These are extraordinary times and there are a lot of scared people - I am supporting one such through a local ‘buddy’ community system. So I was thinking of what helps ease anxiety and came up with these suggestions - please add :-
Meditation
Contact a friend or family member
Going into green space however tiny
Eating well
Sleeping well
Restricting screen time and watching or listening to news
Have a daily plan of action - things to achieve today
Paying a visit to HU Positive Well-being
Volunteering to help someone else - however small
Noticing and appreciating what I have - every day notice the very small pleasures and laugh
Find something inspiring - this borrowed from HU Positive Well-being is mine today youtu.be/6O75dlKzP-c
Stay well and stress free.......
Written by
CDreamer
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I'm in a mindfulness mental health support group on Facebook - I posed this in there this week. It's been useful.
Some useful tips here. Borrowed from a friend. Depression tips
Shower. Not a bath, a shower. Use water as hot or cold as you like. You don’t even need to wash. Just get in under the water and let it run over you for a while. Sit on the floor if you gotta.
Moisturize everything. Use whatever lotion you like. Unscented? Dollar store lotion? Fancy 48 hour lotion that makes you smell like a field of wildflowers? Use whatever you want, and use it all over your entire dermis.
Put on clean, comfortable clothes.
Put on your favorite underwear. Cute black lacy panties? Those ridiculous boxers you bought last christmas with candy cane hearts on the butt? Put them on.
Drink cold water. Use ice. If you want, add some mint or lemon for an extra boost. I always use lemon.
Clean something. Doesn’t have to be anything big. Organize one drawer of a desk. Wash five dirty dishes. Do a load of laundry. Scrub the bathroom sink.
Blast music. Listen to something upbeat and dancey and loud, something that’s got lots of energy. Sing to it, dance to it, even if you suck at both.
Make food. Don’t just grab a granola bar to munch. Take the time and make food. Even if it’s ramen. Add something special to it, like a soft boiled egg or some veggies. Prepare food, it tastes way better, and you’ll feel like you accomplished something.
Make something. Write a short story or a poem, draw a picture, color a picture, fold origami, crochet or knit, sculpt something out of clay, anything artistic. Even if you don’t think you’re good at it. Create.
Go outside. Take a walk. Sit in the grass. Look at the clouds. Smell flowers. Put your hands in the dirt and feel the soil against your skin.
Call someone. Call a loved one, a friend, a family member, call a chat service if you have no one else to call. Talk to a stranger on the street. Have a conversation and listen to someone’s voice. If you can’t bring yourself to call, text or email or whatever, just have some social interaction with another person. Even if you don’t say much, listen to them. It helps.
Cuddle your pets if you have them/can cuddle them. Take pictures of them. Talk to them. Tell them how you feel, about your favorite movie, a new game coming out, anything.
I admit do doing quite a few of those, some are quite simple and just break up the routine or any stress/anxiety thoughts. Even if its "RIGHT, I'm going for a shower" and having 10 minutes change to the routine.
I'm teaching myself to floss I mean the dance and it cheers me up everytime as well as being good excercise.
I'd say a lovely hot bath mines a spa bath with my favourite lush bath bomb in it I have the lights dimmed and just let the bubbles soothe and relax me
Certainly dont use this time to slob around ! Always put some make up on before I venture down stairs ( don't want to frighten the cats ....) and try to dress in something colourful. Trying out different recipes and making sure one project is started or completed each day. Still have much to do! Did try making some face masks but think they were too thick as i felt suffocated !! Any ideas ??
Face masks - I’m researching for when I can go out & best tip I’ve found is 2 layers of cotton with a very high thread count. As it happens, I have some off cuts of 400 thread count sheeting material - I’ve experimented with 2 layers & that’s ok - 3 layers is more difficult. The advice is to only use pure cotton - quilting grade or finer. I have quite a big stash as I used to sew a lot, much less so these days.
Thanks CD I've been using linen which was the problem I think. I also used to sew a lot and have some dresses made in the 70s in Liberty prints, some Tana lawn, which I could use ( I knew they would come in useful !)
What an interesting post CDreamer. I agree with most of your list. Here's a few more that soothe my mind :
Working in my garden.
Watching birds go about their daily lives in the garden, a rook has decided that the moss in my front lawn is easy to pull out and the grubs underneath are it's reward. Who needs moss killer! I just have to rake the moss away each day - you wouldn't believe the amount!
Listening to the YouTube post you added made me realise how much I love to hear the very deep tones of male voices, just find them so soothing. Guess that's why I love the voice of the late Leonard Cohen so much. His YouTube reading of In Flanders Fields is wonderful, but sad so I wont add the link here. It's just his gravelly voice, love it! Has a similar effect on me as does humming, feeds a need I'd say.
Sharing others joy, my 24 year old granddaughter has recently met her soulmate and she openly admits that she's the happiest she's ever been. Looking at a photo of them smiling together, it fills me with joy.
Eating - Being stuck at home and finding I'm saving money I've decided it's time to have treats. Picked up scallops and also prawns in the supermarket for my lunch time sandwiches. Don't smoke or drink alcohol so why not!!
Counting my blessings - I truly am a very lucky person and I give thanks for that.
Love your birdwatching Jean. We are lucky enough to have a house on the water and we love watching the birds, especially the pelicans which are so graceful, and the black swans that we can hand feed lettuce. And it’s always exciting to watch the dolphins - it doesn’t matter how often you see dolphins you never get sick of them🐬. All and all, it’s not a bad place to be isolated.
These suggestions are just great, except the cooking. I have never been a cook, I don't have a creative flare and everything has to be weighed and done exactly to the recipe when I do try. And then I can't be bothered to eat it at the end, it is so uninspiring. Even my salads are boring. My husband made me a salad at the weekend, he added raspberries, blueberries and roasted sunflower seeds (wouldn't have occurred to me in a million years) and it was wonderful. To my shame, when my daughters were small if they ever went to another household for a meal, I was always told how delightful and unfussy they were about food. Only I knew it was gratitude for a good meal!
Oh Irene - focus on what you are good at and enjoy. I found neglect worked quite well with both my 2 boys, at least that is what they told me! Evidently they had to forage for themselves (when they returned home from schools they were always starving and wanted food NOW) so both are now really quite good cooks! Youngest loves making Pizzas and the grandchildren all love it!
Yes, both my daughters are good cooks too. It is telling that for my birthday last year one bought me a top-of-the-range cordless hammer drill...I was thrilled!
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