Stress

[banamana]

Hi all,

I have just resigned from a job which had kind of taken over my entire life for a few years... and I''ve given myself an undefined holiday period to de-stress, get fit and healthy, lose some weight, get some sun, make some friends and get some hobbies!

I''m 65kg (143 pounds) and it''s not muscle And I''m only little at 5''3.

I''m also just incredibly mentally exhausted and burnt out.

I haven''t really enjoyed socialising or hobbies for a while cause I''ve been so tired and busy with work.. so ever since we moved cities a few months ago I haven''t really met anyone new and I''m feeling a bit lonely. I really feel for my BF/FF because I can''t have been much fun lately.. He is my main motivation for making this change

SO!

I''m very excited about having a holiday to be young and irresponsible and enjoy life! I finish work in 3 weeks and soon after that our summer will begin. I have a treadmill for rainy days, and my feet (and a bike and a skateboard) for sunny days, and I''m hoping to get into some sporty hobbies as well.

I hope that by joining a forum with some like-minded people it might help to keep me accountable to my goals and not feel so isolated in the mean time!

And if anyone has any good tips for getting rid of stress, tension, depression (caused by stress), I am all ears...

 

[Skippy123]

Exercise is a great mood booster, yoga is a great stress reducer! I would join a yoga class and you may end up meeting people! I always somehow meet people at the gym in aerobics class. Or you might sign up for a fun class through your local continuing education college/university; I took sewing and made a few friends for life (just try a fun hobby and you may meet some people with the same passion as you)!

Welcome to Pricescope by the way!

 

[marcy]

Something I did to help reduce stress was to make sure I had some "me" time every evening. I like to knit and read so each night even if I had to stay up late to do it I spent 10 minutes either knitting or reading. Good luck! As Skippy said as well exercise can help a great deal. It makes you feel better and lifts your spirits because you accomplished something as well.

 

[phoenixgirl]

Welcome to PS!

I agree with Skippy; the endorphins you get from exercise help with stress and mood. When you quit your job I assume a large source of stress will disappear from your life, but I guess you could try counseling or some self-help books to learn some new coping mechanisms since we all have stress from time to time. Also, meeting new people will help so you don''t feel like you''re only sharing negative stuff with your BF.

I remember that I found the first couple of years of teaching really hard and I would want to tell DH in detail about every little situation. A few years later, I have much more patience with the kids and dwell on work a lot less; if I tell DH about work, it''s usually something funny that happened, not something annoying. It just took time; I guess I had to learn how to cope with stressors differently through trial and error. The kids are still kids

, but I have changed in how I handle situations and what I let bother me.

Some kind of strength training will help you get in shape faster than just cardio and will add muscle mass. If you join a gym, you could combine your social goals with your physical goals. They often offer a few free personal trainer sessions to get you started, and then there should be fun classes to take too. If that''s cost prohibitive, you might be able to do a lot of working out on your own and just take one or two classes that you pay for individually.

Is that your cute kitty in your pic? You could volunteer at the local animal shelter and meet likeminded people (although my friend did that this summer and was surprised at how many people were doing their court-ordered community service!). Or maybe you could get a part-time job at a pet store or jewelry store or somewhere you''d like to spend time without worrying about career advancement and job stress.

Personally, I''d like to take a cooking class.

If you tell us the general area where you live, I''ll see what I can find online of organizations and groups.

 

[banamana]

Thanks for the welcome

Skippy : Great ideas! I checked out our local continuing education classes and I have just signed up for a circus class! Hehe.. It is a 10-weeks-of-Saturdays class that covers juggling, tight-rope walking, acrobatics, rolabola, slackrope, performance art etc, with a group performance at the end.
SO out of my comfort zone but also sounds like heaps of fun.

Marcyc : I have actually started knitting a bit lately.. I only know how to do scarves so I have been stockpiling scarves to give people for xmas and birthdays. I like zoning out and knitting after dinner in front of the TV. Maybe I could find a local knitting group where we could all zone out together..

Phoenix : I live in Christchurch, New Zealand. I can''t really afford to join a gym as I''m conserving money pretty hardcore until I start work again.. the same with yoga really as it''s quite expensive here. But there''s nothing to stop me joining a running group or something if I can find one A part-time job sounds good, especially somewhere where the work is outside and physical since my brain needs winding down and my body needs revving up!

I have seen a counsellor a few times, but I think lifestyle changes is the answer. I''m very resistant to trying anti-depressants even though they work wonders for a lot of people.. because I feel like I know what needs to change in my life to be calm and happy Or at least the general idea of what needs to change.

The reason I''m posting this on PriceScope is that I''m in kind of a transitional phase of life.. I''m 28 and in a wonderful longterm relationship and I''m getting interested in marriage and children.. and I want to be able to enjoy those things to the fullest when they happen!

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 8/8/2008 6:48:15 PM
Author: banamana
Thanks for the welcome

Skippy : Great ideas! I checked out our local continuing education classes and I have just signed up for a circus class! Hehe.. It is a 10-weeks-of-Saturdays class that covers juggling, tight-rope walking, acrobatics, rolabola, slackrope, performance art etc, with a group performance at the end.
SO out of my comfort zone but also sounds like heaps of fun.

Marcyc : I have actually started knitting a bit lately.. I only know how to do scarves so I have been stockpiling scarves to give people for xmas and birthdays. I like zoning out and knitting after dinner in front of the TV. Maybe I could find a local knitting group where we could all zone out together..

Phoenix : I live in Christchurch, New Zealand. I can't really afford to join a gym as I'm conserving money pretty hardcore until I start work again.. the same with yoga really as it's quite expensive here. But there's nothing to stop me joining a running group or something if I can find one A part-time job sounds good, especially somewhere where the work is outside and physical since my brain needs winding down and my body needs revving up!

I have seen a counsellor a few times, but I think lifestyle changes is the answer. I'm very resistant to trying anti-depressants even though they work wonders for a lot of people.. because I feel like I know what needs to change in my life to be calm and happy Or at least the general idea of what needs to change.

The reason I'm posting this on PriceScope is that I'm in kind of a transitional phase of life.. I'm 28 and in a wonderful longterm relationship and I'm getting interested in marriage and children.. and I want to be able to enjoy those things to the fullest when they happen!

Oh knitting groups are great!!! My MIL was in a quilting group and made friends for life. Exercise, getting sunshine and fresh air I think helps my over all wellbeing (mental and physical). The class you signed of for sounds like loads of fun; I would love to hear more about your class once it begins! Why don't you join our Healthier lifestyles thread; we would love to have you!!! Sending you a hug

 

[marcy]

The circus class sounds great. I was going to knit the girls in my family scarfs for Christmas last year but only got 4 of them done. I think I''ll dig out my vest and work on it this weekend. I started it in the spring and haven''t worked on it much since.