Things That Help (Me and You and Everybody)

[red umbrellas]

I've been thinking about this a lot lately, as I've had a few bad days and I'm trying not to let things spiral. Basically, it's things that will distract me and make me happy and keep me busy....on a fairly tight budget and if you feel like being alone. A lot have been mentioned before, but I thought I'd share all the same, in case there is anything new.

And please please feel free to add anything that's helped you lately!

-Tea. Tea rocks my world. Try different new ones - there is a massive range of different herbal teas out there. Experiment as well - try mixing some together. Although some teas can be a bit pricey, you can quite often use the same teabag twice and if you establish a good selection, they'll last quite some time.
I also find tea very useful for conquering urges to binge/purge.

-Walking. Especially with music. I walk home from work most days, and I find that I am often a lot more relaxed and mellowed when I get home. If you're listening to music, pick something that will suit your mood but that you can still set a decent pace to. I realise it's not always feasible to walk home, but it's pretty easy to squish a half hour walk into a day.

-Reorganising. If you can't organise your mind and it's all in a mess, re-organise your shelves instead. Alphabetise your bookcase. Put your cds into genres. Create a new mp3 playlist. Even doing the washing up can be relaxing in its mundane-ness.

-Learn. Think of something, anything that you want to know about. Be it a tv show, band, random scientific fact. Google it. It's amazing what you might find out.

-Be creative. Having a project of some sort, something you can do with your hands, can be really useful. Knitting, beading, woodwork, painting - whatever takes your fancy. Even if you're not particularly great at it, there's still a sense of achievement when you finish (I currently have the world's wonkiest set of shelves in my room, but I love them because I made them).

-Explore. Go somewhere you haven't been. Visit a park you haven't been to before, even if you just sit there and read. Go to an art gallery/ exhibition. Visit a museum. Remember, most galleries and museums and what not are free, especially the permanent collections.

-Change something. Paint your nails. Randomly colour your hair (dye can be as cheap as $4!). A change can be such a lift sometimes.

-Window shop. Sit in a bookshop and read. Browse. Look at childrens picture books. Look at art books. Try on clothes, even if you can't afford to buy them. Look at jewellery stores for inspiration and then make your own.

-If they're around, spend time with friends. Even though it can be hard and you may not feel like talking, sometimes just listening and being distracted can help pull you out of yourself.


Add away!

[Ruby Tuesday]

Ah, the wonder of tea! I totally agree with this one. Somehow the ritual of making a cup calms me down.

What else?

- reading. My local library is ok, but I recently found their online catalogue and have been ordering books in from around the county It's cheaper than me buying books. My ability to concentrate is a bit wayward at the moment, but it does help to have to focus on something that isn't my thoughts. Plus reading makes me feel vaguely productive.

- cooking. Chopping veg, stirring things, the smell of baking. All good.

- gardening. For the first time, I have grown things from seed and it is ridiculously exciting. Seriously, when they first popped up out of the soil, I felt so proud. My first crop of spring onions are just about ready for pulling, and my purple basil is such a pretty colour, it makes me smile just to look at it. Seeds are pretty cheap too.

[caged bird]

you've covered a lot!!!!

the hair dye is one i use a LOT!!

trying out new make ups, or perfumes

going for a massage or a relaxation session

[underlife]

I want a cup of tea now! Got no milk!

I think I might try the hair dye one.