High Blood Pressure :: Stressed :: Cures?

[Miss MoneyPenny]

Work is stressful. It's going to be like this for the next 5 months until we get this major project done. Crucial deadlines need to be met, and we are understaffed to do so.

I've done a few 8am - 7pm days, one of which I'm on right now, but a consultant has told us 12 hour days may become norm.

Anyway, enough of the sob story: I've got quite high blood pressure level, and I'm stressed. It'll take the smallest thing for me to snap, and I usually take it out on whoever's around when I get home.

Obviously, this is not a good thing. Short of doing Yoga, is there anything I can do to calm myself down.

I eat ok, go to the gym 3/4 times a week, and am usually in bed my midnight on week nights.

Any help/advice appreciated? Constant headaches aren't fun.

[kemosabe]

I'm no expert but I'd say if its affecting you that badly then maybe you should think more about your working times.
If its affecting your blood pressure then that could be quite unhealthy.

Maybe go to bed a bit earlier

[Miss MoneyPenny]

Heh. I'd like that, but the work hours aren't going to go away. And getting home at 7:30/8:00pm doesn't leave me a whole bunch of time to unwind and do the things that I want to do away from work. [Racing online *is* important, y'know! ]

Just wondering whether there's some sort of technique or something that people use to calm down, de-stress, whatever.

[leon]

Not really sure about this one as I've not suffered from this myself (ok, i think thats denial but)....

Have you tried stuff like listening to chilled out music? Erm, drinking herbal teas or that sorta thing?

Long hot bath when you get back from work?

Hope some of that helps!

[Theo]

When I get stressed, I usually punch the nearest wall/lamp post.. but something tells me you'd prefer something more relaxing....

In terms of winding down, you could try a nice soak in a hot bubblebath, magazine, glass of wine, maybe some PJ Harvey in the background. That's what I do anyway, and it works for me.

-edit

Damn! Beat me to it!

[kemosabe]

Radox, its the only way

[Swafe]

fags

[kemosabe]

fags actually increase heart rate and blood pressure, as far as I know.

[sexeh]

go to bed earlier and take up a relaxing hobby or get your mates round and have a night in gossiping

[5lab]

after my recent accident my blood pressure reached 172/105. thats just scarey. even resting its about 140/80 and im never even stressed (and im healthy etc) :|

[SarG]

Darkened bedroom with a few scented candles with some slow classical music, lie back and close your eyes, try to empty your mind of thoughts, take slow deep breaths...

Works a treat.

[petrefax]

Originally posted by Swafeman
fags

what sort of fags mate - herbal ones


sereously tho, one thing i'd say, (IMHO) is leave your work at work! the minute you leave the building theres no longer anything you can do until tomorrow morning, so leave it until then

may sound obvious but its not as easy as it sounds & takes some getting into & some self-discipline on your part

do you have a partner/friend/parent? either living with you or just a phonecall away? for the sake of your health in the short term ask them to help out - set aside 15 mins shortly after you get in when you can rant about your day, call your boss a rubbishrubbishrubbishrubbishrubbishrubbish etc & get it out of your system, then from that moment on you're not allowed to mention it again & if you do, ask them to stop you

(fair enough, this will wind you up to start with but it will help if it stops you talking / thinking work while you're at home)

PS - if you're partner/friend/parent is male (assuming you're female by ur name, apologies if i'm wrong) but it may also be worthwhile telling them, while you're unloading the days stress, you just want to get it off your chest - you don't want their help, advice, suggestions etc, you just want them to listen (we fellas are notorious for butting in )

my & my missus used to spend all night ranting about our work (i used to work with her & she knows most of my workmates too) we eventually made a pact to stop it & stop one another doing it. i found it really helped calm down in the evenings when you just left work in work

[Miss MoneyPenny]

All helpful pointers, thanks. Thing is I can easily have a quiet, peaceful evening, but then the next day, come 8am, it all starts off again.

I think you've got it right, petrefax, when you say it's a matter of [trying to!] leaving work at work. I've been doing this job since Nov '02, and it's my first 'proper' job. There's a fair deal of pressure on me, and I guess I'm not used to it [hey. Music student here!]. Just a matter of learning to do so. I'll try to not mention it to friends, etc, but because it's a fairly major part of my life, it's hard not to.

Better try and dig out that PJ Harvey cd! Cheers guys. Diggin' the Hexus karma!

p.s. Vast majority of my friends smoke. I'm one of a few who didn't take them up when they all did around 16. Now they always tell me how I made the right decision. One gave up recently, and noticed the smoke smell on others, and followed it by a "did I smell like that?" Well, honesty is the best policy!

[Theo]

Originally posted by Miss MoneyPenny

Better try and dig out that PJ Harvey cd!

Whaddya mean "dig out"?? It should be on the top of your cd pile 24/7!

[Miss MoneyPenny]

Hehe. Well, I've only got Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea, which is fantastic, but hasn't seen the insides of my cd player for a while. Has she made better than that album?

[Punky]

i find listenin to music with a herbal ciggy the best way to unwind after a hard day, but not for everyone i spose. a nice long bath followed by TV and chocolate is also rather good.