Hellobee Boards

I will actually share some of the awesome advice that people have given me today:

-Acupuncture, meditation, a walk through our forest to breathe in nature, a soothing cup of camomile tea, & a puff or two of weed.

- I recommend journaling privately, drawing, meditation, talking to a friend, daydreaming, massage trading with a friend, green tea (loose leaf!) and thinking through the situation. When my husband gets stressed or anxious, we walk through the best and worst case scenario, usually it puts it in perspective and he is able to relax.

- A cup of tea and my favorite book with calming music in the background - I love Brian Eno's "Music for Airports" album as a soothing backdrop.

- I can send you some drawing exercises if you would like to try drawing for relaxation! You just need a stick media (charcoal or pastels) and a newsprint pad (24 inch is good) or drawing pad if you might like to save your drawings

-Also, depending on the kind of stress, a hard run to some intense music tends to do wonders for me as well.

-drinking tea, taking a bath, making lists, stretching, cuddling an animal, hugging, smiling.

-Developing a relaxation ritual has been very helpful for me over the last couple of months. There is a fancy bath products store about a mile from our apartment. Every other week or so I walk there, smell everything and pick out a little something. Then I go home to soak. Favorite thing ever.

-Depending on what is causing my stress, I like: a giant cup of tea enjoyed in silence, painting my nails (forces me to be still), hot yoga, a long talk with a best friend, a swim (having my head underwater feels peaceful), a cry in the shower (maybe sounds unpleasant, but I find it completely cathartic).

-When I feel really bad, I hide under covers-my head too. I get less air and I calm down. May sound weird but it helps. Also if you feel really anxious, drink a big glass of water (room temperature) in one gulp. Your body can't be anxious and deal with all that water coming in at the same time

@pui: @Mrs. Lemon-Lime: @Crystal: I really love it too. It actually made me cry when I watched it. I could totally relate.

I also realized that I haven't been very empathetic towards myself.

@Crystal: I think I want to look a lot more into self-empathy. I've never really thought about it. I wonder if there are books on it.