What helps me - part 2

 

These are the things that help me when my mind gets loud.

Part 2

In part 1 I wrote about – warm shower, breathing, workouts, technique I have learnt from my therapist and sharing with my partner, all of them I find helpful in certain situations when I experience intrusive thoughts. My list continues! I have to admit, I was surprised to find out how many things help me. Knowing this gives me hope whenever I have a hard time.

1.     Coloring

When I was little, I loved coloring. I still do. I found these anti-stress coloring books – (type of an art therapy). Inside them, there are such beautiful drawings. It helps me focus on colors and how to match them and my mind gets calmer. I often feel a smile on my face, which is always a good sign.

2.       Puzzles

This is something I adore.
Give me a puzzle and leave me alone —
I’ll be having the time of my life! 
It makes me focused and busy. Searching pieces, trying to match them, sort colors and so on. You actually need to be present in order to assemble it. I remember during my hardest times, I spent hours doing puzzles. I find it relaxing and helpful.

3.     Sudoku

With this one, I’m not sure if it’s the best choice. It helps me a lot; however, I think the counting numbers from 1 to 9 repeatedly is what actually calms me. Therefore, having OCD and counting from 1 to 9 is not the best solution. As far as I know, Sudoku is good for your brain – boosts your concentration, teaches patience, reduces overthinking, helps you relax and so on, which is great, especially for OCD minds, but honestly, that endless counting bothers me. Still, I enjoy it and it helps me calm down so I do not think I will stop doing it. I often do it just for fun.

4.       Gardening

I feel privileged to live in a house with a garden. Our garden is not big but has lots of trees and spaces where you could sit and enjoy your time. Taking care of flowers, cutting the grass, watering plants gives me peace. I try to spend as much as possible time outside. I feel relaxed and happy doing such work. If you do not have a garden, go to the park; spend time in nature — I believe you will feel better.

5.       Having a cup of hot tea

I have this wonderful memory when I was a little girl, having breakfast in the village I used to stay during the summer vacations together with my grandparents. If I close my eyes and think about it I can literally feel being there, sensing the aroma of the tea and hearing the sounds of the birds. Having a hot tea relaxes me; of course, I go for an herbal one or from fruits. When I am anxious, I try to minimize the intake of caffeine, so no green or black tea. My number one choice in a stressful situation is mint tea. The menthol found in mint tea is suspected to have a calming effect that aids in stress reduction and relaxation (Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmacology, 2021). It calms me and it relieves if I have a stomach pain. I don’t like chamomile tea, but I admit — it helps.

6.       Writing

Last, but definitely not least, is writing. When I struggled with my parents’ situation, I used to write a lot.  I had this ridiculous diary and wrote in it. However, what actually helped me in a matter of writing was writing something close to poems. It was my way of coping with situations. As a teenager, I experienced strong emotions and writing down helped me to focus and let the pain or the feeling of misunderstanding go. I have always wanted to write, but I did not have the courage to do it. In this case, my OCD is useful because I finally get to write about something, even after 10 years. I hope sharing my experience helps others. Writing is my therapy.

If you’re still searching for small things that actually help:

→ What helps me – part 1  

→ The Power of Soft, Simple Moments