# Something comforting, something kind



## Cat Dancer (Mar 29, 2013)

What is something you could do for yourself that would be comforting and/or kind? I am thinking about having a cup of hot chocolate. I really am craving it. It's kind of scary, but I want it. 

What is something you do for yourself to comfort yourself? Something healthy and good.


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## Retired (Mar 29, 2013)

> something you could do for yourself that would be comforting



I like the sound of water.

Whenever I have the opportunity, I like to go by the ocean, by a lake or a stream and listen to the sound of the water and the waves.  I enjoy watching the water flow on, over and around obstructions, like rocks and branches, focussing on the movement of the water as it flows past the obstructions.

I have a few CD's that have the sound of water, rain and the ocean that I enjoy listening to while reading or just relaxing.

I've seen small electric water flow machines that simulate a waterfall, but I think the sound of the electric pump defeats the effect.

The only sound of water I have not found to be particularly therapeutic is in a flushing toilet...


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## GDPR (Mar 29, 2013)

There's a few movies that are very comforting to me. I like to turn the sound up loud so I can hear them throughout the house. I have seen them so many times that I don't have to watch them to feel comforted,just hearing them helps. I listen to them while I do housework.

I do this alot when I'm home alone.


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## MHealthJo (Mar 29, 2013)

CD if you end up having your hot chocolate, I'll tell you you're awesome.


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## eva (Mar 30, 2013)

Taking naps is good for me, especially with the relaxation soundboard I installed on my phone. And I have this enormous Winnie the Pooh plush that I just like to hug as hard as I can when I feel skittish. 

For when I feel little bit more active, I like to practice putting on makeup because it gives me something else to concentrate on for a while, it engages the "creative" part of my brain and I end up looking nice. 

If I REALLY need to relax and take my mind off things, I'll usually go cook or bake something.


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## Banned (Mar 30, 2013)

I like to sleep too when I need to relax.  

There is also a nice park here that sits at the top of a hill and when you sit there you can see the whole city. I've  gone up there just to get away and clear my mind and de-stress.  Its just really peaceful watching everything go on and being a part but apart of it.

Other things I like to do are watch my dogs sleep. I can watch them sleep all day.  It is so relaxing for me.  

Airplanes are comforting for me so if I have time I'll just get on a plane and go somewhere.  They relax me and put me to sleep.  Kinda of like how a car lulls a baby to sleep.  

Massages are great too.  I have an awesome massage therapist and I try to go for a two hour massage once a month.  Partly because my body needs it, and partly because my mind needs it.  

Not giving in to those urges to self-harm is something my body appreciates.  It has enough physical damage and scars without me inflicting more.  It appreciates when I'm kind to it instead of being unnecessarily harsh on it.

Like Steve I find watching water quite comforting.  I can watch it all day and never tire of it.  There is something surreal and calming about it.

Allowing others to help me when I need it is a way to be kind to myself, even if I don't know that I need their help, or if they see something I don't.  

A hot cup of tea is comforting, with some Biscoff cookies.  The only place I've found these cookies is on our planes and I may or may not have had my manager get me a box to bring home so I have them at the ready .

A really good, honest chat with my therapist is incredibly comforting.  It calms my fears, puts my mind at ease, and sometimes makes me laugh.  Definitely puts things in perspective when I lose sight of things.

Thinking about the future is comforting.  I have some fun, some crazy, some goofy, some completely unrealistic, and some totally attainable goals.  It is fun to dream....


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## Cat Dancer (Mar 30, 2013)

Sleeping is comforting to me too. I do like watching water as well, like a little stream or a waterfall. Watching my kids sleep is comforting.


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## MHealthJo (Mar 30, 2013)

I am with you all on the sleep!

I really like to do my own nailpolish.

I like baths. I've also noticed I feel more comforted if I close the curtain up and I'm enclosed in a small space. It's a bit womblike.

Actually, I have also noticed that when I'm a bit cold, it also feels super comforting if I just sit in front of the little bathroom heater with a big towel around me and the heater blowing the air in. I like the low light, the enclosure, and the sound.

I use an online chat counselling service sometimes. They just listen. I just say everything and just talk and talk. I can rely on them to just listen and be kind. It also helps me think better and the things that I NEED to think come out of me. It helps a LOT.

I have been thinking I need to explore some new things that are comforting and enjoyable and relaxing; I think I'm in a bit of a transition stage in what works for me and what I can find to do, etc.


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## Cat Dancer (Mar 30, 2013)

I like to read. I like books and magazines. When it's warm I like to go outside and walk around.


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## GDPR (Mar 30, 2013)

A few of you said sleeping.I don't understand how sleeping can be relaxing and comforting. Or how someone can sleep at all when they're stressed.

I would love to sleep.How do you do it?


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## MHealthJo (Mar 30, 2013)

I think everyone is different in terms of how stress and difficult feelings come out in their body. 

Like,a  person is not likely to sleep in the middle of an anxiety attack, when the body is in that heightened state. But then having anxiety drains you, so some people find they can sleep later on, after the actual anxiety bit settles down. Sleep can also be a bigger thing for some who are a bit more depressiony, or people who have combinations of various stuff.


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## Cat Dancer (Mar 31, 2013)

The only way I can sleep is if I take my medications. Otherwise I sleep horribly.


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## eva (Apr 1, 2013)

To be honest, sometimes I don't fall completely asleep. 

I'll just wrap myself up, lie in my bed, listen to my relaxing noises, close my eyes and breathe. If I start to think about something that's upsetting me, I either change position, or I keep a notepad by my bed so I can write down a quick solution to my worry (eg: call doctor's office, go to student loan office, etc). 

Usually I fall asleep eventually but sometimes I'll just lie there in a semi-conscious state. Either way, it helps because I can take some time to be meditative and private and not over-extend my worry into things I can't control. It's my way of turning over my excess fears to nature.


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## GDPR (Nov 5, 2013)

Some of my comforting things are:

1.)Curling up on the couch with a book.

2.)Being outside. I like to just sit outside and do nothing.

3.)A very long,hot shower.It's where I do a lot of thinking.

4.)I have always loved listening to music.When I was a kid,it was one way that I escaped.I still get lost in it and nothing else exists.What I listen to depends on the mood I am in.

5.)Drawing.I don't get to draw as much as I would like to because a lot of the time I try to and I can't.But when I can,I take advantage of it and sometimes do it for hours,until I can't anymore.


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## forgetmenot (Nov 5, 2013)

very hot bath  tires me   so i can sleep some


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