Comments on Cranky Fitness: Elections are all the rage these days...

Thank you for putting the GYM as a great place to ...

2008-11-05T01:16:00.000-05:00

Thank you for putting the GYM as a great place to let out anger. Exercise is imperative for stress relief. People tend to neglect exercise when they are stressed failing to realize that this is the ONE thing that will help you feel better. When I'm "angry", I pump some SERIOUS iron.

Great post.

Sambo... Amen! I wish other states would follow Or...

2008-11-04T15:23:00.000-05:00

Sambo... Amen! I wish other states would follow Oregon/Washington's lead on the mail-in ballot system.

Lines? What lines?

Anger...Hummm, how to cope...I organize/clean! It ...

2008-11-04T13:52:00.000-05:00

Anger...Hummm, how to cope...I organize/clean! It helps me put everything in order, and for some reason, the physical act of throwing things out helps to throw out the anger.

Ohhh, pretty leaves falling, should probably rake this weekend...And take down Halloween decorations...

That being said, I also love playing ball when I'm mad, it makes my resolve to do things correctlyand with lots o power even better. When I'm angry, I always seem to get up and over that damn coed net much easier and find an open hole on the court.

As for voting...Can we say "Thank the Lord" for mail voting in Oregon?! It may be the greatest thing since sliced bread.

I'm also big on cleaning when frustrated (except t...

2008-11-04T13:40:00.001-05:00

I'm also big on cleaning when frustrated (except then you run the risk of breaking dishes... oops). And walking does wonders, of course!

Very witty and entertaining post today. I love tak...

2008-11-04T13:40:00.000-05:00

Very witty and entertaining post today. I love taking my anger out on the gym, but I recognize that is not always the best solution either.

It never occurred to me to clean things as a form ...

2008-11-04T12:33:00.000-05:00

It never occurred to me to clean things as a form of anger management. Maybe because cleaning itself makes me angry. Dammit, didn't I just clean this ^#*^*$#! dish/sink/toilet last week????

Running helps me, though. If I run long enough, far enough, I come home too worn out to be mad about much of anything. I just want food, a shower, and a good long nap.

If things don't go my way today, I will probably e...

2008-11-04T11:40:00.000-05:00

If things don't go my way today, I will probably experience more in the way of sadness and disappointment then anger.
Cleaning and organizing does help when I feel angry and agitated - something about putting things just where they belong does help!

I don't tend to get angry often. I get frustrated...

2008-11-04T11:05:00.000-05:00

I don't tend to get angry often. I get frustrated and irritated sometimes, but not really angry. In the past, when my candidate didn't win, even if I was upset about it, I didn't get angry because what's the point? It was more a sense of fatalism, like now what the hell's going to happen to this country?

Hmmm... when I get angry I stuff it. Not good I kn...

2008-11-04T10:58:00.000-05:00

Hmmm... when I get angry I stuff it. Not good I know - I will have to try the cleaning bit!

Yeah, when I'm stressed I clean. When life is fee...

2008-11-04T10:49:00.000-05:00

Yeah, when I'm stressed I clean. When life is feeling out of control, I do laundry. When I'm worried, I organize.

You'd think either my life is perfect and my house a mess, or my house is spotless and my life's a mess.

It's somewhere in the middle. Though today I see a big decluttering of my workroom as I avoid the talking heads on TV.

I voted last Monday, so I won't have anger at wait...

2008-11-04T10:48:00.000-05:00

I voted last Monday, so I won't have anger at waiting in line today!

When I do get angry, I either go for a run, or go on a cleaning binge. I usually get the kitchen clean, then run out of steam. But hey, I feel better and the vein in my forehead no longer threatens to burst!

Heh...I just remembered when I was little, watchin...

2008-11-04T10:46:00.000-05:00

Heh...I just remembered when I was little, watching the Hulk on our black and white TV. I was so mad that I couldn'ty actually *see* when he turned green. It was just sort of greyish :)
I try and go for a walk or run or do chores when I'm angry. I can really do chores I don't like when I'm mad...scrub the tub, rake the yard. It helps be burn off the anger and then when I calm down I can be around people again and think clearly. Something about physical exertion takes the fire off. I also find that I need to feel my anger...I'm bad for ignoring it or I used to calm it with food. Now I try and feel it and talk myself through it, and then when I'm more level I bounce my thoughts (softly) off my husband.

Excellent post and terrific link.I don't get angry...

2008-11-04T10:18:00.000-05:00

Excellent post and terrific link.

I don't get angry if my candidate loses an election. (It has happened any number of times) But if I really believe in my choice (as I do this time) I get very depressed if my choice doesn't win. Here's hoping that won't happen this time, but if it does, I have the anger tricks to try.

Thanks. Terrie

I don't like being angry and avoid it whenever pos...

2008-11-04T09:45:00.000-05:00

I don't like being angry and avoid it whenever possible. It takes a lot to get me angry--but this election has done it. Many times. I get angry over lies, misrepresentations, hate, demogogery, subversion of democracy, etc., etc. For a couple of spells over the last two years I've been put on a news diet.

Then lo and behold, I discovered political cartooning. Now I can handle any and all of it! Because I know I can draw a cartoon of whatever strikes me and send it out to everyone I know.

(Except now my hand is messed up again and I haven't been able to set it down on paper. I mean my hand, literally, on paper. So I'm a little anxious at the moment. It'll all be over by tomorrow...:-P)

What a great post! So much of what you write make...

2008-11-04T09:42:00.000-05:00

What a great post! So much of what you write makes absolute sense -- love Ellen's comments! Depending upon what my anger's directed at, I will either eat or feel self-righteous enough to go to the gym for a manic workout! (Sounds silly, as if there were different "types" of anger, but I never tried scrubbing as a conduit to a peaceful mental state!) I'll give it a try next time the need to vent bubbles up! Thanks for the idea! I look forward to voting today - as a Californian, lots to decide...

clearing away clutter helps me vent, so I've combi...

2008-11-04T09:34:00.000-05:00

clearing away clutter helps me vent, so I've combined your anger mgt cleaning tip with donating to goodwill!

LOL. I usually complain and then run. But on days ...

2008-11-04T09:30:00.000-05:00

LOL. I usually complain and then run. But on days when I can't run, I really should try cleaning. Use that extra energy for something good!

I think there are times when directed anger can be...

2008-11-04T09:09:00.000-05:00

I think there are times when directed anger can be useful. Anger undirected turns inward and is not so good. It's probably an individual thing. I was at a national meeting one time and one of the pioneers in my field was ranting in front of 1000's of people in attendance. He was in his 80's and I thought that there was an "angry young man" to be proud of :-)

PS Early voting in Florida made it so easy in my town, not like national TV portrayed!

Oooh I love it! I'm not mad yet but then I haven'...

2008-11-04T08:58:00.000-05:00

Oooh I love it! I'm not mad yet but then I haven't tried to vote yet only to be told I have to wait in line for 4 hours with 3 screaming kids. I'll be sure to keep your tips in mind"!

Oh, I never thought about people who are mad about...

2008-11-04T08:47:00.000-05:00

Oh, I never thought about people who are mad about cleaning! That would be a problem.

I think using exercise to deal with anger is even better than cleaning. (Exercise as in running around a track, not slamming innocent defenseless door...)

I'm a door slammer and yeller too. I usually just...

2008-11-04T08:44:00.000-05:00

I'm a door slammer and yeller too. I usually just leave the house and go for a run, or play hockey, or rugby, or something.

As for cleaning, I remember my mom doing that, and I tend to follow, but its usually the brooding stage, not the flat out anger. Cleaning is a way to think it out, but if I'm already pissed it doesn't work.

When I'm angry it's not safe to clean. Things woul...

2008-11-04T08:43:00.000-05:00

When I'm angry it's not safe to clean. Things would get broken. I yell, mostly, and pound on walls. Nice solid walls.
(Of course, sometimes it's the cleaning that _makes_ me angry. What to do?)

Mary Anne in Kentucky

I'm a slammer/banger, as in I like to slam doors a...

2008-11-04T08:40:00.000-05:00

I'm a slammer/banger, as in I like to slam doors and bang things around when I'm angry, but that tends to scare the kids and pets, so now I grab a rag and start wiping things down with the fury of a tasmanian devil. Sparkling cabinets + a calmer me = happier family.

I now get why my room at my parents' house was alw...

2008-11-04T08:24:00.000-05:00

I now get why my room at my parents' house was always spotless, and my room in college, and no are less than perfect.

I never understood the anger either only in that i...

2008-11-04T08:17:00.000-05:00

I never understood the anger either only in that it wont *chage* anything.

here's hoping it is all decided today.