A word about stress.

[Ziegelsteinfaust]

Originally I thought I had just more knee troubles due to last years meniscus surgery. Plus the MRI at that time revealed arthritis from over use.

After going through a few tests. My knees while still messed up are not the cause. I will still eventually need a knee replacement due to damage, but just not now.

While I do not know the true problem yet. Pain is still a real problem in my life. All the problems my Dr mentioned list stress in the top 3 of causes. Usually #1.

So for those of you like me who always have to do something or flip through channels, and read because stuff on TV is not relaxing. Or are riddled with ADD. Get frustrated, and aggravated doing relaxing hobbies.

Please learn to be better at relaxing, and don't stress about stressing. Stress related health issues are no fun, and the DR also said I am also priming myself for a future heart attack.

Please try to learn from my painful mistake if you have not learned that lesson already in life.

[Boog]

I agree. I had a heart attack in 2007. I carried a lot of stress due to the job. Within a few weeks I went back to doing everything I always had and years went by. In late 2019 I recognized myself feeling much like I did back when I had that HA. I was irritable and easily angered. I realized that job was killing me. It was time to get out. The company came up with a lower stress job for me and I felt I was feeling better but then the pandemic happened and my job came to an end in May. So no more job related stress the rest of the year. I don't call myself retired but I am still jobless.
It pays to take a look at your overall health, physical and emotional, from time to time. Make adjustments. Remove yourself from a stressful situation when possible.

[The Rocknrod]

Yes, you have to be aware of stress. men think they're bullet proof when they're young and don't realize the truth about stress. It can manifest itself in some pretty strange ways.

[best view]

Have not had a tv since 1998 computer went in 2004 have a flip phone and a company tablet ,is something going on if there is I don’t want too know so don’t tell me l don’t need any stress

[67C10Step]

My wife used to talk about me to our friends a lot and how I never seemed stressed. The job I had at the time was mainly process/project engineering in primary explosives manufacturing and handling. I'd be running multiple projects in the millions of dollars and she was always amazed I'd be asleep at night in less than five minutes.

She often said she's a school teacher and stresses over everything and I didn't seem to stress over much. I do, but when it's needed. If I cannot change it, I give it the level of concern it deserves and move on. Most worry is our imagination getting the best of us.

Yes, easier said than done sometimes but managing stress to a level where it is a motivator and not a debilitator is usually my goal.

[FleetsidePaul]

Stress can manifest itself in different ways. The last year I worked I was under a lot of stress. The skin on my hands and my feet started peeling really badly. I was wound up tighter than a cheap watch.

I finally decided that enough was enough and retired. And it all went away. I figured that you only live once and the way I was doing it was going to kill me and do it fast.

Now I don't watch the news. I don't care.I watch cooking shows and hit the mute button when the dumb commercials come on. Maybe I have the "See no evil" attitude but it works for me. My ailments all cleared up after I walked.

I prefer to keep my head buried in the sand. Heck I don't even know what day it is anymore. Which is fine with me.

By the way. What day is it?

[special-K]

Stress comes in many forms. There is the visible kind, "Man that guy was stressed". But there are other forms. Underlying stress is a silent enemy and it has nothing to do with relaxing or acting anxious. There are situations that are stressful no matter how you channel your feelings. There are situations you can't walk away from, that are out of your control, and have to live with. That is what PTSD is all about. But as far as the reactionary stress goes, that is up to the individual to control. You have to find a way to deal with the things that cause stressful reactions. Could be as simple as learning how to say, "Screw it. Just the way it is", when things get their worst.

[Ziegelsteinfaust]

Originally Posted by special-K

Could be as simple as learning how to say, "Screw it. Just the way it is", when things get their worst.

That is a lesson I keep failing to learn.

20 years ago I wanted to be a general contractor. Well double pneumonia, and walking pneumonia for roughly 6 months stopped the dream. As I learned I am not the type to walk away from a project with money on the line. Combined with things I had personally going on at the time. I got more done in the preceeding year then anyone could of imagined.

No I am dealing with a different side of the same coin.

[LS short box]

For me the best stress reliever was spending time with my wife of 42 years and she understanding that my time in the shop was a stress free time for me. My work demanded tons of travel in the US and internationally. She knew when I was home it was a special time for me. It also gave me the chance to have my wife to travel with me. We saw a lot of cool stuff.

[Steeveedee]

I fully expected to be found dead on my desk at work. My wife asked me to talk to the financial people her parents used. I brought in all my retirement stuff and left it with them. 3 months later we discussed the possibility of retiring. I went into that meeting with an expectation of knowing how many more years I would have to work, but found out that I could retire right then. I waited until my 25th anniversary and punched out. One of the managers asked if I would come back as a consultant. I told him $200 per hour and I work from home...meaning that I had NO interest in doing that job any more. Funny part is, the company makes more money, because the three people they had to put on the work I did alone all provide "wheat tax", which is profit for all the other people who support the engineers.

Stress-wise? I go to sleep when I want, get up when I want (within reason, we got a new dog a little over a year ago, and it's goofy and wakes up at weird hours). I'm still A-type personality enough that I drink coffee to keep from falling asleep after lunch, stuff like that. Life has a limit, and I'm going to make sure that I get what I want to do gets done, even if it takes coffee to make it happen.

[dave6672]

Originally Posted by 67C10Step

If I cannot change it, I give it the level of concern it deserves and move on. Most worry is our imagination getting the best of us.

I like this.

[dave6672]

Originally Posted by FleetsidePaul

I prefer to keep my head buried in the sand. Heck I don't even know what day it is anymore. Which is fine with me.

Me too. I call it my "bubble of ignorance".

[Rich84]

I have been running my own business for 30 years. Stress is on the menu every day. I have learned over the years to not spend a lot of time worrying about what might happen in a given situation. Most of the time it doesn't happen and you just wasted a lot of time.

Having said that, I want to retire someday and I don't want to go through another recession. The last one set me back 10 years. I can't control it. So I just keep marching forward.

[TwoFiftyShifter]

I am currently in a low stress job. Its my favorite part about it.

Control what you can control.

[richard2717]

Been in business for myself since 1995 and at one point had a crew of 25. Super stressful all the time. around 2014 I moved back home and downsized to just 2 employees and myself. Seemed the stress was still there. Always worried if the work was going to come in fast enough to pay the bills, the guys and still have some left over for me. Covid lock downs changed all of that and I kinda wish it had happened years back. Last March I laid off both guys and told them if they could find other employment to do so as I had no idea what the future was going to entail and was tired of being stressed about it. Since then I have worked totally by myself and I think I had the most profitable year I have had in a long time. All of that with as little stress as I can remember. I am at the point I no longer have to work 7 days a week to make sure everyone else gets paid. I now only have to worry about my family and if I don't feel like taking on a job, I don't have to. I just turned 51 and a year or so ago I felt like I was going to have a heart attack every single day. It has been hard reprogramming myself to slow down "and smell the roses" but I do feel a lot less stressed. Now if I could just lose the extra 60lbs

[special-K]

Originally Posted by richard2717

Been in business for myself since 1995 and at one point had a crew of 25. Super stressful all the time. around 2014 I moved back home and downsized to just 2 employees and myself. Seemed the stress was still there. Always worried if the work was going to come in fast enough to pay the bills, the guys and still have some left over for me. Covid lock downs changed all of that and I kinda wish it had happened years back. Last March I laid off both guys and told them if they could find other employment to do so as I had no idea what the future was going to entail and was tired of being stressed about it. Since then I have worked totally by myself and I think I had the most profitable year I have had in a long time. All of that with as little stress as I can remember. I am at the point I no longer have to work 7 days a week to make sure everyone else gets paid. I now only have to worry about my family and if I don't feel like taking on a job, I don't have to. I just turned 51 and a year or so ago I felt like I was going to have a heart attack every single day. It has been hard reprogramming myself to slow down "and smell the roses" but I do feel a lot less stressed. Now if I could just lose the extra 60lbs

There ya go! I dunno about the 60lb thing. No cake and ice cream for you?

[Low Elco]

The last year and a half have been very stressful, occasionally to the point where I can't turn fight or flight off. It was telling when my 21 year old looked me in the face and said "I can't remember the last time I saw you have fun." I'm getting some things lined up for this year that should get better and get me out of the loop. I hope so. Got a couple more hurdles to clear, we'll see. Can't go back.

[Boog]

It is all too easy to keep ones head down and keep marching, working hard and doing all you can and not look up. The old saying "stop and smell the roses" is really a good one. We all need to stop and take a moment here and there. We get into a groove and out of habit we just keep going on. Never making time for ourselves and in some cases not taking more time with our children and family members. I'm guilty of all that. I don't like thinking about all the good times I missed or my family missed while I was working because I felt I had too for the good of our family.

[Rich84]

Originally Posted by Boog

It is all too easy to keep ones head down and keep marching, working hard and doing all you can and not look up. The old saying "stop and smell the roses" is really a good one. We all need to stop and take a moment here and there. We get into a groove and out of habit we just keep going on. Never making time for ourselves and in some cases not taking more time with our children and family members. I'm guilty of all that. I don't like thinking about all the good times I missed or my family missed while I was working because I felt I had too for the good of our family.

Well said..and I couldn't agree more.

[61_FL_Apache]

Time in my shop tinkering around with whatever is the best stress reliver for me. Im 53 and a little ADD/ADHD although not clinically diagnosed, but my 4th grade teacher called me the absent minded professor. Well that sums it up for me. I use to get frustrated when things were going my way, now I say ___ it..

Like what TwoFiftyShifter said "Control what you can control."