Thread: Reducing Stress?

Don't reduce stress: redefine it.

- Do you stress over things you cannot control? It won't have any effect, so why bother?
- Do you stress over mistakes you made? It won't have any effects, so why bother?
- Do you stress over things that ruin your day? Accept that they will always be present, and they will stop bothering you.
- Do you stress over the future? Prepare for it, plan for accidents, and let it go. Nothing else you can do.
- Do you stress over the past? Without it, you probably would never be able to improve.

I know it must be very hard to not stress over loosing your wallet for example, or worrying about a relative's health, but stress is mostly a matter of perspective: if you let it consume you, you will be in a constant state of nervousness, feeling tired, etc etc. While many people think that advice like "Happy thoughts" or "it will eventually get better" is useless, but there's a difference between waiting for things to get better, and stressing over things you can't control. If you're doing everything in your power to improve in a situation that stresses you, then you need to worry no more.
If I had to define these principles in a single concept, I'd choose mindfulness:

a kind of nonelaborative, nonjudgmental, present-centered awareness in which each thought, feeling, or sensation that arises in the attentional field is acknowledged and accepted as it is

Mindfulness is not (necessarily) meditation, but it works very well with lucid dreaming because it promotes constant self-awareness. You could even say that if lucidity is awareness of being in a dream, mindfulness is awareness of being alive (I'll stop here because the post is already getting long xD)

Running. Or any kind of exercise, when the weather's too lousy for a run.

A little classic Stoicism couldn't hurt:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHIWwUU3sgI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NwM0i9zZis

If you are not fond of philosophical texts, this may be a bit easier:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVgVrSPhVsc

Taking ideas from the Stoics and combining them with different types of awareness can be very powerful.

Both zoth and carabos have great examples. Just wanted to add that if you do exercise, it releases endorphins which make you feel better. I go for walks in forests or any where with trees really. I think it has something to do with biophilia( which is a hypotheses that human being have an intrinsic love with other living things) I once read about a study that they did on two patients in a hospital( they had the same disease) anyways they found that the one who had a window overlooking a park with trees healed faster then the person who didn't have a window.This is obviously a very simplified explanation. But I have noticed it too, like on lunch break everyone crowds around the one tree surrounded by concrete xD or like look how calm people are in a park compared to those shopping in a mall. Getting off topic a bit, hope this helps.

Yes, physical activity to the point of exhaustion leaves one too tired to stress about stuff .

And yeah, don't sweat the little things....and they're ALL little things.

It's like trying to fall asleep...you can't sleep while you're "trying," but when you "let go" is when you fall asleep instantly!

Zoth's answer reminded me of a book i read by John C. Parkin called "F*ck it!"

The book tells just that, if you have problems with money, with friends, with work... "F*ck it", let it go, find something that makes you happy.

Mahamudra Metta is a meditation that induces feelings of equanimity and even bliss as you focus on compassionate sensation and reevaluate negative emotion positively. Always brings feelings of peace for me.

Mahamudra Noting » Buddhist Geeks

A worth watching talk about cognitive reappraisal ( which Zoth talked about )
Kelly McGonigal: How to make stress your friend | Video on TED.com

Writing in my day journal is what helps me.