Electronic Walkabout no one should have to walk through life alone. We share the good times, the bad times, and the best times. Everyone needs a little direction now and again. And TC and Maddog are here to show you the way. A podcast where we talk about the important things in life. Come journey with us. The Electronic Walkabout.

Well, Maddog, there's no question that we're here on this planet for a short time and we really need to make the most of it. We. Of the most important things that we can do is to look after ourselves. How well are you at that?

God, was that an honest question? Yeah, I can improve, I think. I tend to over focus on others in my family and sometimes I might neglect myself.

Okay, well, we'll talk about that. But really high on the radar is the ability to manage stress. And again, no one teaches you this stuff. No one teaches you this. But I, I think it's fair to say we, we both know when we're under a lot of stress because it's not a pleasant feeling, for sure. So when, of course, when people think about stress, there's both positive and negative, but for the most part, it's the negative that. That really kind of what. How should I put it? That that impacts your physical being. Impacts our physical being. Right. But the, the thing about it, if we don't learn to manage it, it can cause heart disease, headaches, insomnia, and so much more. Jo, about the various ways to reduce stress in our hectic lives. To put in a better state of balance where life comes out on top.

I like it.

But first, as always, a thought for the day. If you don't want to lean on me, at least lean on something. No one is invincible.

I hear that. Yeah, no, it's true. It's. Everyone likes to think they can do it themselves, but help is always.

So. I don't know if this is going to be easy, hard, or whatever it is, but let me give you a little background because you mentioned it a little bit earlier. They had this thing, Google and Internet.

Right.

So I don't know where it came from. It could have been an email, but there's this website called the New Happy.

Okay.

Okay. And of course it's thenewhappy.com if you want to check it out. But the whole point behind the website is that it gives you tools and information so you can live a happier life. And of course, let's, let's. Let's be honest. And when I pop up the website, there is a book you can buy. Not surprisingly. But all that aside, there are some good stuff there that if you people say, well, where are you going to find happiness? Well, here's a website you're going to find. So you got to start some. But you got to start somewhere. But one of the tools that this website has as of, as of late is a list of 60 things that you can do to reduce stress in your life. So I thought to myself, I said, self, why don't we just kind of explore these 60 things whether, whether we're going to get through 60 or not, I have no idea.

Interesting.

But I'm thinking that when you hear something, if you can relate to it, please jump in and share an experience. Okay, so here's the thing. I'll go, let's say 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. These are the categories. We have physical stress, emotional stress, mental stress. These are the kind of, the ways we can kind of reduce the stress. There's a spiritual, social and environmental. And one of the things. Okay, So I say 60 you. What's the most that we can process at a time?

Two.

Two. Well, it's true. But here's. And so my, my thought is like, if you hear something that that kind of you can relate to, run with that one or two. Don't, don't try the 60. Yeah. You have no time in your life to do the 60 things.

No.

No.

Then you're just desperately trying to fix it in one swift kick.

I'm better now. Cause I. Yeah.

Check all the boxes.

Check all the boxes. But I'm going to just start with physical. Maybe I'll bounce around from the different categories. And, and we've kind of already been joking around this one. Just take a few deep breaths.

Yeah, yeah. It's. Oh man. This is, this, this is a interesting topic because to what you just said, there are so many. And until you actually start listing them, you don't realize how many different aspects of stress there are and how many of them play into your life.

Okay, well that, that's a good place to start. So like you have, let's say if you're a student, there's always stress when it comes to exams. Marks.

Finances.

Finances. Pure work. You have deadlines. If you're, let's say, in a troubled relationship and you want that to work, there's stress there because you're kind of flopping around the wind at times. But they're suggesting just take two steps back, take a couple of deep breaths. Depending on the level of stress, it might mean more than a couple. Yes. Yeah.

But I think it's, it's a breaking point. Instead of trying to continually push through something to pause. I think that's probably the overarching message with that taking a few breaths is.

There'S that, yeah, you're right. There's the pause and there's the reflection. And a lot of times we put this stress on ourselves and oh, 100% emotional. Take space to feel your feelings. So this is kind of crazy for me because I'm not good with taking time to be with my feelings. You think it's funny? You don't? I do, I do because it's so accurate, but it makes sense. So, so like let's say I'm upset, I'm angry, I feel, I'm feeling anxious. And of course that that's increasing the stress. If I take maybe two steps and I say to myself, why so anxious? Like how do you, how do you, how do you deal with that?

And yeah, for me, I'm so thankful for my wife. I, I, I couldn't, I don't think I get, like, I'm a fairly emotional guy and I wear my heart on my sleeve for the most part. But if I start to get emotionally stressed or, or ramped up like that, if I can talk to my wife, I, through most stuff so that I don't. Emotional stress isn't usually high on my radar just because I have a mechanism that I can access to help me through other stresses would, you know, be greater than that in my world. And I'm sure everybody's to your point. Like I said with students everybody's got different, varying levels pending their situation.

Well, just building on that emotional thing, I'll say suggesting savor the good in your day.

Yeah.

So always look for the positive. And, and there's a lot of times I would ask someone so what made you laugh today? Because that's, you know, that's generally something it helps both ways because us, it's a, it's a, it's a funny memory and it helps to take away the, the stress as well.

I think Monty Python said it best. Always look on the bright side of life, I think.

Are you break into a song?

No, I was going to, I probably could have sang it better, but, but yeah, it's, it's true. It's. If you stay in the, the, the confusion and the stress and the, the worry that takes a physical, like you said on your physical health as an effect.

They're suggesting a 20 minute walk. Now this, in the policing world, I've heard many Many times there's a gentleman by the name of Dr. Gil Martin. He has a book called Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement. And one of the things that he's advocating in the book is that 20 minute walk. So it doesn't matter what your day's been like. Just go for that 20 minute walk just to clear your head.

So I can tell you, like, you know, I never really put a lot of thought into not. Not being disrespectful, but the stress that goes into first responders, police and firefighters until my sons became one. And, And I just. I. It's. It's. To see that much negativity or trauma in a day, it just, it baffles me. People can do that as a job. I kind of. There has to be that off switch or something that you go to work with. But you want to talk about dealing with, you know, emotions and stress. That's. I just, I can't fathom that on a daily. As part of your work.

Maddog, I'm sure we've talked about it before. The. The understanding what that stress does to you and as it relates to first responders is. Is actually being talked about more than it.

Which is great.

Yeah, it really is. You're going to appreciate this one. Give yourself a hug. When's the last time you gave yourself a hug? I guess everybody.

I gave everybody else hugs. I don't hug myself. I should.

That's what it. That's what the suggestion is. And if you're physically feeling stress, give yourself a hug.

As long as it's not in public, because that would look weird.

You'd have to go in.

Yeah, exactly. What's going on over there? I'm just hugging myself. It's fine.

Emotional ways to reduce stress in the. Be kindly to yourself. I wonder if that's that. Like those positive affirmations.

Yeah, the deep thoughts of the day. Yeah, for sure. I think it's because we do get stuck in our own heads, and if you're in a situation, it is hard to get out of it. So it sounds like all those things you've just kind of mentioned are like breaks to pull yourself out.

It's funny you say that. Like, when I sometimes get myself a stressful situation, I know that I've done something I shouldn't do. I say idiot, but they're suggesting something different. Something nicer. Yeah, something nicer. And it's funny, sometimes I'll be with someone, I'll go idiot. And then I'd say me, not you. Yeah, yeah, that's.

That's the small talk I think we talked about in a previous episode.

Yes. Prioritize positive experiences. That one I'm having a hard time with.

So, so one more so prioritizes positive experiences. Like try to make them happen or think about.

I think it would be more to think about those positive experience. It may kind of make sense. You're. You're looking on the, the good things that have happened in your life to say, hey, you know, I mean even, even though like my day is garbage, I've got a lot of great things there.

There's a reality check. And yeah, you know, it's, I think we went through that this weekend. We went to Celebration of life for a good friend. And you know, every time you think about complaining about something it's just like, no, A, I'm still here. B, there's a lot worse what I'm complaining about in my regular day to day. So sometimes those checks of reality do help.

Yeah. Just building on that because it's not an easy situation. But I know I was talking to someone at the gym who's actually gone through quite a traumatic experiences this year where literally he's lucky to still be alive. And, and we talked a little bit and I just say to him, I said, you know, generally when I find myself, I'll just call it a funk. I'll just say someone's out there is dealing with something much worse than I ever could be. And it just, it kind of doesn't change the situation you're in, but it kind of makes you look. It's perspective. That's all it is. Feel your feet on the floor.

My wife said that she's like, she's big on connection to the earth and oh really? That sort of stuff. I'm just trying to stand up straight, stable but. Okay. Said I wonder what the.

Okay, let's go one more emotional because I find this one interesting. Write about your experiences. So this is kind of like touching on the whole journaling.

Right.

And again, you're not going to be surprised because I as of late been practicing journaling which is great, which is great. But here's the component that's missing is the emotional feeling that goes along with that journaling. So you're just reporting. Yeah. Thanks dog. Yeah, well, I'm just trying to help, you know, I just, yeah. Fact based reporting. Right. So my, my point being is that that that emotional tie to that journaling has to somehow come to life and has to. I, I say bring color to that journal. Right. Because then it, it means Something. And if there, there's something that kind of is, I'll say, challenging you and you can realize the emotion that goes along with it, then it makes it a lot easier to manage. Yeah.

And if you go back and you're rereading and if you entered them with that emotion, then I think that would help you either remember that situation or learn from it or something like that.

But. Yeah. Yes. Well, good for you.

For even jerk must say.

And I'll tell you, it's, it's. I don't really want to call it a chore, but it's, it's something new that I, I, I, I need to embrace more. I'll leave it at that. Yeah.

I tried it once after my mom died, and I, it was like I was pretending that I was talking to her through the journal. And I made it two pages. And then every time I tried, I couldn't stop crying. I'm like, okay, this isn't working. This is a little too hurtful. But I do understand how it helps.

In the category of being spiritual. Look for a sense of meaning while you're having that stress. Like, that seems a little deep, Right?

Yeah, I just, I don't know. I don't want to say I'm not one of faith, but I just encourage everybody to have their beliefs. I don't know what that looks like. And I don't know, I just. Yeah, I guess everybody has a, maybe a greater purpose or something that they want to follow.

Oh, here's one that might help seek out experiences of awe. Now, I, I, I think I, and I, I think when I read that, I think about nature. Sure. And going to, let's say, let's say. And I've never been there, the Grand Canyon. You're going, wow, this is something. Right?

That's funny you say that, because just south of Utah, there's Zion National Park. And apparently it's just like that. And I've seen pictures, and I'm like, oh, we have to go there. Like, I want to. To be put in that state mental calling me or asking me.

No, no, sir. It's a category now. Oh, okay. Knock out a small win. So you break it down. It's like eating, like eating the elephant one bite at a time. So you've got this big, big stress thing happening to you. So you're just gonna do a little bit at a time. Before you know it. It wasn't that bad. No, was it?

Yeah. I started doing things like, I'm obviously a very detailed planner because I'm hyper organized. And sometimes that's not a great thing. But I eventually had to get to the point, reread lists a hundred times and I got to the point where it was like I had to say to myself, trust the process. So that I know that if every box that I check is leading to a conclusion without worrying about it at every single step, because I know the entirety of it works. So I have to say to myself, trust the process.

I've actually told myself that a couple of times. I'm getting ready to get up and I'm thinking to myself, trust the process. Then you say to yourself, but wait a second. You built it. So you know what? So just press what you did was wrong. But you're absolutely right. Here's a good one. A really, really, really good one. Ask what is in my control.

Because yeah, you can worry about stuff that you can't control and then you're just really.

And there's a lot of things in our lives we have no control over.

Absolutely. Our spouses are one of them. Did I say that out loud? Yeah, no, it's. It's true. Because it's. Sometimes we live in that. I guess sometimes. I would assume too that once you start feeling a certain way and you almost look for things in that light.

Right.

Like if you're. If you're in a bad spot and everything's down, you are almost thinking that everything is down and bad and. Yeah, so. But the breaks, I think to your point earlier on, help and.

Yes, yes, but. So when I. When I read that, when I think about the whole worrying thing because normally we worry about things that. That have already happened or like. Or worry about things that are. That literally are going to happen in the future out of our control.

Yeah.

So I'm So nothing to worry about. That's the point there, right?

Yeah, nothing to worry about. If you can impact it, then it's just emotion. For the sake of having emotion.

Here's one again. Define your limits and boundaries. So how much, how much. How much stress can you take?

Rote, apparently. I take it as a challenge. I've done some dumb things over the last handful of years where I just keep adding and adding and adding and eventually it takes a toll on like I. That one. I know my, my, my blood pressure has had an effect. My just on overall physical health.

But I.

Sometimes we just get stubborn and we just keep adding to the pile.

Well, you know, getting back to that thought of the day and no one is invincible. A lot of times we think we are Invincible. And that's part of the problem. And we end up putting that stress on ourselves because we'll just keep going. And yeah, yeah, I can do that. Yeah, I can do that. And I always was of the mind that I'll just say yes to everything. But not knowing that by saying yes, everything, I'm actually putting stress on yourself.

Especially if you're looking at all these little singulars as one thing. You're saying yes to add 30 of them together and it's a big. A big deal.

Yeah. So what do you think by saying yes, the fine art of saying no said I'm learning later in life.

That's a discipline.

That's a discipline.

And it's like I said, I unloaded a whole bunch of stuff, but over the last year, I have offloaded it. And I promised myself I would never do that to myself again because. But it was something I had to work on because it's like, to your point, I like helping. I like saying, yeah, no, I can shoulder that. No problem. No problem. I'll get involved with that.

Sure.

It's like, dude, relax. Like, you can't do it all.

Yep. They can figure it out. I'm pretty sure they can. They're pretty smart. They can do it.

Yeah.

Probably not the way I would do it. Well, that's it.

Right. Well, if I just did it a little different in my workbook, schedule social events.

So it's, it's. Here it is.

Right.

So, you know, whether it be, let's say, a date night or it's like playing poker or whatever it is.

Yeah.

You're taking yourself out of that stressful environment and you're putting yourself somewhere that's going to take you away and relax a little bit. Yeah. Yeah.

And it's.

Unless you're losing lots of money, then.

Well, it's a little stressful to take a break.

Yeah.

But, yeah, scheduling side, it's, you know, we're about to have a big life change. And I told my wife, I said, we're going to have to put a lot of effort into meeting people and stuff because you are an adult and, you know, it's harder to meet people and make friends, and that adds that kind of little bit of light to your day or enjoyment. So, yeah, you gotta schedule it.

So what I'm gonna do with is the last little bit here. I'm gonna talk about the environmental stuff, which is really, really practical, and it's probably a good place for some people to start. But if you think about it, because we're all tied to our iPhones or our Androids, whatever it is. But there's these things called notifications. And how many times we get notified today in a day of attacks. A phone call, an email, and bing, bing, bing. Depending on what your little.

Your phone trains you at a certain point.

Yeah. So turn them off. Turn them off.

There's nothing that's, you know. Well, yeah, a phone call is. If it's something that's urgent enough, it'll come via phone. You would like to think.

Well, I often thought that way back when, like, because we're not tied to a phone, you didn't have to worry about calling someone back because you came back the office. There was a message. Exactly. I like seeing so much easier.

Yeah. Now it's like. It's almost like there is an instant reply that's expected.

And if you don't.

Yeah.

What is wrong with you?

Is that what we do? We're not working we out? It's like, oh, my gosh.

So turn off those notifications.

Let's do that.

Yeah. Okay. How about creating working space so, you know, for those people that, let's say, are working from home, make sure that you can, like, literally put your know, the difference between, like, your social environment in your house and your work environment. And don't mix the two together.

No, no. Like, and. And struggled with that when I first started working from home, where eventually I'm like, okay, no, it is okay to take a lunch break even though you're at home. It's not so much the. The art of. Of having lunch as breaking the day and giving yourself that little bit of mental rest.

Put on your favorite music.

I'm big on that one.

Do you crank it up?

No, no, I just. I'm not a cranked music. It's just a subtle background to kind of draw a subtle distraction, but not enough to keep me off a task, but.

Okay. Yeah. Okay.

What about you? Were you.

Yeah, I'll have a spee. I have a speaker in here. And I would put on the music and it would be like the. There's a. There's different tracks. They have. This one's like coffee time music.

Okay.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And it's kind of mellow and it just kind of relaxes you and it's just. Okay. Yeah.

I've been a lot of instrumental blues lately where it's just, you know, the kind of like, nice background stuff that you can do whatever.

Spend time in nature.

I love that one so much, but I don't do it enough I love the forest. Love, love, love.

But can you see the forest for the tree?

I can. I just want to see it, but I don't make time to do it.

Yeah, we used to do some team building, which included maybe going for a hike or something like that. It does make a difference. It just kind of takes the stress.

Away and, you know, it removes all visual and audio distractions, I find. Yes. You know, because any. If you're, you know, trying to take a break in your house, everything you look at, oh, that could be fixed. So I got this to do. But if you've changed that environment drastically and there' no auditory stimuli, there's no visual, it's like I'm just here in the trees with these animals. Like, that's.

It's perfect. Yeah, it's perfect. Organize your space.

Yep.

A hundred percent. Like I expected anything different from a mad dog.

Well, it's funny, I was talking to my wife, like, back when I was a kid for Halloween, like, I remember being 7 and 8, the bottom two drawers of my dresser were dedicated to candy, and I had them sectioned and by type of candy and then from small. Oh, it's bad.

It's bad.

It goes way back.

Really.

Yeah.

So just organize your space. I mean, obviously there, I'll. I'll call it a spectrum of ocd. And I call. I call what I have intermittent. Okay. But when it kicks in, it. It's actually quite helpful. All right, so there's no question about it, but I don't get so tied up in being OCD that causes me stress.

Right. So who moved my stapler?

See, I may be the one to go in there. Yeah, exactly. Yeah.

This is checks and bounds.

Yeah. So declutter and donate your things. Yep.

Got better over the years, but, yeah, that's just. I think frees up brain space. If you don't have all that clutter.

Switch to another task. Especially if something's mundane. You've got like.

Sure, I could see that. Yeah, it just refreshes you, wakes you up or whatever you want to call it.

But yeah, here's an interesting one. Get a plant.

Okay.

Right. Remember that? Yeah. No, it's so, the funny thing about that, okay, if. If it's not your jam, but if you did have a plant, would you talk to it? And you were with hands.

No, I don't think I would. I'm just. Oh, I've seen. Yeah, I've seen that in action, but yeah.

Okay.

Yeah, then that's just me personally. I'm not saying.

And Then yesterday it was at Ikea with Josh and he said, I need to get some more plants. But they're plastic.

It's more of the decorative piece than.

But it. But I guess it will do the same.

Just get ones that answer you when you start talking to us.

Yes. AI plants get sun on your face in the morning.

Oh, my wife's a big one for that. Yeah, she's a sun seeker.

Sun seeker. It just. But it was funny because sometimes I ask people, well, how's your day going? You know what they'll do? They'll look outside to see what the weather's like. I'm thinking. So you can't let the weather decide how your day is going to be.

But you've got four emotions through the year.

Yeah. Anyways, that's what you see people do.

And if it works for people, then have that.

Here's one. Put your devices away before bed. How many people do you think actually go to bed? Their.

Their phones, I would say most, to be honest. And they say that's the worst thing for you. Oh, good for you.

Well, it's because I At one time, literally a pager, two cell phones or three cell phones. And I just like. It's.

You have to draw a hard line, too. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's. It's the TikTok scare funny videos. It's just. I don't know. But yeah, it's. They say, you know, having your brain stimulated like that before bed and then trying to turn it down and turn off and go to bed just doesn't work.

So. No, it doesn't even. Well, I don't know about you, but sometimes my mind just decides to. They want a journey over when I'm trying to. Trying to get some sleep. And it just keeps going here, going there, going everywhere. You're thinking, this isn't good. And if I pull out a device.

Yeah, that's.

That's just.

There's no end to that as insult injury.

That's really what it does. It's happening again. And it's not just me that's hearing this music, you know?

Yes. No, others do here. Yeah.

So. But keep in mind that for the most part, stress is not our friend and can easily sneak up on us and causing trouble with both our physical and mental health.

I haven't met too many good stresses.

No. And. And you know, the thing about it, like, I. I would suggest go to the site, take a look at those. Those tools they have, even the 60 ways to reduce stress. Reminds me of that old song 50 ways you leave you love.

Exactly. And what's the site called again?

The new happy.

The new happy.

The new happy dot com. Yes. Yeah, check that out. Yeah, so check it out. Yes, for sure. And I say just commit to making your life as happy as possible. So.

And what works for others might not work for you. Just find what yours is.

So you got to be able to find at least one or two things out of that 60. And that's what we said. Don't do the 60 unless you're one of those, you know, I'll say ambitious.

People over cheese resistance. Absolutely zero stress in there.

I've got 10 more to go.

I'll be a day of bliss.

Yes. So remember to take advantage of the moment before the moment takes advantage of you. To learn more about e walkabout, please visit us at ewalkabout.ca