Mama Bear Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 Presumably, we've all outgrown thumbs and blankies, right? :D And yet, there are things and activities which speak to a place in our souls, things we actively seek out and work to have. Maybe it's a guilty pleasure or something entirely pure. Perhaps it's the lock you recently installed on your bedroom door for "parent-teacher conference" times. ;) Maybe devotional or meditation time? Special smelly lotion or soap? Running? Sleeping? What's your favorite thing with which to settle your brain waves? I adore Origins Ginger Souffle. There are other things too, all a little lower on my list, but that scent snaps my head into at once a sharper and softer focus. And you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 Music - Fernando Ortega, Randy Travis, Vivaldi, soft "Windham Hill" type of instrumental music Very hot bath - sometimes with epsom salts and/or lavender A long walk - without kids (I almost never get this but one can dream!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 Depends on my mood but some favorites are hot baths, chocolate, reading, visiting here and currently (not right this moment) butterscotch schnaps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest janainaz Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 Listening to my iPod and cleaning. I have a lot of nervous energy and doing something physical and getting my mind off stuff by listening to music does me a lot of good. If I just want to relax, truly relax, I LOVE going to see a good movie all by myself. I always feel recharged and ready to come home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 Playing guitar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fshinkevich Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 Depends on my mood but some favorites are hot baths, chocolate, reading, visiting here and currently (not right this moment) butterscotch schnaps. You listed my faves but I like to do them all at once :) A hot bubble bath, a good book, a cocktail and some chocolate. Now if I could get DH to install a TV and get a waterproof laptop I'd be set :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amber in AUS Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 Great thread but i am sad! I can't think of one single thing that i do that makes me feel at peace with myself, my brain never stops! I'll be checking back, maybe someone will provide some much needed inspiration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 Reading Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in TX Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 The New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle. I have a book of them that I keep on my nightstand. Very, very soothing. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 It depends on the type of upset. What can't be cured with a chocolate milk can usually be cured by a bottle of sarsparilla. If that doesn't work, I need a holiday. Even a one day holiday will do. Something tasty and a bit of peace and quiet to read will do the job most of the time. Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 A long bath with a good book. A walk in green woods and fields. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom4him Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 I have a lot of nervous energy and doing something physical and getting my mind off stuff by listening to music does me a lot of good. Having janainaz come to my house and expending some of her energy. PLEASE? You can bring your own music! Just kidding. I may times go into the bathroom where most of the time no one disturbs me and lift my heart to God. It seems as though my life is a continual commitment to trust Him instead of worrying about this and that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 If I want to quiet my mind and spirit, then creating is the way to go. Quilting, stained glass...something hands on to draw me in. Gardening is good. Weeds don't stand a chance when I'm mad. Handling flowers is refreshing and soothing. Planting flowers is a good time to pray for friends or situations (I'm already down on my knees. ;)) Then, later, the blooms remind me of the prayers. Burying myself in a book is a time honored way to refresh myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamommy Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 For me it's knitting or reading ficiton. I prefer the latter in a nice warm bath with a cocktail of some sort. A short, brisk walk is another favorite or a long talk with a good old friend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 Prayer Reading Scrapbooking Sleep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ria Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 I vacuum and declutter. Ria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 I vacuum and declutter. Ria Oh!!! Can you PLEASE come sooth yourself at my house?? Pretty Please with a feather duster on top?? ;) :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ria Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 Oh!!! Can you PLEASE come sooth yourself at my house?? Pretty Please with a feather duster on top?? ;) :D LOL. I think right now my dh is trying to figure out a way to agitate me so I'll need to self-soothe! :lol: I've been working a lot this week and the boys have left a lot of messy rooms. Ria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaT Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 A hot bath and a good book. If I'm really stressed, I hide from the kids (works for a little while) and eat chocolate. I also like to sit on my porch in the mornings with my cup of coffee, just looking at the woods and listening to the birds is soothing. That is also my prayer time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 I hide from the kids (works for a little while) and eat chocolate. :lol:man, that just struck me so funny! hehehe I do that too, but I don't bother to hide it. hehehe Wouldn't work anyway, they follow me everywehre I go. I can't remember the last time that I took a shower without somebody just waltzing into the bathroom the ask me a question. Never any privacy! hehe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 (edited) Running. Edited April 30, 2009 by lynn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 having someone stroke my hair. I think I was a kitty cat in a former life. Kids have asked me to stop trying to purr - it creeps them out! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 LOL. I think right now my dh is trying to figure out a way to agitate me so I'll need to self-soothe! :lol: I've been working a lot this week and the boys have left a lot of messy rooms. Ria LOL I wonder if my hubby is trying to get the same response out of me?:confused: He should know me by now that my response to agitation isn't to clean house. hehe The car maybe, I like working on cars, but housework is always such a chore to me. I hate it! YUCK! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 having someone stroke my hair. I think I was a kitty cat in a former life. Kids have asked me to stop trying to purr - it creeps them out! :D Do you eat a lot of fish too? Man, that would be funny if you did. I agree with you about the hair. That feels really nice. Massages are great too, but you really need another person to do that. Self massage means something else I think. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sleepy Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 Losing myself in a good book tops the list. Other things that help: a warm cup of tea, pilates, a brisk walk in the fresh air, a good night's sleep, watching a good movie in the dark (alone or with dh), a hot shower. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 Presumably, we've all outgrown thumbs and blankies, right? :D And yet, there are things and activities which speak to a place in our souls, things we actively seek out and work to have. Maybe it's a guilty pleasure or something entirely pure. Perhaps it's the lock you recently installed on your bedroom door for "parent-teacher conference" times. ;) Maybe devotional or meditation time? Special smelly lotion or soap? Running? Sleeping? What's your favorite thing with which to settle your brain waves? I adore Origins Ginger Souffle. There are other things too, all a little lower on my list, but that scent snaps my head into at once a sharper and softer focus. And you? I still have my blankie. So there. :) A friend of my Mom's knit me a blanket before I was born. I slept with it until I was about 15 then put it away in my dresser. When my dad died the next year, I pulled it back out and I've slept with it ever since. Took it to college. Took it on my honeymoon. Took it to the hospital to give birth my children. The very few times I didn't have it at night, I had to hold something against my face to sleep (like a towel or T-shirt.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim in Appalachia Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 reading (alone in a quiet room), sitting and having a cup of tea while sitting on my porch (when the weather is nice), spending time alone with my dh. These are a few of my favorite things...:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaT Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 having someone stroke my hair. I think I was a kitty cat in a former life. Kids have asked me to stop trying to purr - it creeps them out! :D That is so funny! My 2nd son self-soothes by stroking MY hair! When big bad Marine comes home, he follows his mom around with his fingers in my hair. :001_smile: He's done this since he was a baby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyS/FL Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 Brownies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn. Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 Water- sitting by a river, lake, stream, or listening to it rain. Thunder and lightening make me sleep like a baby! Reading a book- fiction, total brain candy- usually a good who done it- and.... Mowing the grass- no one but me is allowed to mow the grass. :0) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coralloyd Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 I recently started doing reflexology on my feet (because of something I saw on tv:blush:). I tend to carry all my stress in my neck and shoulders, so I thought I'd try it. I just looked up a reflexology chart online. I figured I can reach my feet, and I enjoy them being rubbed hard. The first time I tried this I was amazed at how it took ALL the pain away from my neck and shoulders (I concentrated on these areas, but you can do other parts of your body). I ALWAYS have pain in these places, so this has been a great releaf for me :hurray:. Other things I do- Go outside Read Light candles Play soothing music Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 Wow. I am impressed. You all seem to have productive ways of self-soothing. Help me. All I want to do is cry in the shower, have a bowl of cereal and milk, or play Sudoku or Scramble online. These are my substitute blankies. I guess I need to get a better way of dealing with it:). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosy Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 Food is a biggie, unfortunately. I need to find a different one since I have 65+ lbs. to lose. :P Prayer works, sort of (it works if I'm diligent to remain in fellowship with God throughout the day). Being outside on a nice day. Reading, scrapbooking, getting together with a good friend or talking to one on the phone. I think, though, the one thing that really refreshes me is time alone in the house. If I can talk DH into taking the kids somewhere for the day or dropping them off with a friend, I'm a new person after about 2-3 hours. This doesn't happen too often though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KayT Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 Watching Hero ( Jet Li movie) in Mandarin. I don't speak Mandarin, but I find the whole thing soothing! Sitting outside watching the clouds, birds or my dogs play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KLynnTX Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 I recently started doing reflexology on my feet (because of something I saw on tv:blush:). I tend to carry all my stress in my neck and shoulders, so I thought I'd try it. I just looked up a reflexology chart online. Can you link to the site you found? I also carry my stress in my neck and shoulders, so I'm very interested! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathmom Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 brownies! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sojourner Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 You listed my faves but I like to do them all at once :) A hot bubble bath, a good book, a cocktail and some chocolate. Now if I could get DH to install a TV and get a waterproof laptop I'd be set :D :iagree::iagree::iagree::iagree::iagree::iagree: One bobble head for each good thing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 Water- sitting by a river, lake, stream, or listening to it rain. Thunder and lightening make me sleep like a baby! Oh I love that too! I almost put the ocean down in my post, but I don't get to go every time I want to so I picked something at home that i do. I LOVE falling asleep listening to a gentle rain. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 I leave the house. Usually to wander a store, or stores for hours, not buying anything, just wandering. When I worked by an art museum and park, I used to visit there on my lunch to relax. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calandalsmom Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 Well, I for one am very offended by the OP since I still happen to have my blankie. ;) Possibly I am not the only one. Who knows. I have slept three times in my life without it. when I had a hemorhhage and m/c, when it was lost, and recently thanks to it being in the wash due to hedlice. When I attended College of William and Mary in 1994 I was not the only kid on my hall to have a lovey. What that says about those who attend W&M is open to interpretation, Im sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firefly Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 Meditating, knitting, music, or being in the garden (as opposed to working in the garden! :)). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenpatty Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 Wow. I am impressed. You all seem to have productive ways of self-soothing. Help me. All I want to do is cry in the shower, have a bowl of cereal and milk, or play Sudoku or Scramble online. These are my substitute blankies. I guess I need to get a better way of dealing with it:). LOL - crying in the shower/tub is mine when I am reeeeally stressed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 Hmmmm, I guess I'd say eating out; chocolate, definitely; a glass of port or wine from time to time; good cheese; soothing music (although I don't listen too much); a good book; a nice, hot bath; herbal fragrances I began using last fall, things like that.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyable Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 listening to Fernando Ortega music (although it's taken on a different "tone" in my mind since I listened to it during labor with my last baby) watching LOST reruns with dh online eating oreos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marylou Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 Quality ice cream (any flavor is fine!) Snuggling with kids or dh. Gardening. Homeschooling (made you smile :)) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 Depends on the level of upset. When the house is clean, and I mean REALLY clean, I am at peace. Organization and getting things in their places makes me feel good too (weird, I know. I have OCD, can you tell?) Getting the kids in bed and just doing NOTHING in the QUIET helps. :) Unfortunately, I also have a detrimental happy place that comes when I obsessively shop. :( That one works great for ME, not so great for dh or the budget. And...when all else fails, there is Ativan. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Year Round Mom Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 Being an extremely extroverted person, I find comfort in talking with a good friend (on the phone or in person). It's gotten to the point where if I'm stressing, DH will encourage me to call a friend! Either that, or he'll tell me to leave the house and take a hike. Literally. I love going to our little state park when I get the chance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 I love to curl up with a good book and some dark chocolate and talking on the phone to my mom. She is the ultimate soother. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristineinKS Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 Depends on the level of upset. When the house is clean, and I mean REALLY clean, I am at peace. Organization and getting things in their places makes me feel good too (weird, I know. I have OCD, can you tell?) Getting the kids in bed and just doing NOTHING in the QUIET helps. :) Unfortunately, I also have a detrimental happy place that comes when I obsessively shop. :( That one works great for ME, not so great for dh or the budget. Wow, this is very much me too! When I'm overwhelmed by the house and have no money to shop, I'll generally read instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Bear Posted May 1, 2009 Author Share Posted May 1, 2009 Well, I for one am very offended by the OP since I still happen to have my blankie. ;) Hee. :) Mine got washed and boxed when I was about 12 or 13. It was a precious quilt made for me by my great-grandma and I wanted to save what was left of it. I have a whole box full of similar blankies now -- from my bigger kidlets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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