Dealing with stress

Just curious how folks here deal with stress. I don't have allot of it in my life as I make efforts to avoid it. Stress was always a trigger for me and it still causes me to throw eptopics.

My main stressor is my job combined with 12 hour rotating shifts. The job itself is stressful especially on days that out of the ordinary situations arise. Also the fact that our supervisor is King of micromanaging doesn't help. And our other supervisor believes himself the smartest guy in the room and loves to make anyone he can feel inferior.

The hardest time I have is during those out of the ordinary situations as the smartest guy in the room loves to hover over your shoulder and strut around the room like a rooster hearding his ladies. While the micromanager is either in his office or at home watching your every move.

I'm responsible for the safe operation of multi million dollar equipment while at the same making sure co-workers in the field are safe.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/12/2020 11:56PM by rocketritch.

I think what works to deal with stress is very individual. I think meditation, in some form, can be helpful to some. In the last ~20 minutes of this podcast, Dawson Church gives a reasonable one to try. For some meditation, others exercise (but obviously in the right dose for some of us in the afib world), others, time in nature or Mindfulness.

I view meditation as a physiologic state. Getting there can be difficult for some (many?) of us, but worth a try and the effort, IMO.

Stress was and still is my unwanted companion due to the constant illnesses and deaths of my beloved handicapped brother and mom who I took care of. When my brother died and hours after his funeral, I got my first AF, my mom got it the same time and we were one room apart in the ER.

I find biofeedback helpful. I had a koi pond installed in my backyard with multi waterfalls powered by a 4400 gallon pump. I justified it as insurance from the affects of stress. If stressed I sit by the pond and distract myself to the sounds of running water and watch the schooling movements of my fish. In the beginning of my AF journey I bought a biofeedback temperature gizmo that clamps to my toe and has a digital thermometer display. I would “will” my feet to warm up. I learned the technique and can warm myself by will. You have to be a believer and be open minded and not roll your eyes. Once I was good at doing that I bought Dick Sutphen CDs (available from Amazon) and could will myself to relax. I recommend his sleep zapper, strange sounds claiming to modify your brain chemistry-promoted as snake oil cure but it does help with minimal vocal talking. Disclaimer on the CD not to drive while listening. He has another on stress. I happen not to like his voice and now use an ITunes/Amazon music artist Andrew Johnson “deep relaxation“. I had to babysit my grandkids recently and I turned it on and two fell asleep. For me it’s downloaded to my iPhone and I listen via AirPods. He has a UK voice. It’s not actually whatever mumbo jumbo they say, it’s the distraction from you thinking of whatever stressing you and gives you a break to get some calm time. It helped me because I distracted myself on the CD and blocked out the stress that for me is a AF trigger.

My first cardiologist after AF recommended their cardio biofeedback class. It was a HMO doctor at the time and basically free so I took the class run by a therapist who taught biofeedback. Better than a Valium.

I found quitting to be extremely therapeutic.

The economy’s red hot. No need to suffer fools.

You are right.,Quitting a business I started and hated was my favorite stress reducer.

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rocketritch
Just curious how folks here deal with stress.

Rich, the first part of this podcast, Safi Bacall (Stanford physics PhD, biotech entrepreneur) describes some very interesting self hypnosis techniques. Might be useful for you.

I'm 49, i've had paroxysymal AF for 20 years (average a 36 hour episode every 2 months). Somatic Experiencing therapy has radically changed my stress response, along with some very practical-minded counselling sessions with a Mental Health Occupational therapist. In these sessions I have identified the body-mind state that is liable to switch me to AF, and... this last year I am reverting myself using coping strategies. I am stoked to not go into the Emergency for cardioversion anymore! And I have way fewer episodes. Not a 100% cure, but enough to love life.