What do you do when you are upset?

[hh5]

perhaps you should not stress out about the writing ... its who's going to be the editor .... that in itself should distance the issue ... just remember to have fun in writing your story and don't worry about the rewrites and revisions ... getting to know your story and its characters is the adventure

 

write what comes to you to write about

[comicfan]

perhaps you should not stress out about the writing ... its who's going to be the editor .... that in itself should distance the issue ... just remember to have fun in writing your story and don't worry about the rewrites and revisions ... getting to know your story and its characters is the adventure

 

write what comes to you to write about

 

I have my editor. More like if something seems so glaring it takes the reader out of my story I want to know about it. The thing I forgot to consider was the person who read my chapter also can't cook at all. Burns water. lol. So without stopping to think about who the reader was I just wanted to make sure Charlie and I weren't the only ones who ran to our coping responses when things went wrong.

[Bumblebee]

When I'm stressed or upset.... I kick or punch things and/or start screaming

so If a horse is stressing me, I'll slap him and yell at him

and if my mums getting on my case I tend to break a bone punching/kicking a wall (really need to get out of this)

 

When I'm at work and a client is blaming me for something out of my control, I take a deep breath, count to 3, and explain very calmly what actually happened, then I let off steam by bitching about it to the guy I work with later on (he does the same to me)

And If I'm really upset, I just try to blank my mind out, and focus on my work and doing more work faster in less time.... It normally works

[astroguy]

It depends. I have a lot of coping mechanisms "built in," but I remember the first time they all broke down. It was a physics lab where I had spent 7 hours (the lab was 4 hours) wiring up a memory circuit with wires crossing all over the place, fired it up, and it didn't work. The old sexist professor comes over and tells me it's probably a dead chip. Only problem is that removing the chip would require unwiring everything because of all the wires crossing over it, physically holding it down. I went into a corner and blew up several LEDs by putting one end to -12V and the other to +12V. That lasted several minutes. Then I went back to my dorm room and someone sent me REM's song, "Everybody Hurts."

 

That's actually still my go-to song when I'm really upset. To relieve stress that's not caused / related to being upset, I try to watch a short TV show that's comedic (Big Bang Theory lately), stupid (Judge Judy, anyone?), or, well, I do something that only guys can do and take a nap.

 

In writing, I actually have a document where I detail my main characters in about a page and a half. Under the basic information, one trait that I put in is their method of stress reduction. I have one character who just goes running. Another bakes ... a lot ... and mostly chocolate.

[comicfan]

It depends. I have a lot of coping mechanisms "built in," but I remember the first time they all broke down. It was a physics lab where I had spent 7 hours (the lab was 4 hours) wiring up a memory circuit with wires crossing all over the place, fired it up, and it didn't work. The old sexist professor comes over and tells me it's probably a dead chip. Only problem is that removing the chip would require unwiring everything because of all the wires crossing over it, physically holding it down. I went into a corner and blew up several LEDs by putting one end to -12V and the other to +12V. That lasted several minutes. Then I went back to my dorm room and someone sent me REM's song, "Everybody Hurts."

 

That's actually still my go-to song when I'm really upset. To relieve stress that's not caused / related to being upset, I try to watch a short TV show that's comedic (Big Bang Theory lately), stupid (Judge Judy, anyone?), or, well, I do something that only guys can do and take a nap.

 

In writing, I actually have a document where I detail my main characters in about a page and a half. Under the basic information, one trait that I put in is their method of stress reduction. I have one character who just goes running. Another bakes ... a lot ... and mostly chocolate.

 

OOOOHHHHH. A science boy. I'm a disaster at things like that. Me, I was always the English geek. but yeah baking is a good one. Chocolate is good too. Of course if I had someone in my life the chocolate might not only be used in baking. Sigh.

[DragonMando]

I tend to multitask a lot more when I'm upset and fail miserably at all of it. I'll generally be talking to at least one person on Skype or blogging on deviantArt, either way I'm ranting. I'll also usually be sketching and watching a movie or episode of a show at the same time.

[comicfan]

I tend to multitask a lot more when I'm upset and fail miserably at all of it. I'll generally be talking to at least one person on Skype or blogging on deviantArt, either way I'm ranting. I'll also usually be sketching and watching a movie or episode of a show at the same time.

 

Oh that reminds me, my Deviantart account hasn't been touched in forever. hmmmmm

[Stargazer]

I take a Xanax. Seriously.

[XBadboyX]

I am in the process of writing my story when I had my character do something to relieve stress. For me it is what I normally do but was told it wasn't believable when I allowed someone to read it early. So I put this out there to see the responses so I can judge for myself. When you are mad, upset, and trying to work through it what is it you do to refocus yourself? (I don't want to say what I do because I don't want to color anyone's response. And please don't make it sexual, because of how I have my character it wouldn't make sense at this point.) Thank you.

 

 

Force my train of thought elsewhere/Try to get distracted by something (anything).

[sef]

I go for a walk, or pace. Sometimes I lay on the couch and think about 'solving' the stress or upset, but that usually makes it worse. DOING an activity is usually what I need to feel better. Often I will plan out a meal and then go to the grocery store and by whatever I need then come back and cook. When I'm feeling particularly high functioning I calmly talk with the person I am upset with about how I feel, or work on the situation making me stressed. However, I usually put that off as long as possible.

[AFriendlyFace]

I clean stuff, and/or go for a long walk.

[Collan]

heh. I have a friend who's a "cleaner". He'll start with the bathroom, then continue to the kitchen. If he's upset enough you know it because you can practically eat off the floor.

 

Me, I tend to retreat. I get tired and just want to sleep to get away from the upset feelings. If I'm at work, I'll try and walk away from where I am physically to another part of the building as soon as I have the opportunity. I try and seek some kind of emotional or physical distance from whatever the upset is.

[jian_sierra]

I listen to music or watch a movie. But when I'm really, really upset, I watch my favorite movie of all time - Breakfast at Tiffany's - and tada, all the bad feelings are wiped clean.

[BSBooks]

When something is really getting on my wick I'll probably start by moaning about it but I find that just makes it worse as I'm going over and over it. So whatever is doing my head in I'll write about it. I keep a daily diary and I will just write down what is annoying or upsetting me. I'll rant and rage on the page. I'll swear and call people names and curse them with the seven plagues of hell! I'll say in the diary all the things I could not possibly say in reality. I just get it all out of me. And then once it's all written down I'll leave it. I don't read back over what I have written.

[Nate OBrien]

I am in the process of writing my story when I had my character do something to relieve stress. For me it is what I normally do but was told it wasn't believable when I allowed someone to read it early. So I put this out there to see the responses so I can judge for myself. When you are mad, upset, and trying to work through it what is it you do to refocus yourself? (I don't want to say what I do because I don't want to color anyone's response. And please don't make it sexual, because of how I have my character it wouldn't make sense at this point.) Thank you.

 

I unfortunately picked smoking back up, but for a better alternative i suggest listening to music loudly or reciting a mantra.

[comicfan]

John, you know by naming that movie you are showing your age! lol. I made the mistake of mentioning that film once around some twenty somethings and the only way they knew it was because it was mentioned in a song. Sigh.

 

I listen to music or watch a movie. But when I'm really, really upset, I watch my favorite movie of all time - Breakfast at Tiffany's - and tada, all the bad feelings are wiped clean.

[AnytaSunday]

Walk -- I really need to walk it off. It helps cool me down and give me perspective. With the exercise, music helps too. I usually really listen to lyrics of songs when I get stressed and try to focus on something else.

 

I guess it depends on the type of stress too.

 

Sometimes it's really great to chat it out with a friend.

[J_C_Lawrence]

When I'm stressed at home, I listen to classical music or I cook, or play the piano, just to alleviate my tension. If I'm outside, I go running. If I'm at work, I go to the highest part of the building and close my eyes for a couple of seconds, then scream at the top of my lungs.

 

If I'm at the point where productivity does not ensue anything that would calm my emotional distress, I would sit on anything I could rest my buttocks, stare at a wall or anything that my eyes ganders, and pat my fingers then get some menthol cream and rub it my forehead, and wait until I fall asleep.

[Lixiaolang78]

When I'm upset about someone and can't tell them about it, I usually talk/shout at loud like I'd do with them if I could (if anyone saw me during those "rehearsals" I'd definitely come across as some kind of lunatic person).

When I'm more upset about the whole situation, the big picture (and not people in particular) I usually cook and play the piano too (not at the same time of course) anything to keep my mind off things until I cool off and reach a state where I can rationally think again.

[AnimalMorph]

Well, if someone upsets me, First thing I do is walks away from that person. If I'm around him/her I might say things that I will regret later.

Or, if leaving is not an option, I will suddenly get quiet. Not talking at all. For the rest of the conversation. People who were close to me will know that I'm in a bad mood when I'm quiet.

 

After I leave, I go to my room and screams at my poor pillow. After that I listen to my music and sleep it off.

 

Usually when I wake up, I feel a LOT better.

Edited October 21, 2011 by AnimalMorph

[johnlaw]

Wow. The responses so far are very varied. Really destressing myself reading how everybody copes with it.

 

For me, when I'm really stressed out at work, I'd leave and go home. Sometimes, I would eat (but not pig out on it.)

[joann414]

If I am upset, I either go somewhere by myself, and listen to loud music, or if I am alone in the house, I cook, and clean like a maniac.