I know that what I am about to reveal is going to get me some grief from friends and family, but I felt like I should share because of the experience I’ve been having. As someone doing work in the fitness industry this article is probably going to surprise some people, but as I always say, it is what it is.

Life the past two years has been extremely stressful. As a result I have had to come up with many mechanisms to cope with the stress. It has been important to deal with the stress because it has caused me major headaches on a daily basis and some weight gain. The strategies I have used are training at the gym, making new friends and vaping. If you don’t know what vaping is I will explain later.

Strategy 1: Training at the Gym

Going to the gym has helped relieve my stress. I can take my frustrations out by pushing my body to the point of failure on every set. I grunt, I groan, I struggle, but I feel better in the end. It is a strange situation where you can cause yourself pain and put yourself through hell, but come out on the other side feeling much better as a result.

Strategy 2: Making New Friends

This wasn’t something I did consciously, but making new friends has been an amazing stress buster. I adore the few friends that have stuck with me through my divorce, but new friends mean new possibilities, new topics of discussion and new activities to explore. I don’t have to answer questions abou the divorce or how I am doing. They just take me where I am right now in life. It is a great feeling to have so many new friends who truly care about me and my future.

Strategy 3: Vaping

Before I explain why this strategy, the most controversial of all of them, works for me, let me explain to the uninitiated what vaping is. Vaping involves using an electronic cigarette. It produces a vapor that resembles smoke. You vape flavored liquids. They can be completely nicotine free or have anywhere from a touch of nicotine to the same amount of nicotine found in a traditional cigarette.

I have never been a smoker. When I was a teenager I smoked my share of marijuana, but haven’t touched that stuff in 30 years! However, after doing some research on vaping, I got very curious. I began asking questions, reading articles and getting involved in discussion forums on the topic. I decided to give it a try. The stress relief benefits have been amazing, but the jury is still out for me to be honest.

I have always had an oral fixation (hence the reason I gain weight so easily—I put food, candy and junk food in my mouth when I am stressed. I got the vape pen (eGo-C Twist for those who care) and tried the thing out. It was really alien at first. The vape liquid I got has the lowest amount of nicotine possible. I immediately noticed the rush of positive energy as my brain’s dopamine centers were triggered by the nicotine. An amazing calm came over my entire body. My stress-related tension headaches went away.

I have found that if I vape on the drive home from work I am much more calm and stress-free. It is an amazing thing and I never truly expected it to work. At the same time, I am not sure of the long-term health issues that can arise from vaping, so I am cautiously optimistic at the moment.

Importance of Stress Reduction

I want to close up by reiterating how important it is to deal with the stress in your life through a series of strategies. You need more than one strategy so that you can switch up in certain circumstances. You will find that one strategy works better for one type of stress while another works better for a different type of stress. Just pay attention to the signals your body gives you.