# Odd recommendations to reduce stess and anxiety **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 12, 2025, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-recommendations-to-reduce-stess-and-anxiety/1025648 "2025-12-12T20:33:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2025, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-recommendations-to-reduce-stess-and-anxiety/1025648/21 "2025-12-13T05:56:23Z")
Well, you’re very right many great suggestions. I do puzzles. Crosswords. 3 per day. Mostly my days are filled with calculation and measuring. In so many ways. And I have about a 9th grade level math proficiency. That makes stuff difficult for me on a good day. If my BG is low or high I start getting weird. This is why I need a smart women like Ivy to rein me in. Of course my Borg implants do the real heavy lifting. She hasn’t said “just breathe” yet. It’s coming tho’ 😳 ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2025, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-recommendations-to-reduce-stess-and-anxiety/1025648/22 "2025-12-13T15:06:36Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Wait, Spice…I need more information on this. > > Tell me more. > **[Defusion: How to Detangle from Thoughts & Feelings](https://thepsychologygroup.com/defusion/)** > > How does cognitive defusion work? Use these defusion techniques to reduce the intensity or change the impact of distressing inner experiences. You might find ACT helpful for anxiety. It’s good for psychologically managing chronic illness. It really kind of saved me in a way, because I was trying to make my mental health perfect for many years. And I was talking to my ACT therapist, and he was like, “Hey. Your issues are probably never going to go away completely.” It sounds counterintuitive but it was such a relief. I didn’t have to obsess over fixing it anymore, and ironically that made me start to feel better. Meditation is also good. I need to be doing it now but I fell off the wagon. After several months of Zen meditation almost nothing could really get to me. ETA: I love the New York Times crosswords before bed, but lately I’ve had a lot of anxiety at night. It’s related to my job. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2025, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-recommendations-to-reduce-stess-and-anxiety/1025648/23 "2025-12-13T15:17:53Z")
When i was a kid, transcendental meditation was “in”. Everyone had a secret mantra to recite. It involves breathing, much like the “box breathing” described above. But rather than counting seconds, i say my mantra to myself. I picked “123,456” as a mantra. Hey, it obviously doesn’t matter what it is. So i breath in on 123456 Hold my breath for 123456 And breath out slowly on 123456123456 I focus on my breathing and on the words. I find it very calming. I have measured and my pulse and BP go down when i do this. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2025, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-recommendations-to-reduce-stess-and-anxiety/1025648/24 "2025-12-13T15:32:11Z")
Y’ever watch [**Bob Ross - The Joy of Painting**](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxcnsr1R5Ge_fbTu5ajt8DQ)?? ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2025, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-recommendations-to-reduce-stess-and-anxiety/1025648/25 "2025-12-13T15:42:40Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I picked “123,456” as a mantra. Hey, it obviously doesn’t matter what it is Cf. Carl Winslow’s mantra on _Family Matters_: > Three, two, one! > > One, two, three! > > What the heck > > is bothering me? ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2025, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-recommendations-to-reduce-stess-and-anxiety/1025648/26 "2025-12-13T15:45:05Z")
I’m pretty sure i picked mine before that was made. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2025, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-recommendations-to-reduce-stess-and-anxiety/1025648/27 "2025-12-13T15:59:22Z")
To minimize stress and anxiety, it’s highly recommended that you avoid clickbait about how These Dozen Foods will wreck your heart, cause dementia and kill you prematurely, especially if said warnings come from a Top Cardiologist jackass named Gundy. Some websites are absolutely infested with this crap. The limit was when I saw one handwaving link accompanied by a photo of blueberries and salmon, both of which I consume on a regular basis and nothing has ever hap ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2025, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-recommendations-to-reduce-stess-and-anxiety/1025648/28 "2025-12-13T16:04:22Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > and nothing has ever hap Clearly _something_ happened. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2025, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-recommendations-to-reduce-stess-and-anxiety/1025648/29 "2025-12-13T16:40:03Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > blueberries and salmon, both of which I consume on a regular basis and nothing has ever hap Oh no! Another victims of _sudden blueberry salmon syndrome_! Ever watch comedians? Mitch Hedberg (may he rest in peace) is a little strange , but if you need to take your mind off things… [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/saoZjwf7Mfo/maxresdefault.jpg "Best of Mitch Hedberg") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saoZjwf7Mfo) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-recommendations-to-reduce-stess-and-anxiety/1025648.md?page=1)