To ask how you self care?

[PricklyCactuss]

It's been a rough week, well and truly emotionally and physically exhausted and in need of some self care.

How do you each look after yourself and chill in the middle of stress. I have a few hours to myself

I go out for a really nice lunch or dinner on my own with my book. When time is tight I just have a glass of wine in my favourite pub, or a coffee now that I'm pregnant.

Hot bubble bath with face & hair mask, lit candles and relaxing music on.
Fresh jammies on, order a Chinese and watch a movie.
Haven't done it in ages

Power nap, with the dog.
Read a magazine, and relax with a hot chocolate drink.
Paint my nails , in peace and quiet.
Daydream out of the window, into the garden, and over the fields.

Read, do some meditation or some yoga/gentle exercise, go for a gentle walk outside in a lark/countryside/beach.
Nap (but that's because I'm physically exhausted too)
Go camping (you'll need a bit more than a few hours for that!)
Do some cross stichting whilst watching a nice soap on TV
Singing
Go and see some very good friends and enjoy a nice relaxing morning/afternoon. Laugh. As much as I can.

Ive learnt too that I need to do that regularly. So it's built in my week now.

I find the term 'self care' almost as irritating as 'play date'.

I sit in silence and after my head has calmed down I lie down in the relaxing yoga position with my feet out and palms up and arms down by my side. I lie on the floor for up to 20mins. If I'm tired I fall asleep (happens a lot) and when I'm ready I get back up doing a series of stretches to help ease the tension in my back. I carry stress in my lower back. I follow this up with a pint of warm water with lemon in it.

Get a new magazine and sit and chill with it. Put phone away and try and read and absorb it. Go for a walk. Plan recipes. Exercise. Yoga. Mindfulness. Hot shower. Cook. Go to my favourite shops that were once my safe place when I was in an abusive relationship. Take care of yourself

Mine (every few months when I feel I really need to wind down a good bit), is very straightforward, an ice cold glass of Pino Grigio, followed by 2.5mg Diazepam.

Pull down the blackout blinds, get into the clean sheeted and fragrant bed, and zzzzzzz.

Feel great next day.

Sorry about that, sometimes all the candles and shit doesn't work.

Clippityclop, do you have a different term you would prefer people use? God forbid someone who is having a hard time offends you with their terminology

My favourite thing when I need to de-stress is an audiobook. My favourites are the dramatisations of books by authors such as Agatha Christie and DL Sayers. Radio4 extra is good for these and there are loads on YouTube too.

I make myself a drink, pick up my crochet and just listen. More often than not I will drop off .

I crochet a lot - my local wool shop is a very peaceful place. I recommend knitting and crochet as a good way of relaxing. While I'm concentrating on a pattern it pushes other thoughts to the back of my mind.

Yoga always works. Breathing exercises help with stress.

Do you like the yoga-type of de-stressing, breathing exercises etc? If so, this may be useful. I've found this gets rid of a lot of stress, you can name anything that's bugging you and let it go.
www.reiki-evolution.co.uk/taggart-reiki-releasing-exercise/

If you're not interested in the philosophy, jump to "How to perform the Releasing Exercise" [we need a Zen emoticon]

x-post Zara

zen-like

Alternate nostril breathing is simple but really works.

Listen to an episode of Soul Music on Radio 4 catch up. Any episode, but if it's a piece of music you like, it's even better.

I find it really takes me out of myself and I finish listening feeling uplifted and as though my tired frazzled brain has had a massage.

Hope things look up for you OP.

A nice bubble bath followed by hot chocolate. A good box set too, my favourite atm is Gavin and Stacey. I sometimes listen to some relaxation sounds on my Kindle and read some books on there. My Xmas present to me this year will be a self care hamper full of small treats.

I also find the Bach rescue remedy calming as well as burning aromatherapy oils in my oil burner. I also like those adult colouring books, colouring can be quite therapeutic too.

Pamper session for me bath, face pack, deep hair conditioning etc
Then do my nails pedi my feet use lovely face creams and body lotions
Then curl up with a good book or film

I have a gym membership which also has sauna steam rooms pool jacuzzi etc
I take myself there but don't do any exercise first sometimes and just go to relax

A bath or a nap

Take a break mag, reading the absolute shite, each page in order, and complete each puzzle in order. Don't move until complete so around 30 mins the puzzles are enough to distract the mind without being overly or at all taxing

Go for a long walk, listening to music..

Watch a good drama boxset with a bottle of wine and lots of ice cream and chocolate 😊.

Oh yes and a massage and a mani/pedi and trip to the hairdressers!