O.T. Pressure...Stress...

I know that everyone deals with it in different ways...business owners probably more then anyone else.

Some of us try and due the best job that we can, so we add the pressure with out reasoning.(self-inflecting)

Laughter is probably one of the best ways to relieve pressure and/or stress.

What’s your method? How do you deal with it?

I have a long commute, that helps...I don’t bring this stuff (stress/work) home.

We all have been there at one time or another...You are doing a start up or just trouble shooting, you don’t have any idea of what or how you are going to get it done, let alone the time line...your 16 hrs into it and no light at the end of the tunnel (if there is, it’s a train)...your wife or husband is calling....your boss is asking how much longer?...you just want the problem (or the job) to go away...your beat down (but you need the money) your not a quitter…you have very little hair left...you understand why some people go postal...

Or you have twenty people asking you to do twenty things all at once.

So do you veterans (or young know it all’s) have any good secrets/tips? And not drink lots of beer (that goes with out saying)

BTW, That 12 cup of coffee is really starting to kick into second gear...no pressure today...this is for future use..

Many thanks.

A casual break no matter the hurry. Trip to the convience store for my 64 oz. Diet Mt. Dew.

BS with a comrade, talk shop, family, hobbies, whatever.

Do this 2x a day every day no matter how busy and hellish it gets.

I typically won't stress until the weekend is close at hand so if need be, I drive to my hunting lease. Mother Nature has a way of calming you down no matter how bad it is in town.


On Monday or Tuesday, my daughters are an amazing relief vent. It will usually take only minutes for one of them to do something funny enough to erase the pains of the day.

I ride a bike to and from work, about 17km each way. Depending on my mood, this can be a time for peacefully running the day over in my mind or intense concentration on wringing out my best time. Either way, the hard physical effort makes me feel loose and creative when I knuckle down for a good day's work at the office.

Plus, showering at work in the morning always means I am the freshest man in the office during early meetings

I jog in the mornings (the day starts at 4am for me), play guitar in the hotel room when on the road, and whitewater kayak on the weekends. Playing with the kids in the evening is awesome too - helps keep things in perspective about what is really important.

stress is "a way of life" imho

solution of problem depend on it's size and kind... i have a paper-covered-wall near my desktop, when i don't know what's next step, i just take a pen and draw the ladder (for example) directly on wall instead of triyng to assemble it at computer's lcd... i read somewhere that engineers have (in contrast to other posts) better ability to vizualize thingies in their heads... if i can imagine/vizualize that... than i can also perform it...


so how the stress flow away then?

if there are few days, white water so far from any electric device, just boat, beer and friends... doesn't matter when you sleep, when you awake, what day is...

if not, then bike ride or trek to nature does well too, i personally need to tire body as well as soul is...

plenty activities can be helpfull, even such as paintball or bowling... but most recently i turned into geocaching

Long commutes definately help. I once told my wife she was lucky it took me 45 minutes to get home because it takes 40 of that to wind back down from work. Now I only live 20 minutes from work, but sometimes will drive down by the river just to relax a bit. I have to have music when I work, I know some can't stand it, but it's a requirement for me.

I wouldn't trade it for the world though. I love the fast pace of a start-up/ checkout. I've always said that is the 'final exam' of automation. You must be able to troubleshoot 20 different types of instruments, change code on the fly for 3 or 4 different PLC types and troubleshoot wiring and electrical issues all while the plant manager is looking over your shoulder complaining the project is 2 weeks behind schedule (because of mechanical delays) and its somehow the "Automation guy's" fault.

I thrive on chaos. Just give me a little time and a couple cold ones at the end of the day, hugs from my children, and whatever the wife has to give me and I'll be ready to do it all over again tomorrow.

I put the top down on my car. I don't think I'll ever own another hard top. Getting close to salt water always helps. Exercise is good too. I moved away from the rock climbing area, and now either walk, jog, or left weights. A walk in a rainstorm is an amazing event. I hate running, and dislike weight rooms, but the exercise always seems to melt stress.

The mills I worked in covered large areas. I did not use the golf carts, or bicycles that most everyone used. Instead I walked. People were amazed at how I knew what pump was starting to leak, or which limit switch needed attention. They were also amazed at how quickly I could get around the mill.

Teaching is proving to be a lot more stressful than I thought it would be. Here, a few minutes on PLCS.net is always a relief.

I used to play paintball, that was a great stress reliever. Then I got married and had a kid. No longer had the time or money for paintball. Now I try and hit the gym 3 times a week, though that can be a challenge in itself.

I kill as many people as I can on CounterStrike, well usually die more.


When I was more active I used to go away on Sealed Knot weekends and fight 100's of strangers on a field, then again at a bar trying to get served. That was good stress relief.

I take out my aggressions on my Xbox. Nothing like blowing the heads off of some bad/good guys to make me feel better.

I used to hop on my Harley and go for a ride but it's funny how when a little bundle of joy make you think twice about doing that again. Especially if you see some friends go down on theirs, it makes you kind of evaluate your circumstances....

My avatar is a clue, Quake III does it for me. Although I need to try something newer one of these days.

For physical activity I like to walk, bike, or run with the wife and kids when possible, and play Soccer once a week with the old guys.

For true deep down stress and fatigue relief an upbeat movie and a bottle of root beer.

Webhead said:

I used to hop on my Harley and go for a ride but it's funny how when a little bundle of joy make you think twice about doing that again.

Click to expand...

Funny - that's why I don't whitewater in class 5 anymore.

Beer and a butt naked women.

I tried the mentos in the diet coke trick last night for the kids.

I couldn't stop laughing at their expressions.

$1.97 for the 2L diet coke, .79 cents for the mentos, a 15' diet coke fountain...priceless!

Brian.