Ahhhh nerrrrrppppp

[B_S_A]

I have a scan in late August to see if the surgery is obliterating my AVM (the doctors actually used the word "obliterate", which is awesome). I've had some cursory scans before this, but apparently they don't mean much.

Baring in mind that this will tell me if I will have an early death, I need ways to keep my brain from exploding (figuratively).

So far I've come up with;

- Kicking walls

- Shouting at inanimate objects

- Cooking elaborate dinners

Obviously, I need more constructive ways of dealing with the stress, especially with exams on my plate.

So people! I need practical solutions.

[cat3]

Basketball, swimming, brisk walks, sex, punch-bag.......................but of course laughing is the finest remedy for relieving stress so stick close to, or seek out, people with humour in abundance.

[B_S_A in reply to cat3]

Cat! I never knew you were so frisky!

Guess I'm set then, because I'm hilarious

[Negeen in reply to cat3]

Great Advice Cat!

[Ladyberd70]

Not sure whether it's your cup of tea but....when I was having a mega stress out day, last week, I put the Inbetweeners movie on, cannot watch it without belly laughs, helped in the short term.

[B_S_A in reply to Ladyberd70]

Love it, that's some time covered

[Negeen]

Jogging, music, and sex are all good stress relievers. Cooking- is a good idea too!

[B_S_A in reply to Negeen]

Not risking seizures during sex

[Negeen in reply to B_S_A]

Lolll hilarious. I saw an ER episode about that once..

[B_S_A in reply to Negeen]

Although that might actually make it better

[sospan]

Get a shot gun - the rest is down to your imagination

[mowgli123]

Hi Ben. I am in awe of you... you are so upbeat & lighthearted.. Keep at that & it will help massively i am sure of it. Draw on the support you have I would say is the other main thing... Other people (the right ones!) keep you sane. It's good you are on this site also.

Do you see a neuropsychologist by any chance? Tell me if this is a stupid question. Keep strong. Also have you heard of a book called The Secret? It's all about positive thinking & the power of attraction.. Some of it is a bit cheesy American.. But it works for me anyway!! X

[B_S_A in reply to mowgli123]

My dad LOVES that book. It seems a bit of a quick-fix to me, but I think it has it's merits

[mowgli123]

Yes, I love it too!! Have you tried mindfulness? Mikey loves that & yoga which is connected. He did a lot of that at OZC x

[B_S_A in reply to mowgli123]

What's mindfulness? Meditation?

[iforget]

Mindfulness is a biggy right now...and there is evidence to back it up too which makes a nice change....Google it for details...my explanation will not do it justice for sure... our local Headway group is starting mindfulness sessions soon and I am looking forward to it.

[Hidden]

In the absence of any classes starting locally soon, I downloaded the Kindle version of 'Mindfulness for Dummies'. I've just started it and there is a lot of promise there. I'm also a great fan of Ajahn Brahm's videos on YouTube. They aren't overtly trying to convert your faith, so don't be afraid of any religious connotations. I just love his sense of humour and anecdotes on life. His advice on 'letting go' was a great help to me when I was in a very dark place earlier this year.

The more you worry about the future and hang on to past events and goals, the less of your attention is in the present. If you can bring your attention fully into the present, then there are many benefits.

I guess a parallel is 'Don't worry about your past goals and how your peers have done, don't worry about what might come up in exams or how hard they might be, just do your personal best and that extra attention in present time will help you get through' Hope that makes sense.

Dev

Now where did I put my orange monks habit

[aqua4]

Mindfulness...Def works for me> helps my brain to go at todays speed, not its old fast pace>clearer thinking. Intro. by Neuropsch. Never heard of b4. Can't explain more. K

[aqua4]

Oh the book I used first was Mindfulness, a practical guide to finding peace in a frantic world by Mark Williams and Danny Penman. Comes with CD. K

[Hidden]

That was something I was wary of getting the Kindle version of Mindfulness for Dummies, but the publishers website has a download link to the audio files, all that was needed was the ISBN.

Also got hold of a Mindfulness app for smartphone.

Dev

[Flumptious]

Cat3 and Negeen both suggest a brisk walk or a jog. I'd definitely say exercise would be a good option. I am 'blind', so I can't wear headphones when I'm running, but if ou can, great. Listen to some good music, while you go and get yourself fit.