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!
Depends on what the hard time is.
I'm having an HAE attack or think I have a prodrome - infuse berinert
Fatigue in it's various forms is too high - Sleep, or if unable put on a podcast
Body fatigue is high, alertness is ok, watch netlix or something like that, play games on my phone while laying down, reading if I at least feel up to holding something up for the last 2
Feeling nauseated - drink some ice cold water, eat frozen applesauce, run cold water over my wrists
Feeling really stiff - a warm bath, gentle stretches and self-massage, taking a muscle relaxant if pretty bad
Feeling sad - reaching out to someone to talk, getting outside for a bit if it's not going to trigger health issues too much, look at pictures of my nephews
Feeling itchy - wipe the worst area with a baby washcloth soaked in very cold water, take antihistamines, apply topical treatments, use distractions like phone games, podcasts, netflix, etc.
I listen to music and sometimes watch romance movies. It helps me to listen to music that I find familiar and comforting because it helps me calm down. It's usually something from a musical. And of course Jane Austen just makes me feel better 😂.
Hi.
Usually when I feel low or demotivated, i put my phone on airplane mode for a while, shut my eyes and listen to my favorite songs. On some days, I make myself a cup of hot chocolate and just sit by the balcony, watching the sunset. Self care is very important and it can be anything. From putting on a face mask and chilling to just taking a nap. Anything that brings us a little peace :)
Having a big cup of coffee ☕. Watching old movies. And playing games on my phone
I find a few different acitvities that have helped, sometimes they work, other times it takes being patient with the project. I usually like to try talking to someone first, and if that's not possible, I remove myself from my current place that I'm in and go for a walk, usually a long walk. I often times will listen to music, or journal. Sometimes, I'll even find a puzzle to do or something that will take my mind off of whatever is currently bothering me. Vaccuming is one of the best ways to drown out the noise.
@GlenM
the coping skills that work for me
music 🎧. reading novels 📖 , drawing ✍️ , watching movies 🎥 and hot shower 🚿.
here are some songs from my playlist.
1.hero by Enrique Iglesias.
2. Say something i m giving up by the great big world.
3.blindsided by bon ivor
4.dinning table by harry styles.
here are some novels that i liked.
1. The silent patient. 2. The hating game. 3. To k*ill a mockingbird.
i hope that helps you :-)
@GlenM
I go inward by...
Visualizing and breathing
Reading positive quotes
Journaling and reflecting
Music helps...George Michael especially...😀
@RainbowRosie i absolutely LOVE George Michael <3 great choice
@GlenM Great idea to encompass all of these in one place! Here are my coping skills (for my low-grade depression):
- Listening to music. I have my own playlist in my Spotify account of my current favorite songs to listen to. Playlists like Discover Weekly help me discover new music. If I'm feeling bad about myself, I listen to uplifting songs, etc.
- Watch YouTube videos. Watching mindless (or not) YT videos is definitely an escape for me. One thing I like to do is watch the music videos for some of my current favorite songs. Chances are I'll like it! And funny animals videos can get me laughing.
- Talk to my fiancé. There have been numerous times I was feeling so down and by talking things through with him, I ended up feeling a lot better! I think what helps is feeling validated, respected, and heard, and feeling that your emotions and thoughts at the time are respected instead of frowned upon. He also always gets me laughing, and I really think laughter helps. Perhaps you don't have a fiancé, but you do have someone like this in your life who you can talk to?