Living in this world can bring about frustrating feelings and prove difficult at times. There is so much going on with the climate, politics, the news cycle, and on it goes. When you begin to feel overwhelmed, remember that there are things you can do to feel connected to the world again. Read these tips to find something, or a few things, that will work for you.
Eat a Comforting Meal
You have surely watched a movie to two where the protagonist binge eats to drown their sorrows. That can feel cathartic but usually leaves you with a stomach ache. Instead of heading down the junk food path, make the process positive and engaging.
Find a new and comforting recipe such as this one for baked spaghetti. Go grocery shopping with a friend or family member. Make it a fun event. Once you have all the ingredients, head home and make it a day. Bake the delicious spaghetti together and then sit down for a relaxing meal and enjoyable conversation. When you eat good food with great people, you give yourself the gift of time with someone you care about while nourishing your body.
Engage in Physical Activity
When you are upset, sometimes an intense sweat session will help you reframe your problems. Exercising can help offer clarity to what is happening by releasing pent-up energy. When you focus your intentions on running that next mile or finishing the latest HIIT session, you put the issues at hand out of your mind.
Sometimes moving beyond the moment and then returning to it later, after you are done exercising, allows you to have a different perspective on what is wrong. Or, if the problem is beyond your control, you simply get the chance to release stress and feel better about what is happening.
Give Your Time
Feeling out of sorts can make you wonder about what you do with your time. If you begin to feel this way, consider volunteering. When you help others, you will feel better about yourself while adding value to your life.
Helping those in need can lend perspective to your situation. You have the opportunity to see that your situation may not be as bad as you once believed it was. When volunteering, you get to meet others who want to provide assistance as well as those who are receiving it. You may meet people you might never be exposed to throughout your usual daily routines.
Watch this video to learn interesting statistics on how volunteering can benefit your health.
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Find a Creative Outlet
Hobbies are wonderful ways to do something different for your mind. You get to learn a new hobby or get better at an old one. While working on your hobby, the act of creating something will activate another part of your brain to bring you joy and a sense of satisfaction.
One of the best parts about having a creative diversion is that the hobby you choose is likely to be vastly different from what you do in your professional life. Hobbies are a way to do something that completely contrasts with how you engage your brain on a daily basis. You get to activate the other parts of your mind and lead yourself to greater fulfilment.
Talk with a Friend
Talking through your stressors, concerns, and problems is something you may already do with your friends. Perhaps you get together to cook meals and then sit down and discuss your lives. You lean on one another for support and help with problem-solving.
Friends are great resources for the give and take of dealing with life’s joys and stressors. They know you and understand where you come from, what you have experienced, and how great you truly are.
Seek Counselling
If you need more help than your friends or family members can give you, then it is time to seek professional mental health assistance. Counselling is for everyone, no matter the concern, but it is especially for you when you feel at a loss or out of control.
Therapists are highly-trained professionals who will listen to what you are feeling and guide you through the best practices for dealing with the issues.
Go ahead and make some delicious comfort food when you need it. Find positive releases for the stressors in your life with exercise or an engaging hobby. And talk with friends, family, or professional therapists when the time is right. Remember, there are proactive ways to bring comfort into your life. You just need to make it happen.
What say you?
Thoughts on these Ideas To Bring You Comfort When You Need It?
Let’s hear it!
