We all cope with things differently. How do you?

[Cheesus333]

When it comes to stress, life seems to throw it at you like confetti. To quote a certain misanthropic, malevolent and inconsiderate independant games journalist "it makes Space Invaders look conservative."

That was Yahtzee, by the way.

Anyway, there's certainly a lot of it, so we need a defense mechanism. A release, some sor of therapy, sanctuary or bastion of sense to calm us down and stop ourselves pulling the metaphorical trigger of suicide. When something reeeeally stresses me out, I shout a lot, then go home and play an abosultely brilliant game; one so pristine that I can't possibly stay angry any longer.

So how do you do it?

 

[xitel]

I play violent video games to relieve stress. That, or I sleep. A lot.

 

[Galletea]

You're a ball of joy aren't you?

Well I tend to play my instruments. Having to concentrate on a mozart sonata stops you thinking bout the crap the day threw at you, while drinking preferably, then you have to concentrate twice as hard.

 

[Cheesus333]

Oh, I also forgot. If I don't drink Coke, I get very stressed and shout a lot. Therefore, to relax I drink it.

One day, they'll take a blood sample from me and be able to drink it. It will be delicious.

 

[Mstrswrd]

One day, they'll take a blood sample from me and be able to drink it. It will be delicious.

But blood is already delicious!
...
...
Wait... let's all pretend I didn't say that...

But in all seriousness I just tend to find something and break it. And I don't mean things that are easy to break. I'll break whatever I can get my hands on, but I seem to always aim for strong things. For example, I have had 6 desk chairs. I keep smashing them in anger. My closet door is scarred from the amount of times I've rammed a pen into it, and the doorframe to the door to my room is pieces. Yeah, I don't react to well to anger.

And as immature as smashing things sounds, I actually put aside money each month just so I can replace what I break.

 

[SecretTacoNinja]

Go into the fetal position and cry for a while
Play my ocarina (it's this thingie: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocarina ) /listen to music
Sleep
Play a kick-ass and preferably funny video game
Bite stuff

 

[Shivari]

Cry for a small amount of time and then go right on being happy again. Just lose yourself for a minute, you'll feel better afterwards.

It hasn't failed me yet.

 

[tomdavi]

Whenever I get stressed I tend to just read a funny book (it has to be funny- I can't read anything serious if i'm stressed) and then punch walls for a while. It hurts like hell but it takes my mind off whatever I was getting annoyed about.

 

[Maet]

Nothing like a bit of Scotch to calm the nerves.

(I may be an alcoholic...)

 

[Bored Tomatoe]

Beat the hell out of my drums or kill pedestrians in GTA 4......

 

[wordsmith]

Look back at the world and laugh. If you don't laugh, you cry, and time spent crying is time wasted not doing something.

 

[OverlordSteve]

I walk around the house.

 

[TomNook]

I make snide remarks at people hoping they get angry enough to try to beat me up.

 

[Gxas]

I've been stressed since 6th grade. That was 7 years ago. I've never really found something that gets rid of it but blaring Hardcore metal and playing Gears online really calms me down.

If either of those don't work, I write.

 

[The Iron Ninja]

I make a joke about the situation.
It works for me, but others nearby don't often get the same positive outcome.
I made a joke once while at my grandfathers funeral. Luckily only my cousin heard me.

 

[Johnn Johnston]

I make a joke about the situation.

People that have read some of my posts when I'm feeling down will have noted that I make puns incessantly. It's a way of dealing with it - albeit a rather irritating one for anyone around me.

 

[wewontdie11]

I tend to drown my sorrows and problems under litres of Jack Daniels when I can afford to, which really isn't healthy but it works temporarily.

When I can't afford it I get some Lamb of God or Metallica on and shred out on my bass for a while.

I also tend to make a lot of jokes about whatever situation I'm in as a kind of defence mechanism.