Best? a full night of drums and dancing girls around an alchemical bonfire.
On the top 10 list, I'd include sitting outside under the stars with a glass of scotch (or your spirit of choice) listening to the cicadas and a babbling brook. Alternately, making s'mores on the gas stove inside and sharing them with family and friends!
More realistic? Logging into World of Warcraft for an hour to mindlessly kill virtual dragons before bed.
In the evening right before bedtime, have a 1-2 hour soak in a tub of nice, hot water with either bubblebath or bath salts. In the dark. Candles around the tub. Soothing instrumental music playing in the bathroom. No interruptions. Just soak and relax. Repeat nightly for as long as needed. This has always worked for me when under extreme stress.
Sex. Chocolate. Atypical antipsychotics. And when the DoD turns up the heat with their subsonic directed energy weapons, a fry basket on my head. Aaaahhh, cool again.
Being outside, with no other humans! Sometimes a little alcohol to go with the outdoors. Sometimes, chocolate. (alcohol and chocolate? Only when total psychological disaster is a few breaths away) In theory, the bath idea is wonderful, except that the whole scrubbing the tub issue negates the unstressing.
Well, and there's Berkeley Springs when I can afford the time and $$ And, of course, there's the Wendell Berry poem:
THE PEACE OF WILD THINGS
When despair for the world grows in me and I wake in the night at the least sound in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be, I go and lie down where the wood drake rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds. I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief. I come into the presence of still water. And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light. For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
Gosh, everybody is so well behaved. I like breaking things - going to the dump and chucking rocks at old TVs is good - they explode in a very satisfying way. Otherwise, making bad art and burning it. Stomping around gumboots pretending to be godzilla is pretty good. building sand castles just to jump on them. hmmm... just think of anything that a four year old boy would really enjoy : )
I drive to Mount Davis, the highest point in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. There is an observation tower there. I climb the stairs to the top of the fire tower, shake my fist at the sky and swear.
I swear at those that left me too soon, my father (67), my cousin (27) and my best friend (42). Then I laugh like hell, stop for a milk shake, and mosey on home.
Digging in the dirt, especially if it involves hoeing the weeds. Alternatively, needlework with some meditation music on in the background and a cup of something tasty (which depends entirely on the mood, could be tea, could be wine, could be water). Long hot showers. Chakra meditations. Hitting things with hammers (pounding stakes into the ground with a sledgehammer this weekend was very calming, hah). Time alone just puttering around.
Best? a full night of drums and dancing girls around an alchemical bonfire.
ReplyDeleteOn the top 10 list, I'd include sitting outside under the stars with a glass of scotch (or your spirit of choice) listening to the cicadas and a babbling brook. Alternately, making s'mores on the gas stove inside and sharing them with family and friends!
More realistic? Logging into World of Warcraft for an hour to mindlessly kill virtual dragons before bed.
Watching stand-up comedy or looking at humorous websites or reading a humorous book.
ReplyDeleteIn the evening right before bedtime, have a 1-2 hour soak in a tub of nice, hot water with either bubblebath or bath salts. In the dark. Candles around the tub. Soothing instrumental music playing in the bathroom. No interruptions. Just soak and relax. Repeat nightly for as long as needed. This has always worked for me when under extreme stress.
ReplyDeleteSex. Chocolate. Atypical antipsychotics. And when the DoD turns up the heat with their subsonic directed energy weapons, a fry basket on my head. Aaaahhh, cool again.
ReplyDeleteLaughter and love.
Being outside, with no other humans! Sometimes a little alcohol to go with the outdoors. Sometimes, chocolate. (alcohol and chocolate? Only when total psychological disaster is a few breaths away) In theory, the bath idea is wonderful, except that the whole scrubbing the tub issue negates the unstressing.
ReplyDeleteOK, are martini, martini and sex, sex and martini, and sex right out?
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, it's boring but true. Ground. Center. Breathe.
It's all I got.
Well, and there's Berkeley Springs when I can afford the time and $$ And, of course, there's the Wendell Berry poem:
ReplyDeleteTHE PEACE OF WILD THINGS
When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
Gosh,
ReplyDeleteeverybody is so well behaved. I like breaking things - going to the dump and chucking rocks at old TVs is good - they explode in a very satisfying way.
Otherwise, making bad art and burning it.
Stomping around gumboots pretending to be godzilla is pretty good.
building sand castles just to jump on them.
hmmm... just think of anything that a four year old boy would really enjoy : )
dublin dr pepper...i can send you one when i send the heir her book.
ReplyDeleteI have to escape out into nature.
ReplyDeleteWhen I went batshit crazy last week over escrow, I escaped and went here to backpack for two nights, all alone, blessedly alone...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wildcelticrose/sets/72157623954373861/
I drive to Mount Davis, the highest point in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. There is an observation tower there. I climb the stairs to the top of the fire tower, shake my fist at the sky and swear.
ReplyDeleteI swear at those that left me too soon, my father (67), my cousin (27) and my best friend (42). Then I laugh like hell, stop for a milk shake, and mosey on home.
Digging in the dirt, especially if it involves hoeing the weeds. Alternatively, needlework with some meditation music on in the background and a cup of something tasty (which depends entirely on the mood, could be tea, could be wine, could be water). Long hot showers. Chakra meditations. Hitting things with hammers (pounding stakes into the ground with a sledgehammer this weekend was very calming, hah). Time alone just puttering around.
ReplyDeleteThis might not get rid of your stress but it'll make you laugh. www.garfunkelandoates.com
ReplyDeleteMine? Ah it's all too much .. occasionaly .. probably too often "write myself off".
ReplyDeleteBut hey, am not god. Just a bloke surviciving.
In addition to many of those listed above:
ReplyDeleteTaking a nap outdoors, with a picnic and a book for when I wake up (or if I can't sleep).
Spoiling my cat. I figure, even if I'm screwing things up in general, at least I'm making one creature deliriously happy.
Preparing and drinking tea, preferably looseleaf, because there's more ritual and sensory stimulation involved.