How do you de-stress?

[shotgun1]

I have a health condition which is exacerbated by stress. I've had a terrible relationship with my abusive mum for ages and I've recently stopped contact with her. I'm often on my own with 2 small children and I'm trying to get a handle on my stress levels in the hope of improving my health but also improving my life.

How do you all de-stress? Does anyone have any tips or things that have worked for them? I'm confined to the house in the evenings as I have no one to watch the children so going out alone isn't an option. I'd be very grateful for any advice.

Single parent here. So I’m also trapped in the house on an evening.
Various things for me, I do a five minutes of shitting my eyes and just feeling how my body feels, slow deep breathing. Makes me feel really calm. And a glass of wine.

Read, colour, create crappy art on the computer, watch rubbish on tv, bake.

Thanks both anyone else?

@Faster I think shitting my eyes would make me more stressed to be perfectly honest.

OP, I find it helps to look for the humour in other people's typos

Haha yeah I can see your point there 😂 it’s been a long week!

Alcohol, firearms, and cleaning

Spa music stuff on u tube- yoga on line- Epsom salt baths. Plan nice dinner for yourself- good book- write down the nice things that happened today and also write worries down before bed do you give your self permission to turn off and sleep

Gin.

Lotsa lovely Gin!

I am trying to do the same as I have a health condition too! Meditation, Pilates, colouring, a bath with lots of bubbles and candles, listening to a podcast and reading :)

Meditation, music, yoga and reading.

Zumba works for me.

Thank you I will definitely be trying some of these.

Spending time with my cat giving her a brush
Walking by canal
Talking to friends

Try mindfulness it's amazing! There's a really simple breathing technique where you count your inhale and exhale to 10 and then start again at 1. Nice big deep long breaths, the counting keeps your mind on the breathing so takes your mind off other things. It's rescued me a few times where I've gotten completely overwhelmed with stressful situations!
YouTube has thousands of guided meditations and yoga sessions, maybe give one a try

Playing the piano.
Long bubble baths with candles and hot chocolate.
I find it helps me manage stress to have a daily diary/list-making session before I go to bed. So I add a couple of lines to my diary (what happened that day, anything new my toddler did etc). I also update my to-do list so there's nothing playing on my mind before bed and I know what my priorities are the following day.

I find doing some yoga is really helpful as it feels a bit self indulgent to concentrate on what YOUR body is doing, and how you are breathing etc.

I also like giving myself a mini facial or doing my eyebrows, nails etc. Or just having a long, relaxing bubble bath. Anything to make you feel a bit pampered and taken care of.

I am aware that my post reads a bit like an MN cliche (book yourself a spa day!! ) but these things work for me. Plus, you get to look nice the next day. Everyone's a winner.

Exercise. Even v v gentle. Like a slow walk outside. Gentle swim etc

I kill things. In games. And pick herbs and fish - also in games.

Also yoga, baths, a large selection of teas, books etc.

Podcasts are actually one of my favourite ways to distract myself from my own head and to just enjoy listening to something new these days - although I do usually combine them with lazy gaming.

If I'm feeling tense and stressed still when I'm getting into bed, I give myself a good long moment on a spike mat (one of those shakti mat types). I bought it in the hopes it would ease my back pain, and while I'm not sure it does that at all, I find it oddly calming and relaxing.