How do you unwind/relax?

[Freaksta]

Hmmm i cant help much..

Your situation is slightly different as you are the owner. You have additional pressures that many other people will never know about.

For me i switch off pretty quickly and easily based on the fact that i know i have worked hard and achieved what ever i set out for that day. Work is never ending therefore you need to set yourself goal which may push the limit but are achievable even on a daily basis.

Thats a little different though because i am paid to work from 8 till 5 and get very little benefit from working over and above this, my job and work will be there day in and day out. I work in auditing which is pretty deadline driven but i cant even tell you when last i stressed about it, those around me are always stressing though, i know for me it adds nothing positive to the team environment that i work in (causes more stress to others) and doesn't get the work done any faster. It is very much in your mind though.

I still am pretty young though and dont have additional pressures such as bonds, kids and wife though. Not sure if that will change anything for me!

 

[Akasha]

playing wow...

Used to relax me. Now it just feels like a chore and I'm too addicted to stop.

The only thing that really relaxes me is either a back massage or getting really really drunk. Can't even seem to enjoy other stuff anymore

 

[Beachless]

Jip, I ride like I stole it. It's essentially the same route every weekend trying to beat the clock from last week. The thing is in idle moments my mind always wanders back to stressful rubbish. I have been wanting to go into the country side for a 'adventure weekend' and just ride my MTB and 4x4 around all weekend for no particular reason, but never got round to it.



I also really struggle to go to sleep at night knowing I left something undone. Thing is, I will never get everything done, that's just the nature of the industry, but how do you separate from all that and take a breath.



Will looks like you and the doctor agree. Go lie down for a month. I am not sure that it's possible right now though.

Maybe just make 2 of your rides/runs a week chillax ones where you go slow and take in the scenery and keep you mind busy by looking at the things go by and like I said focus on a bug or a bird or a tree and think about crap like what kind it is if its poisonous etc. As soon as you drift back to work consciously block it. I dont agree with only relaxing on holidays that is not enough. Its tough though I know.

 

[OrbitalDawn]

So, alcohol, jerking off and violence?

The meditation thing does jack squat for me, I sit there and get pissed about the things I should be doing.

Then you're not doing it right, which is understandable if you've never done it before. The whole idea of mindfulness meditation is to step off the unending rollercoaster that our minds tend to be, jumping from one thought to the next without ever letting you take a break.

Try to find a quiet moment and try these:

http://www.samharris.org/podcast/item/mindfulness-meditation

Also read the original post he references there for some useful background info.

 

[Nokkie]

Meditate for about 30- 40 mins

 

[midnightcaller]

Sleep

 

[shadow_man]

I box. I find it's hard to think too much, when someone is trying to knock your block off.

 

[OrbitalDawn]

 

[poffle]

With regards to the meditation thing, i would suggest you try a different form. Labyrinths
http://www.rainbow-labyrinths.co.za/about/south_africa.html , its not just a sit and think about ****, you walk the labyrinth, lots of them are in beautiful scenery and its dead quiet so you can just let your mind wander.

Other than that.. beer, games, beach

 

[Ianf1]

Try find a mentor / business coach / trusted advisor to help you remove or reduce your work related stress. Don't be scared to make the big changes in your company to reduce the stress.
Then just think about "The graveyard is full of people who thought they were irreplaceable" this was told to me early in my career and took a few years to sink in.
Now I own a small print company and try hard not to stress.

 

[heartbroken]

@Freaksta, I honestly do not know how if feels to work from 8 - 5 and go home. I started my first business at 19 during my first year at varsity, so that was even more hectic. But I think being < 20 kind of makes you invincible, because I never used to stress, partied 3 -4 times a week and everything just worked out as if by magic.

I think I will give the meditation thing another go, will read up on all the links first though. My idea of meditation so far was to sit in a corner while trying not to think. Seems like there is much more to it. Although I think living in Mauritius might make it a little easier ;-)

@Beachless, I think I will take my camera with me this weekend and consciously try and find something cool to photograph. Force myself to ignore the stressful thoughts and focus on finding something cool or interesting.

Boxing, well there is a new idea!

 

[heartbroken]

Try find a mentor / business coach / trusted advisor to help you remove or reduce your work related stress. Don't be scared to make the big changes in your company to reduce the stress.
Then just think about "The graveyard is full of people who thought they were irreplaceable" this was told to me early in my career and took a few years to sink in.
Now I own a small print company and try hard not to stress.

I made use of a life coach for a while, but she lives in Sweden and somehow the Skype calls started to irritate me. Also I started to think that a life coach is the epitome of having too much money. I think you have a valid point though, I need to go and speak to a proper business consultant/coach, perhaps I can make a couple of changes in the business to make life easier.

 

[backstreetboy]

tl;dr - How the actual fck do you relax?

Rubbing one out every day.

 

[smallearth]

I had similar problems in 2008. Unfortunately it took a bit of a personal and business disaster before I decided to take a year off to just do whatever.

 

[heartbroken]

I had similar problems in 2008. Unfortunately it took a bit of a personal and business disaster before I decided to take a year off to just do whatever.

Was lying in bed Wednesday night thinking the exact same thing. What if I stick a tenant into my house, pack up my laptop and just go and rent a place in whatever country for as long as my visa allows and then move over to the next. Very tempting!

 

[smallearth]

Was lying in bed Wednesday night thinking the exact same thing. What if I stick a tenant into my house, pack up my laptop and just go and rent a place in whatever country for as long as my visa allows and then move over to the next. Very tempting!

It was very good for me. Financially a strain though. But I'm sure I would have been dead if I hadn't.

 

[spiff]

I go fly.

when you take off and behold the world beneath you nothing else matters - you just float in your own space.

look at this view - simply awesome!

 

[akescpt]

I actually told my wife this week i'm getting tired of all this busyness. hopefully this is the last weekend of prepping the house. although we are entering that time where there just seems to be stuff every weekend. next weekend for example I have a function but my daughter is invited to 2 other functions at the same time.

I told my wife I want to go somewhere to drink, ****, eat leka, maybe smoke and without the kids. the order doesn't matter but all of that.

 

[heartbroken]

It was very good for me. Financially a strain though. But I'm sure I would have been dead if I hadn't.

I am really considering this, I think even if I can do 3 months it might help me. Just not sure what will happen to the business in the meantime and that is a whole new level of stress.

I go fly.

when you take off and behold the world beneath you nothing else matters - you just float in your own space.

look at this view - simply awesome!

Man that looks sweet, I can imagine getting lost in the vastness of it all. I did some diving last year in Mozambique, and under water you also get that sense of 'massiveness'.

I actually told my wife this week i'm getting tired of all this busyness. hopefully this is the last weekend of prepping the house. although we are entering that time where there just seems to be stuff every weekend. next weekend for example I have a function but my daughter is invited to 2 other functions at the same time.

I told my wife I want to go somewhere to drink, ****, eat leka, maybe smoke and without the kids. the order doesn't matter but all of that.

I have a to do list for the house the length of my arm, but after this week a 'fck it' approach will suit me better, it will get done when it gets done.

 

[spiff]

Man that looks sweet, I can imagine getting lost in the vastness of it all. I did some diving last year in Mozambique, and under water you also get that sense of 'massiveness'.

flying to Worcester tomorrow for breakfast