HACKER Q&A
📣 throwawaymgmt12

How do you deal with chronic stress?


I have been diagnosed with Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Dysfunction related to stress. I take SSRIs for anxiety and depression. I've quit >10 jobs due to stress. I've read dozens of books, watched hundreds of videos, etc, and I'm always back to my ultra stressed state.

I've thought about living in the woods and other crazy stuff. I'd probably kill myself out of boredom.

If you ever controlled your stress, what changed your life around?

  👤 jbusiness Accepted Answer ✓
“Mindfulness,” in a word. Sounds trite. I’ve also tried all kinds of therapies: behavioral, physical, retail, drug, etc. Somewhere in the stream of self-help tasks and unwise habits, I learned how to recognize when my own thinking takes a negative turn.

It’s difficult to stop after starting on a stressful chain of thought, and old stress patterns still surface. But life’s gotten better since I consciously cultivated the ability to stop and redirect my thoughts - more and more toward others.

In any event, I hope you find peace of mind