Zephronic

Zephronic

Member
Apr 10, 2023
22
I personally try to distract myself when I'm upset by doing the things I enjoy, like interests and hobbies. Though it dosen't always work for me, and when I have trouble falling asleep I do the same thing until I get tired
 
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Wojaczek

Wojaczek

Student
Oct 24, 2021
160
i watch this podcast called trash taste when i have trouble falling asleep, its very comfy and ive resorted to playing saxophone violently when im feeling upset, it helps a lot tbh.
 
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kitch

kitch

Student
Jan 4, 2021
134
Audiobooks (from that old treasure chest . argh argh ...)

Started out with some therapy calming stuff ... a bit of history n science stuff ...

Some of the readers voices are very soothing .
 
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H

Heavenbound

Specialist
Apr 11, 2023
304
I haven't found any techniques that truly calm me down. I pay through the nose for a psychologist to give me examples, and truly it's just bulls**t like " tap your fingers together or count to 10" . The closest I've ever come is just to face my fear... Whatever it is, just do it,get it over with. It's painful though.
Sleeping? What's that?
 
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Danyyyyy

Danyyyyy

Yippee
Mar 19, 2023
72
I try to write down how I feel in a poem, whether its rlly long or uncoherent, I just write until I can't or im tired. Another thing is just trying to find music that I might like? or just trying to find a song on how i'm feeling and just fall asleep. The only problem I have is that my dumbass be reciting the lyrics without noticing :(( so I can't sleep w/ music other than piano and stuf.
 
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hwaiting

hwaiting

파이팅
Apr 2, 2023
35
Some things that really help are:

Just open up a notebook/journal/notes app and type in a stream-of-consciousness. You aren't writing it for anyone, so it doesn't have to make sense.

If it's possible at that moment, try the 4-7-8 breathing method. Inhale for four seconds, hold it for seven seconds, and exhale for eight seconds. The most important part is the holding, and after a couple of minutes, your heart rate should go down at the very least. Helps most for anxiety, and can help to ground you in reality during depressive spirals.

If things are really bad, take a cold shower. I know, I hate cold showers and will never like them, but it can trigger a response in your brain that lowers your heart rate. It can also increase your endorphin levels, and it's also a way to ground yourself. You don't really have time to think when all you're paying attention to is how cold the water is.

If it's nighttime, and I know it's easier said than done, but try to sleep. Being up late at night messes with your mood (supported by a lot of research), and can worsen a lot of depressive symptoms. Turn on a video, white noise, a podcast (there's this nice one called I Can't Sleep where this guy reads miscellaneous Wikipedia articles in a low, droning voice. It fills the emptiness, but it's not interesting enough for you to get distracted by it), whatever helps you sleep.

Or you can do something you love. Someone mentioned playing the saxophone, which can serve the same purpose of just releasing pent up energy–just expressing anything when you've spent so long bottling it all up.

This isn't a comprehensive list, obviously. Depressive spirals can be really rough because everything just loses meaning, even the things you love doing. For me, they usually last a few long hours where I pretty much lose the ability to do anything. But I'm not always able to just ride it out, and that's when some of these things have helped me. For anxious spirals, you're not always able to just sit there and do a breathing exercise. That's when cold showers can help. Just, try to find some way to ground yourself or find a harmless way to let it all out.
 
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Zephronic

Zephronic

Member
Apr 10, 2023
22
Some things that really help are:

Just open up a notebook/journal/notes app and type in a stream-of-consciousness. You aren't writing it for anyone, so it doesn't have to make sense.

If it's possible at that moment, try the 4-7-8 breathing method. Inhale for four seconds, hold it for seven seconds, and exhale for eight seconds. The most important part is the holding, and after a couple of minutes, your heart rate should go down at the very least. Helps most for anxiety, and can help to ground you in reality during depressive spirals.

If things are really bad, take a cold shower. I know, I hate cold showers and will never like them, but it can trigger a response in your brain that lowers your heart rate. It can also increase your endorphin levels, and it's also a way to ground yourself. You don't really have time to think when all you're paying attention to is how cold the water is.

If it's nighttime, and I know it's easier said than done, but try to sleep. Being up late at night messes with your mood (supported by a lot of research), and can worsen a lot of depressive symptoms. Turn on a video, white noise, a podcast (there's this nice one called I Can't Sleep where this guy reads miscellaneous Wikipedia articles in a low, droning voice. It fills the emptiness, but it's not interesting enough for you to get distracted by it), whatever helps you sleep.

Or you can do something you love. Someone mentioned playing the saxophone, which can serve the same purpose of just releasing pent up energy–just expressing anything when you've spent so long bottling it all up.

This isn't a comprehensive list, obviously. Depressive spirals can be really rough because everything just loses meaning, even the things you love doing. For me, they usually last a few long hours where I pretty much lose the ability to do anything. But I'm not always able to just ride it out, and that's when some of these things have helped me. For anxious spirals, you're not always able to just sit there and do a breathing exercise. That's when cold showers can help. Just, try to find some way to ground yourself or find a harmless way to let it all out.
This really helps, I will start doing these things, thank you so much :)
 
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hwaiting

hwaiting

파이팅
Apr 2, 2023
35
This really helps, I will start doing these things, thank you so much :)
No problem, hope this helps. Try not to beat yourself up too much; it's a process. Sometimes it'll get better and sometimes it'll get worse, but it's not your fault. Just take it one day at a time
 
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baby.imspinning

baby.imspinning

New Member
Apr 13, 2023
1
if it's only a small sense of being tense i like to go and do something that makes me feel productive. cleaning my room especially helps, but sometimes i'm just feeling too down and too exhausted to do something like that (adhd lol), so i'll just do something other than endlessly scroll on social media. writing is definitely a suggestion !!

on a more unhealthy note that i wouldn't recommend, if i'm feeling any tense anxieties or depressions, sometimes i'll sip liquid benadryl or do the salt and ice thingy. pleaae don't do these though lol, they end up causing more harm than they do good.
 
hwaiting

hwaiting

파이팅
Apr 2, 2023
35
if it's only a small sense of being tense i like to go and do something that makes me feel productive. cleaning my room especially helps, but sometimes i'm just feeling too down and too exhausted to do something like that (adhd lol), so i'll just do something other than endlessly scroll on social media. writing is definitely a suggestion !!

on a more unhealthy note that i wouldn't recommend, if i'm feeling any tense anxieties or depressions, sometimes i'll sip liquid benadryl or do the salt and ice thingy. pleaae don't do these though lol, they end up causing more harm than they do good.
Yeah the general goal is to avoid the more unhealthy coping mechanisms, and to go for the more sustainable ones. But I think it's important to remember that if you ever do resort to the more unhealthy/harmful methods, to not be too hard on yourself. You can be your own worst enemy sometimes
 
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Sprite_Geist

Sprite_Geist

NULL
May 27, 2020
1,593
I either lie down on my bed - but do not try to sleep - or I try to draw. If both of these options fail I visit this forum.
 
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Kualk

Kualk

May we all find peace
Jan 10, 2023
43
I find that doing some sort of light physical activity an hour before you go to sleep helps a little. What works for me is doing some push-ups until my body starts to get hot, take a shower and go to bed. It doesn't make you sleepy right away but helps you to not think. Hope you all find a healthy sleeping habit.
 
F

floatingfish

Member
May 5, 2023
18
There's an app called CBT-i that uses CBT techniques for insomnia. It was created by the Veteran's Association or something. I like using that when I can't sleep. It doesn't always help, but sometimes it does.

I especially like their Progressive Muscle Relaxation—that helps me.
 
Csmith8827

Csmith8827

Don't you listen to your heart? (Listen to it...)
Oct 26, 2019
894
Try to find a playlist to listen to...
 
Hikikomori1

Hikikomori1

Experienced
Mar 27, 2023
289
Watch YouTube or a movie or show.
 
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