree and eating the fruit thereof.
Anony Mee
This is why there is a suicide problem with vets. They have spent years getting g wrapped up in the military as far as who they are and when it’s gone they are lost.
The same type of things happen to divorced men
7) not finding or making the time set aside for the thing’s I enjoy.
NRP,
My thoughts and prayers go with you friend.
NRP
No sappy words from me.
Been where you are.
I’m walking beside you, brother.
Stand strong
NRP, Stand tall and strong, and carry on, my friend. I know you’ll show “MOM” all your love and strength.
We are all right their with you.
Need anything.? just ask, we all will do our everything to help.
Have a safe trip NRP
Make the most of last moments,
NRP
You have safe trip to your mom’s place, our thoughts are with you.
ACDH & AC
Stress, we live with it every day.
My way to drop the levels of stress is to sew, from a babies outfit to a cowboy shirt for ACDH. It keeps my mind on one project, taking me away from the world that pushes and shoves us each day.
ACDH likes to watch golf, history channel and the military channel.
New stress level, gas in our area is shy of $4 per gallon. Retired folks do not receive $$$ to cover this new stupid. The summer change over in gas has not occurred YET, wait until then……
AC
Garden! Or i putter in the shop, most times not accomplishing anything but advanced puttering,,,,
Sewing too, however sometimes sewing can induce a whole new kinda stress.
Almost everyone has to eat the higher fuel cost, not just retired people.
With that said I (being self-employed) just increase the estimate cost for jobs. Works good…
NRP,
Give Mom a hug and a kiss for me…
Safe travels…
Been there also with my momma. Peace
Well I am a professional piddler. Which can be a blessing and a curse! I also have the ability to just say ummm, the heck with it. I was raised by alcoholic parents that fought a lot. I learned to tune it out for my own emotional survival. There is so much negativity circulating in the world you just have to shut it out and be proactive in your own life. I at one time was in a high stress environment and that is when I had a martini after work! Exercise is good to as well.
I don’t get stressed out at all. I don’t hold grudges, I let things go that I have no control of .
I do what I can for me but I have found more and more that you can’t please others no mater how hard you try. So I don’t try these days.
I live my life in a moral way but I no longer feel I have to work to make others happy.
I have a big case of “I don’t care” I help very few people these days (I do help a few close Ham radio friends as I like Ham radio and have a lot of knowledge and a lot of test equipment for making, tuning antennas. But for radio repair I charge as it’s often quite involved and self-inflicted as far as what is wrong with the radios. I can’t fix stupid, but I sure charge $$$ for it as far as radios go.
It may seem cold to say I don’t care for the most part. But I’m 59-years old and have been fixing things (home electronics, plumbing, auto repair, lawn equipment, wood working repair, wiring in homes, and 100 other things) for FREE for the last 50-years and I finally had enough of doing everything for anyone I know for free and hardly getting a thank you.
If I fix it, you better have cash to pay me. No more doing Sunday night starter installs in the Winter at some parking lot (Was asked to do just that a month ago, one guess what I said!)
But today I no longer run to save the planet, I don’t worry about the World at large. I live my life for myself and am pretty happy. Sigma all the way!
Chuck,
I like it! Kinda how my brain has been working lately
C.F.
I have Kids and Grand Kids that have to live there lives in this world that we are leaving them. My conscience won’t allow me to not try and leave them a better world than the one we have right now.
Left Coast I have done for others way beyond what others have done in return, Way, way beyond. And for the most part it was done for free any time they asked.
I more then did my part and I did leave the World a better place. I still do things for others, I just make sure I get paid for it.
PS: Family are the biggest abusers of wanting free things or services done for free.
I would say to do it for them for free is doing them a big disservice to them as it very well teach them to not do things for themselves. They need not learn skills or how to do anything if it’s all given to them.
Help family but only to the point that you help them develop the mindset, skills and motivation to do for themselves.
This is the legacy we need to pas on, not how to be a freeloader that has no skills.
The only people I do things for free is my Dad (He’s 91) and my Son. But I make sure my Son does the work along with me so he learns things. We both enjoy this time.
I use to work my rear off for others and get little in return. Now I charge a good rate for my work and I also take a few days off EVERY WEEK so I have time for myself to do my own projects or to even sit and do nothing.
I’m a much happier person for it. Now is the happiest time in my life. I’m always in a great mood.
Chuck F
Agree and stand with you.
I spent my better years helping/volunteering help for others, with no return. No expectation of a reward.
Trying to make a better world for my kid, my future grandkids. What about the other 85/90% of the population?
* FreeLoaders *
So what few of us have passed on to our children, will overcome the majority of the population?
With talking with my son the past few weeks, I cannot believe how he has turned out to be so much like me. Values, ideas, same mindset
Help others and expect nothing in return.
Bust your ass at work….and expect nothing in return.
Wanting to be married and having children.
Staying close to family.
Family values
We Have done our part. What about the rest of the population?
And to make this a better place as when I leave it……
Yeah
And I’ll be damned if it benefits anybody that don’t deserve it.
Left Coast
“My conscience won’t allow me to not try and leave them a better world than the one we have right now.”
And you believe that this world NOW, is all peaches and cream?
I, myself, want this world as it Once was. Not what it is.
Seems as if corruption, greed, political correctness, makeshift wars, falseflags, false ideals have some how gotten in the way of what it Once was.
I started helping people when I was in grade school. My 6th grade gym teacher gave me a broke electric shaver of his to take apart. I took it home, fixed it and gave it back. He never expected me to fix it. I have been doing things like this since then.
My conscience is clean on this issue, I did my part my whole life.
No more free work as it never ends.
I now take the time I did all that free work and apply it to my own interest and My life is much better and my stress level is ZERO.
I have way too many hobbies and interest to ever get board or stressed out.
This time in my life is the happiest it’s ever been.
Safe travels my old MSB friend! luv to you and your Mom, Beach’n
NRP, pray for you and your family.
My dog has just been prescribed for me as a support animal. DW has recently been diagnosed with a small cancerous tumor in her right upper lung. Thankfully it has not spread into the lymph nodes which would mean it is going to other organs. She will lose 15% of her lung capacity which all in all isn’t too bad. Her prognosis is excellent. We were at the hospital a couple of days ago and I did have the dog with his new vest on with us. We were challenged as to what the dog does by a staff member. I looked at her and said I’m a 100% disabled Vietnam vet. I guess it was then that she noticed the combat medic hat with the purple heart and bronze stars on it. She backed off quickly and apologized.
I guess I should print up a few cards that say; When I’m anxious he calms me, when I’m depressed he cheers me up and when I’m angry he grounds me. 21 of my fellow veterans kill themselves every day and I have no intention of joining them.
me—-am sorry you were challenged. — Having said so, thank you for dealing with it so nicely. I suspect there are a great many folks who honestly do not understand the many situations for which a person would have a therapy dog. I don’t know how other folks would react, but, myself, I would appreciate a card such as you mention. (although I think maybe you said it in jest?). Sometimes I am fairly literal…Such as—“I work in a place with no dogs allowed, oh..there is a dog, it must leave. I may not realise the reason, or that it is indeed allowed).—Having said that, I would feel horrible if I challenged someone with a therapy dog…. and greatful if you handed me such a card. I would appreciate your patience to inform me.
me, Your note should say.”I have a Prescribed Therapy Dog/Animal.” NO other information should be needed or asked for. It is ILLEGAL to ask for/demand medical information. Keep your card/note brief and to the point. A service vest and a well behaved animal should be all required. Thank You for your service, Sir.
Thanks folks. I appreciate it. I can relate to the folks asking about the service provided for the dog as there is a problem with folks just buying the vest so they can bring the dog anywhere with them. As a rule I try not to take him in where food is sold.
Old Homesteader I appreciate the offer on the cards but can print them up here. DW has her surgery on 5/7 and I think that I will bring a note to the head nurse advising them of the fact that the dog is legit.
A few prayers for her surgery and rapid recovery would be appreciated.
Just Sayin—yes, you’re spot on. Well said. — My only point I clumsily tried to make, is there may well be folks who just aren’t thinking, and need that sort of information/education, of a note (as you suggest) to understand.
My stress relief is working with our animals and the land. Whether cleaning coops or poops, planting, weeding harvesting, or just giving rubs to one of them – it calms me. I think it is important to stay grounded in our own reality rather than what the media tries to make our reality. Looks like Geoff Lawton has a new book coming out that may cover this topic.
Stress is worrying about family and friends health, jobs, poor decisions. Prayer helps with this but we must also accept the outcome is not always what we think it should be.
NRP, I’m sure your mom has lived a good and well loved life but it is still difficult when they pass on as we miss those daily conversations. My prayers are with you both as she eases into God’s loving embrace. Peace be with you both.
I used to teach time management. One of the things I talked about to help relieve stress (and I do this) is to take 10 minutes doesn’t matter when. Carve out the 10 minutes. Go into the bathroom (if you have one that isn’t used as much, LOL), or another room SHUT THE DOOR and Tell EVERYBODY Unless you are on fire or bleeding DO NOT DISTURB ME. Just sit, empty your mind and breathe. It was hard for me to do (kids, DH, work etc.) but with practice you may find it will help to calm you down. It sounds simplistic but I find it helps me. When I was young, my grandmother used to say I could climb a wall without a rope. I think they call it ADDHD now, back then I was just hyperactive and getting on mom’s nerves.
NRP, you are so blessed to have a good and strong relationship to your mom and she is blessed to have a son such as you….
May your visit together be extra special….
Spirit of Peace comfort you
Good Shepherd provide for all yours and her needs during this time…
Hugs for you and your mom. You’ll be missed but we’ll be here when you get back.
Such a blessing she has you there. Prayers for you and mom and extended family.