MetaChat - How Do You Decompress?

MetaChat is an informal place for MeFites to touch base and post, discuss and chatter about topics that may not belong on MetaFilter. Questions? Check the FAQ. Please note: This is important.

19 November 2008

How Do You Decompress? In a period of overwork or other stress,
what do you do to decompress?

(Felt like rhyming. So there.)

post by: Riverine at: 20:11 | 22 comments

*I like to go outdoors. The farther away from civilization the better.
*Also, I enjoy driving so when I'm pretty burned I'll take a long way home or head out on the weekend to no place in particular.
*Sleep
*Movies & video games
*Yard work

posted by trinity8-director 19 November | 20:18

I sleep. A lot. As in like a 14 hour stretch. And then I spend the rest of the day in bed reading fluffy novels.

posted by sperose 19 November | 20:23

I think the answers should rhyme too.

posted by box 19 November | 20:35

Exercise, Exercise!

posted by ThePinkSuperhero 19 November | 20:39

In my yard I might undress. A pile of leaves I could re-mess. One 911, though, and in duress.

posted by stilicho 19 November | 20:39

I drink.

posted by jonmc 19 November | 20:41

Definitely yardwork. Gardening, forking mulch, turning the compost pile, digging in the dirt, pulling weeds, planting, etc.

Also: domestic projects of the non-housework sort. Canning. Sewing. Making a grow light setup.

And: birding.

posted by Stewriffic 19 November | 20:43

TV, junk food, bed. A good cry.

posted by Pips 19 November | 20:45

When I'm feeling down in the dumps
And the world keeps giving me lumps
I go to the movies
Where I can feel groovy
And avoid the company of chumps.

posted by ColdChef 19 November | 21:07

Exercise.

I also subscribe to a buttload (metric) of RSS feeds via Google Reader.

posted by tcv 19 November | 21:12

I pour a glass of really good red wine and sing along to Pink Floyd ...

posted by Susurration 19 November | 21:25

I almost posted this question the other day!

Take a hot bath.
Cook something wonderful and special for dinner.
Read an airheaded magazine.
Watch an old movie.
Clear out a decent amount of time in which I don't have a deadline, appointment, or planned activity, and revel in it.

posted by Miko 19 November | 21:47

I sleep, drink wine, take baths.

Then I cook, things that take a long time, and then I eat that the rest of the day.

Usually I vacuum, Comet something, and sometimes file papers--good for the soul.

posted by Riverine 19 November | 22:07

I'll echo many of the answers here, along with a few variations. I, too, will cook something pleasant, or have a glass of wine with a friend, or go for a silent walk, or spend an hour in vigorous exercise to decompress.

But for me, it's sometimes more important to do something cathartic than to aim for relaxation. In times of heavy stress, I will pick up the most appallingly scary movie I can find and watch it alone in the dark, and squeal and start in horror for 90 minutes.

I did it just tonight, in fact; after a couple of particularly heavy weeks at school, with some personal pressures and a bad bout of physical pain on top of it all, I came home early, bedded down, and watch a terrifying little thriller with all the lights out. A few good scares and I feel quite refreshed.

posted by Elsa 19 November | 22:46

Running or walking along the river trail is always good for me.

posted by octothorpe 19 November | 23:16

Read
Watch a no-brainer movie
Go for a long drive
Kill the minions of evil (aka: World of Warcraft)

posted by deborah 19 November | 23:23

Indie Pop Rocks on SomaFM and, well, the internet

posted by hellojed 20 November | 00:16

If it's wankin' Wednesday, welll... and that goes for every other day of the week.

That and drink.

mmmmm beeer.

posted by eekacat 20 November | 01:16

Very loud music. Preferably Pink Floyd and accompanied by alcohol. Sometimes the combination is quite simply the only thing that makes sense in this fucked-up world.

posted by dg 20 November | 02:51

I end up going whole-hog in the kitchen, chopping machine blaring, dirtying every available dish. But to truly feel like the moment of GRRRRRAUUUUUUUGHNOOOOOO has passed I can't be the only one who's eating, so I invite people over. They are usually happy to accept a free meal.

posted by mdonley 20 November | 04:02

Decompress? Is that like relax? I don't.

posted by Eideteker 20 November | 19:21

It depends. There is angry and sad and regular decompression - regular is my usual walk home from walk, through the park, looking at the flowers and trees. Angry is dancing, or punching a punching bag, or hot, angry sex. Sad is drinking and curling into the corner of the couch or hiding until it all goes away. I miss my drives through the rainforest with the music blaring and a spliff - that encomapssed all three, and by the time I got home life was rosy again and I was ready to take all comers.

posted by goo 20 November | 20:15

← Academic/existential crisis (not really, but yeah): || More middle-aged moments. →

HOME || REGISTER || LOGIN