How do you relieve stress or cure the blues?

kozmic

kozmic

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It's the first day of spring and we awoke to coating of ice and snow and more of that bitter wind that has been around all winter.

I've read that some folks here are dealing with some personal issues and stressful situations in their lives.

How to you shake the blues or "relieve" that dreaded stress in your life? Personally, I have a bunch of thing that either brighten my day or put me back into a healthier frame of mind.

Listening to music. Jimmy Buffet calms me. The blues inspire me. Classic rock takes me back in time.
Golf is a double-edged sword sometimes, but usually is therapeutic.
Taking a long drive on some twisty roads in full boy racer mode!
Definitely fishing and boating. Trout season is a couple weeks away and bass season can't come quick enough.
Of course shooting and even cleaning my guns.
Heading to the woods with a chainsaw.:eek:
Tinkering with something (or someone):)
Cooking and of course eating!
Long walk with the dog and/or Lady Koz
A trip to the gym to lift and bike
Playing guitar
Watching my kid's sporting events (Although that can be stressful)!
Calling my mom or family (all of my relatives live elsewhere)
An occasional adult beverage with my feet up
This time of year...March Madness (and college sports in general).
Of course, hanging out on the S&W Forum,:D
 
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I maintain a long abandoned cemetery that is located far back on our hunting property. Spending a day back there working and visiting the old timers interred there is the most relaxing, and enjoyable, therapy I need. Sometimes I'll just go back there and sit in the shade of the Oak trees and toast a few to the "family".
 
Shortly after Barry beat Hillary and the writing was on the wall, someone on the North American Arms forum started a Buy a Gun a Month Club to cure the blues. Worked great for awhile. Now I have some purchases that I haven't even got to the range. Others that I have fired, but have not satisfactly zeroed in yet. However, this weather will warm up soon and it will turn into a great summer at the range.
 
My wife says Im not allowed to be stressed or blue.... carry on....





Actually shooting for me is very therapeutic... its about the only thing that helped me when i was allowed to be bummed out
 
Re: Stress relief. For me, when everything gets to much, I pick up my Bible and read some of the "Golden Chapters," those portions of scripture that have across the years spoke to me at my point of need.

I enjoy reading good books. I am not interested in those where the author is angry and spewing. But I do enjoy good books, both fiction and non-fiction.

When possible I will go to the range w/ my 18-3 and sometimes also my RIA 1911 which generally has a Marvel .22LR conversion mounted. I very much enjoy the time spent shooting as well as the time spent cleaning my pistols. I like to shoot for score. It forces me to focus, etc.

Yesterday was not a good day. My wife knew it. So, last night she served pizza. Ah! Comfort food! We watched Gunsmoke together. It helped.

I will commonly jog for at least 45 minutes each day. Pain in my knees has shortened my jogging/running outside. But we have a "bouncer" type trampoline that allows me to jog and even run in place w/o pain. As well it helps me w/ balance.

I play the guitar. I've been playing since about age 13. I'm no virtuoso, but I play well enough that some folks enjoy it. The guitar has been important to me for 45 years. When I was burned playing the guitar helped me recover the use of my left hand.
 
Years ago, someone wiser than I told me "petting a dog is good therapy & is known to lower one's blood pressure by 10 points"

SO - - I walk with my dogs, talk with my dogs, & for all the petting they get, I'm so relaxed I'm nearly comatose.

Dogs are some of the nicest people I know.
 
During the winter I do guns, build guns for my grandsons first deer rifles. A little more every year. I reload, and keep busy. I watch gunsmithing videos and wipe off and re oil my guns. Watch a movie like Bogart, Bronson, Eastwood spaghetti western.

During the summer I fish as much as I can. In the fall I hunt. I need to hunt Yotes soon. These predators are getting bolder and out of control. Plus they killed my best trained cat. I was dumb for letting her go outside.

I listen to pandora mind music it soothes the soul. I have it on all night under my pillow. I just try to keep busy.

I also take in abandoned unwanted pets. I have one dog and six cats right now. All of which no one wanted as a pup or a kitten. I took in three feral tiny kittens. Which I tamed somewhat. I never knew how bad they were traumatised. Until I took in two little kittens who were given lots of love. They made friends with my feral grown cats now and they became more friendly. They play fight all the time.
My advice it adopt two or three kittens from the same family. There happy plus fun to watch and play with. We took in two pups too my son has one. When there together there so happy to see each other.

Having pets does help too. Bigbill

Being out there fishing when the sun starts to light up the sky at this magical twilight time I realize what a wonderful world we live in. Nothing says it better than seeing nature come to life at this time. Wether it's watching the freshwater otters splashing the fawns trying to get a drink, or seeing the beavers still at work. It's all good.

I don't have time to be stressed. No blues here.
 
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In good weather riding my motorcycle is good therapy as is a visit to the range. Both have one thing in common, on the motorcycle its just you the bike and keeping an awareness of the road and other vehicles and such. With the firearm its just you the gun and the target. With both if you want to go home afterwards you better be paying attention to what you are doing leaving little time to fret about other things.
During the winter with no winter activity's its time in the man cave hand loading, gun maintenance, bullet casting or tinkering. These are the things that keep me sane.
 
My Dad told me once when i was young. You must keep you and your brain busy by doing all what you said. If your still not right -have a drink!!! If that doesn't work---MEDS !!!!
It seems that the winter blues get worst after we retired or hit about 60.
What i do if all else fails. I buy new toys. Guns are always nice. Given a gun works also. Have you son or daughter come over for dinner and give them a gun. Cash works tooo !!!
 
The impending baseball season will help.

Fishing has been therapy for seventy years this year.

I love to cook and am pretty good at it. I have a fairly wide range of things that I consider comfort food, some of them the East Tennessee country cooking on which I was raised. Hot, spicy stuff releases endorphins and is good for arthritis pain.

Music hath charms. Classical, jazz, blues, bluegrass, classic rock, some newer stuff.

My silly little rescue dog keeps me walking and laughing.

Beauty wherever I find it is healing. So is being grateful for what I have. It's not much, but it's enough.
 
Arik said:
I drink! :p;)

I drink alone. ..with nobody else but me....
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Dont drink alone. I get my good friend Johnny. He will drink with you. Call him -- Johnny Walker Red-- $25.00
 
I have read that stress is a killer. I have proof that is a lie.....I have a pulse.:D

I've been self employed for over 28 years. I have money stress, employee stress, client stress and a Wife who is going through menopause.:eek: Stress is my daily companion. I have seen "stress reliever" things like a rubber ball you can squeeze. Oh, PUH LEEZEEEE! That is a joke! For me, there is only one way to relieve my stress.....solve whatever problem is creating it.

Then I just wait for the next one.:mad:
Jim
 
cussedemgun said:
Years ago, someone wiser than I told me "petting a dog is good therapy & is known to lower one's blood pressure by 10 points".
Click to expand...

Of course, the ultimate psychotherapy for depression is to lie on the floor, or better still the grass, and be swarmed by a litter of six-week-old puppies.

If you can stay depressed after that there may be no helping you. :D
 
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