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!
Take a nice hot bath, listen to music, meditate! 
I snuggle with my Dotson
@positiveRiver9935, if you don't mind me asking, what is a Dotson?
I read comics
Whenever I feel down-
I usually turn the music on and use my hairbrush as a microphone to understand that things can never make me feel down until I let them make me.
I snuggle in my blanket with my favourite food, watch a cute movie and it automatically makes me smile.
I take a rough paper, scribble on it with all my might and when I feel calm, I crush that paper and throw it in the dustbin.
I go running :) Nothing feels better than the feeling of cool air on your face and the sound of music in your ears :)
I exercise or take a bath. Something to relax and get my mind off what is overwhelming me.
I love to draw and create art. I walk my dog or listen to music & dance around.
@SugarSpiceEverythingNice, those are wonderful things to make you feel better. Dancing and pets are such a great outlet! They both instantly take my mind off my troubles, too.
I work on simple crafts that I can complete in a short time. I really love crafting, and it helps me feel empowered to see something through to completion, even something small!
@loyalChestnut464i love to craft too but my projects are always big projects. Lol. But it is very rewarding to see it all come together. I would like to see sone of your finished crafts.
I was feeling bad the other day and decided that I was going to put my fold out camping chair in the bath tub so I could sit in the shower and relax. It was car nice and quiet. It really did maje me feel better.
@limeWatermelon8742
beautiful, that is an incredibly random activity and i love it
doing similar things to that makes me feel better as well
@GlenM
My favorite coping skills:
1. Painting figurines, whether they be for games, etc. I don't enjoy canvas - I like having something already formed for me to just put my colors and feelings on.
2. Drawing
3. Cleaning out my car
4. Cuddling/hugging. Physical touch is one thing that makes me feel so much better.
@CompassionateDreamer8522
You are lucky to have someone to hug. Some people do not have that. No family members or friends.