Stress relief activities: NBR

[art23rockpile]

Without pointing fingers, one "sign of the times" is the greater stress level we're all subject to, usually money related. Yesterday was not a great day for me, however, when I got home from work, relief was a block away. My other physical activity which i'm truly passionate about (besides MTBing) is surfing, and i'm fortunate to live close to some good reefbreaks. Sure enough... after paddling-out and getting a few waves, I could feel the stress level recede. When I got out of the water before dark, things seemed a little bit better!

So, inspired by a recent thread, i'm curious as to what other STR folk do to deal with these stressful times.

Photos:

My "other" playground, starting to show on the new hurricane swell. The rock where the waves are breaking is just over head-high. The guy on the wave is my friend Derek, who lives nearby.

[Evil Chocula]

Running. After a stressful day I'll run a fast 3-4 miler. Its like doucheing my brain.

[J_Sims]

you mean to say that there is more to life than Riding and STR


How dare you....

[art23rockpile]

Originally Posted by J_Sims

you mean to say that there is more to life than Riding and STR


How dare you....

In a word: yes.

I bow my head in shame!

[mtnbikerdude87]

Very nice! Where is that at?

I surf too and thats my usual stress reliever other than biking. This S swell over the weekend should be very fun.

[xhuskr]

Biking, time with the wife and the pub are my stress breakers!

[PacMan]

My other stress reliever is Martial Arts. Just like riding, it's pretty hard to think about other stuff--like something that's stressing me out--while doing it. I go to class 2-3 times a week and it works well.

Plus, there's nothing like sparring to relieve a little stress. When you land a good, solid kick upside someone's head, you just feel better about yourself. Of course, you're that person's punching bag too. Again, the need for concentration comes in and you have to be totally focused on what you're doing.

After a good 3 hours of it, I find the stress is gone--or I'm just too d@mn tired to care about it.

[Pain Freak]

I haven't found anything that works as good as mountain biking. I trained for a while doing tri's and although it helped a little,nothing even comes close to relieving stress then an all day mountain bike ride.

I surfed for a lot of years but got burned out on it. Tried it again in Haiwaii, but all I could remember was the cold morings sitting in a wet suit waiting and waiting for a wave for a 20 to 30 second ride. Now don't get me wrong I used to be just as passionate about surfing as I am now about mountain biking but for me that ship has sailed.

[speckledtrout]

Tequila.

[Chewyeti]

is that brooks or thalia street in laguna?

[BrewMaster]

German midget porn and speedballs.

[mtbchip]

Doesn't take much........

[art23rockpile]

Originally Posted by mtnbikerdude87

Very nice! Where is that at?

I surf too and thats my usual stress reliever other than biking. This S swell over the weekend should be very fun.

Originally Posted by Chewyeti

is that brooks or thalia street in laguna?

Surf etiquette prevents me from saying where it is on a public forum (it's not Brooks or Thalia)... only that it's a small rocky cove in Laguna. If you want to know more, PM me.

Originally Posted by BrewMaster

German midget porn and speedballs.

!!!
My speedball days are long gone, but the "German midget porn" sounds like a novel distraction!

[Evil Chocula]

Originally Posted by Pain Freak

I haven't found anything that works as good as mountain biking. I trained for a while doing tri's and although it helped a little,nothing even comes close to relieving stress then an all day mountain bike ride.

I surfed for a lot of years but got burned out on it. Tried it again in Haiwaii, but all I could remember was the cold morings sitting in a wet suit waiting and waiting for a wave for a 20 to 30 second ride. Now don't get me wrong I used to be just as passionate about surfing as I am now about mountain biking but for me that ship has sailed.

I also burned out surfing. And, I feel like I'm burning out on mountain biking right now.

After the 10,000+ mechanical issues of the last few years, MTB maintenance is becoming just another stress another stress source.

The simplicity of lacing up the shoes and just running is pretty liberating. Anyone feel me?

[bighit8]

Skateboarding and teaching my kids new things.We go to the library a lot.My 4 year old is already reading really good for his age.Reading is good stress relief.

[J_Sims]

Originally Posted by J_Sims

you mean to say that there is more to life than Riding and STR


How dare you....

I actually have a Custom Weber Stylist that I like to play in the waves with...

[mfoga]

Whats funny is I almost became the opposite. I surfer close to every day and got burned out on it. It was nice in the winter when most people wouldn't surf because they don't like wetsuits but come summer it was a headache. I have become a lot more interested in riding and haven't even been in the water for months. I think the reason Mtn Biking is better is I have very few friends surfing anymore so I was alwats by myself and riding I am riding with new friends all the time.

[queenwilhelmina]

I actually just finished a stress management class at CSUF, and I learned a lot. It's VERY important for your health to find ways to manage stress, or your mind and body will suffer.

Something as simple as diaphragmic breathing can help. Other techniques are meditation, yoga, art and music therapy, massage therapy, etc. One major takeaway I had from that class was cognitive restructuring. You have to learn to reframe your thoughts and realize that you are 100% in control of your attitude. Optimism can lead to a longer, happier life.

A couple other tips I learned were to avoid watching TV (especially the news), using the internet, or talking on the phone just before going to bed; also, it's very important to make the time to do fun things, no matter how busy you are.