What do you do to feel better?
Thank you all for the book and talk recommendations here. We have cataloged them all and I'm working on an outreach plan to reach out to each person that you've recommended.
I'm wriring today with a different, but related, question that I think will also help us better help others that are having a hard time. We've all heard the term "coping skills". These are things that we can do to help ourselves feel better. Sometimes we do these things on purpose because we are struggling; sometimes we do them by accident and don't necessarily realize that they help us change our mindset or help us get unstuck.
When I did therapy (many years ago!), I used to ask people to think about 3-4 things that they do that help them feel better. Then, I'd ask clients to do those very specific things whenever they were having a hard time. This little intervention helps quite a bit because it allows people to tap into skills that they already have and enjoy using.
I'm guessing our community has one of the richest catalogs of coping skills on the planet. I would imagine we have identified hundreds of ways to help ourselves feel better when struggling. If comfortable, please share them here. My goal is to capture all of these and write them up as growth path steps once the playlist is live. If you can, please write them up as you would say them to a good friend.
Here are some quick coping skills from my life:
-talk with my wife or friends
-take a walk
-run
-watch a mindless movie
What works for you?
Thank you!
Update: If any of these look particularly good to you please comment and upvote to let me know which ones work best. Thank you!
I try to read or go for a walk.
@GlenM
<3 My favourite coping skills are:
1. Writing (This is my absolutely favourite thing to do it helps me with literally everything)
2. Listening to music <3
3. Playing the piano (I love to play Ludovico Einaudi, Chopin or Jazz, when I play the piano I can put whatever I'm feeling into what I'm playing and I love that)
4. Going on a walk <3
Thank you for the wonderful post and question <3
I talk with strangers, listening to their stories. Trying to make them smile.
Things that make me feel better are: cooking. Long showers. Bubble baths. Making art in my sketch book. Nature walks. Yoga. Talking to friends. Gardening.
Listen to music and meditate
Listen to music, sleeping, just sitting in thinking, singing or dancing.
My quick coping skills:
- Going to the park to sit in nature for a bit
- Writing in my journal (I have a list of daily prompts and also do a page of freewriting)
- Talk to my husband or call one of my siblings
- Do an online yoga video to get re-centered
I go for a drive or exercise.
I work with my plants, either indoor or outdoor depending on the weather.
@HollyNurseEdu40 I havent been gardening for very long and havent always been able to keep my plants alive but lately it's been bringing me a lot of comfort. I would love to see some pics of your plants.
What makes me feel better is writing...
@kindMelon6770
Yes Melon, me too! I have not had much time to write lately, unfortunately, but maybe I'll pick it back up. What kind of writing do you like to do? <3
@InkyOak12
i like to write non-fiction... I hate the fake stuff, and fantasy but that's my opinion. What do you like to write?
@kindMelon6770
That's so cool! For me it really depends on the mood I'm in. I have a lot of interests, so when I can, I write nonfiction -- I like to write analysis on things like politics, social issues and current events. They don't really get published anywhere, but I like to observe what's going on in the world since I find it fascinating. When I'm in more of a ~poetic~ mood, I write fiction -- mostly realistic fiction stories, just fun things from my imagination. I've taken a stab at poetry, and I do love to read it but I admit, I don't think my poetry is very good :P
@InkyOak12
oh okay. I was just wondering I have been through a lot that's why I like non fiction...