Index
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Art
Don't worry about whether it's great or fancy, but draw, sketch, paint, model with clay, whatever takes your fancy. It can range from artistic expression if you draw your sleeping puppy, or mindfulness meditation if you do a paint-by-numbers.
Be a Superhero!
Join SuperBetter.com and set yourself up to save your own life by becoming a superhero. Now your normal life is your "Secret Identity" and you're hiding your alter ego from everyone but your most trusted friends. This online non-profit (free) self-help game by Jane McGonigal is amazingly positive, uplifting, and helps boost your self-image, self-esteem, and will help you set & achieve goals. If you're already a member -- check in and meet your goals for the day.
Boost
Take Vitamin D supplements, especially in the winter. When there's less light, we can get sluggish and stressy. Take a dose of sunshine in a pill daily when the weather is dreary or you're bottled up at work all day in artificial light. You need vitamin D every day.
Breathe
Make sure you're comfortable and that your feet are firmly planted on the floor. Straighten your back and lift your head. You might want to close your eyes. Take 5 deep slow breaths, and let them out like you're sighing. Make sure you're expanding your belly. Pay close attention to the feelings of your lungs and belly expanding. Breathing exercises are known to help you relax.
Care
Did you know that caring about others is a depression-buster? Give someone a call and make it all about them. Ask how they are, see if they need help. Volunteer at a soup kitchen or do a non-profit fundraiser (like an Altzheimer's or cancer walk) or visit someone you know who is in the hospital. Bring a care basket to a friend who is sick (even if you have to leave it on their porch).
Close
Take a couple minutes to close your eyes. This relieves eyestrain, shuts out the world for a moment, and gives you a sense of privacy. Behind your eyelids you're alone with yourself for a moment.
Countdown
This is another mindfulness meditation. Clear your mind and count backwards from 25 or 50. If you have time, count backwards from 100. It might help if you visualize the numbers in some way, like them flashing on a screen.
Cuddle
Cuddle a small child, your partner, or a pet. Don't have any of those around? Try getting a large stuffed animal you can snuggle up to.
Dance
Some music just begs for you to move. Some of us find certain songs irresistible. If you don't want to dance, tap your feet -- or finger-dance. Take a moment to be playful -- especially while no one is watching.
Drink
Pick a relaxing beverage and savor it. In the summer try an herbal iced tea. Aim for non-caffeinated beverages: mint tea, "Sleepy" teas (mint-chamomile blends), fruit teas (raspberry), etc. Or try green tea for a mild amount of caffeine with health benefits.
Fake It
Read about relaxation tips and blog articles about the benefits of humor, laughter, exercise, meditation, etc. Keep it upbeat, positive, and action-focused. Did you know that imagining doing something has some of the benefits of actually doing it? If you're in bed sick, disabled, or just not feeling able to get up & DO something, try this one.
Golf
Some people swear by it. If you're not up to "big league" golf, try a solo game of miniature golf so that you're your only competition.
Groupie
If you love live music, get to a live show in your area. Maybe it's a cover band, a local folk group, or a classical orchestra is more your speed. There are always options if you're willing to turn some stones to find them.
Imagine
Our imagination is exceptionally powerful and can give us an immediate leap of faith, love, energy and passion. Picture bumping into your favorite famous eye-candy and hitting it off. They ask you out on a date, and you accept. Too committed to even think about it? Picture your boss calling you into their office for some mysterious "good news" and it turns out you got the promotion you wanted (or a raise, or permission to telecommute...). Don't have a boss? Picture getting a lucky break, a mysterious inheritance, a hug from a friend you haven't seen in a long time. Make sure you embellish your vision with details and sensations. You should feel the hug, really see your heartthrob, feel your boss shaking your hand and smiling at you, etc.
Journal
Keep a journal you can write in on occasion. Don't forget to give your journal an imaginary identity -- the name of your childhood best friend, a guardian angel, your own name, or something you make up, and then address your entry to this name. Don't commit to a daily diary unless you really know that will work for you. Write your stresses and worries into a journal and you can instantly feel better that you were able to "talk it out" with someone.
Laze
Sit on the porch, lay on a blanket in a park, sit on a park bench, swing in a hammock, sit by a pool, and just be. Close your eyes if you want, fantasize or be present listening to the sounds, watching people, etc.
Lie Down
Sometimes you need to let your mind drift or allow all your muscles to relax. Lay down, or put your head down. You can set an alarm for 20 minutes if you're pressed for time. If you catnap, good for you. Allow all the weights of the world to become so heavy they fall right out of you.
Listen
There are many ways to acquire audiobooks: free samplers, borrow them from the library, pick an old favorite to download from Gutenberg.org (free public domain books), or purchase a brand-new audiobook. To relax, choose an audible book to listen to for a change of pace.
Look Out
Stare out the window for 5 minutes. People-watch on the street, watch the squirrels or boats, or just watch the clouds race across the sky. Count the leaves on the trees, the number of cabs that race by, or watch the driver unload a truck into a nearby restaurant.
Massage
Find a person who can give you a massage: you can go pro, ask a spouse or friend, or [Link requires approval](approve). Touch is one of the most relaxing and rejuvenating sensations. Massage your own feet or hands, or have someone else give you a massage.
Meditate
The easiest form of meditation is mindfulness. It's as easy as paying attention to your breathing. You can also really look at your surroundings, savor the touch of a tempting texture or fabric, smell your coffee for several minutes, or pick out individual instruments in an orchestral number. Anything that requires that you be really closely connected to this moment in time. Or you can try a more classic form of meditation: candle-gazing, guided meditation, yogic meditation, etc.
Mindlessness
Do something repetitive that you can do without thinking about it. Crochet, knit, brush your hair, staple 150 documents, shred or file a pile of papers, wash some dishes, etc. Just be a brainless zombie for a bit.
Munch
Nuts, trail mix, granola, celery or carrot sticks. There's something satisfying about munching down on a healthy snack. Make sure to have some of that water you need to drink every day while you're at it.
Music
Music has the power to instantaneously shift your mood. Put on headphones or lay down near your speakers and play songs that uplift your soul. You might want to make an upbeat playlist, or several playlists for different reasons. I have playlists of non-classical instrumental pieces (electronica, mostly) for certain moods, another with songs I can sing (which I use when driving), and songs that make me dance on yet another. The point is to relax, empower, or move you.
Nosh
Savor a piece of good dark chocolate. Dark chocolate has been shown to have health benefits and besides it feels so good.
Pressure
Acupressure that is. Rub the muscle under the web between your thumb and forefinger, and for an instant back massage or for spinal issues rub the outside edge of your hand between your thumb and wrist. [Link requires approval](approve), although it is always best to see a professional for medical issues. If all else fails, just pay attention to what feels good.
Rays
Get your 20 minutes in the sun. Vitamin D and the heat melting into your bones can deeply relax you. Bring a timer, bugstuff, sunglasses and a hat if you need one, but get some exposure to sunlight. If you choose to go to the beach, make sure you use sunscreen! Avoid peak sun exposure. Remember there are parks, your own lawn, lake beaches, the side of the pool, etc. to enjoy.
Read
Find a comfortable spot, wrap yourself in extra blankets if needed, and curl up with a book, magazine or a favorite stress-free blog. Best taken with fiction.
Road Trip
Think of a nearby place that you find beautiful and calming, and take a trip there. Enjoy the drive, blast the stereo with your favorite music, and let the journey be part of the cure.
Rock
Rocking has a way to melt away stress and give you some primal comfort. Find some way to rock yourself - a hammock hanging in your yard, a rocking chair or glider, a porch swing or swing set at the local park. The movement of rocking is an echo of the peace of the mother's womb.
Roll
Use a ball (a golf ball is perfect) to roll around under your feet. There are tons of acupressure points on your feet and it can be relaxing and therapeutic to massage them. Tennis balls or even a marble can work, too, just make sure to pick up the marble when you're done.
Shut
Shut the door and leave all your worries outside the room. Sometimes it's nice to be truly alone in a room for a few minutes. An open door invites interruption. If you have an "open-door policy" then set a timer. Certainly you can close your door for 3 minutes.
Soak
Soak all or part of you in a nice hot bath. Whirlpool or bathtub -- or even a small plastic tub for your feet. For extra soothing comfort, blend up to a half-cup of oatmeal into a coarse powder, pour into a coffee filter, tie closed with a rubber band and toss it in with the hot water. [Caution on the oatmeal if you have a jacuzzi or whirlpool! You don't want that bag to burst.]
Steam
Sit in a sauna, a sweat lodge, or boil a pot of water and pour it into a heat-proof bowl and sit with a towel over your head & the bowl, breathing in the steam. For the latter, try adding about a teaspoon of dried lavender, basil (from your cooking herbs), or fresh mint to the bowl.
Stretch
Decide between a formal movement meditation like yoga, tai chi, falun dafa or qi gong -- or you just do a simple stretching routine. In a pinch, just stretch for a few seconds (yes, you can yawn too). Movement brings blood and energy to unusual or underused places in your body, opens up the breathing passages, brings oxygen to your muscles. It also brings your attention to the present and grounds you in your body. Do what you're capable of and comfortable with -- this isn't a workout, it's a work-up.
Stroll
Go for a leisurely walk. This isn't a power-walk for exercise, this is a stop-and-smell-the-roses walk. Breathe deeply, take in the view, people-watch, look at the landscaping, window shop, watch the birds and butterflies and squirrels, enjoy the view, be present in the moment.
Tense & Release
It's called progressive relaxation. Starting at your feet and toes, tense your muscles then relax them. Pay attention to the different sensations of being tensed and relaxed. Move up your legs to your calves, then your thighs, repeat the tense and relax steps going all the way up your body until you get to your neck, face and scalp. Have fun making faces trying to get your scalp to tense up.
TV
Taken in small doses, and being careful to pick the right shows, vegging out is good relief. Aim for comedy for a double-dose of relaxation through laughter.
Vacation
Would you like to go away for a while? Choose a staycation, or give yourself a "vacation for a night": choose when you're "off duty," make sure everyone knows, and turn your phone, email, etc. off for a while. Make sure you have a loose and flexible itinerary of things you'd like to do rather than a rigorous jam-packed schedule of things you feel you "must do." As a last resort, schedule your next vacation and avoid planning a rigorous itinerary.
Walk
Break out a map and pick a route, set a general achievable goal for your journey, and take a walk. You can have a specific destination in mind, it can be as short or long as you'd like and is within your capabilities. Savor the alone-time and the healthy boost for your body and mind.
Watch a Movie
Pick a favorite lighthearted movie you haven't seen in a while. Don't have anything at home? Check out your local library, or pick up a few movies at a garage sale.
Write
Create a work of fiction. Write up your fantasy future life, re-tell something from your past with a twist or change to make it all better, weave a tall tale, or dream up an imaginary world. The point is to allow creativity to flow and not get caught in "reality" for a while. You're not looking to win awards, just to let your mind breathe for a while.
