The Ways That I Decompress

 

If you have been following my blog for some time, you will know that I am brutally honest. I have documented my issues with mental health and some of the struggles that I go through. My OCD can push me into spells of depression, and I work hard to get back to a neutral place. Part of my method to getting back into a neutral position is to step back and analyse the situation. I take time to decompress, gather my thoughts and then I am back on track. For this post, I thought that I would share some of the ways that I decompress. These are super simple things, that I reckon most of you guys will do on a daily basis anyway. However, when I am slipping into a deeper place, doing these things, help me get back on track.

 

Read a book.

I adore reading; however, it can be a double-edged sword for me. Reading is the ultimate escape for me. I can read a book in the evening if I really get into it. However, I get so absorbed in books and I can become obsessed with them. When I read, the words in my mind are so vivid that it plays out like a movie. On one hand, I think this is amazing because it can be incredibly immersive. However, if anything with high anxiety is happening in the book, it can heighten how I am feeling!

 

Have a bath.

Typically speaking, I never have a bath because I always think of the thousand other things that I could be doing. However, when I am going to go for it, I really go for it. I am talking, iPad with a movie on, bubbles overflowing, expensive candles lit, etc. Once I have gone to the effort of running my bougee bath, I can lay in it for hours at a time. To the point what I have to top it back up with hot water. It zones me out and I always have the best night sleep afterwards.

 

Go for a walk.

The minute that I begin to feel overwhelmed, my wellness journey goes out of the door. Including the fact that I don’t exercise or move my body enough. I could literally just crawl into a ball and stay there forever. However, one of the ways that I decompress is by going for a walk. I am lucky that I live in a truly stunning part of the world, and I love to walk in it. The scenery is beautiful and even on cold days, I am grateful for the fresh air. Even though it doesn’t compare to my normal exercise levels, it makes me feel good just to have moved a little.

 

Talk to my husband.

Obviously, I chat to my husband all day, every day. However, like most couples, we just talk about crap to each other. Because we generally are quite light-hearted and easy-going people, d we don’t get deep very often. He knows that if I go into the lounge, with a glass of Pinot in my hand, I want to have a talk to him. When he sits and simply listens to me, I feel like everything is ok. I know that sounds super cheesy, but it is true. He helps me so much and I will forever be grateful for him.

 

Listen to music.

I only listen to music when I am in the car. But I love music and realistically, I should listen to it more. The thing with me and music is that it really has the capability to affect my mood. When I am feeling high anxiety, my go to is country music., I know that most people think I am bizarre for my love of country music, but I simply adore it. The mood the country music provides is out of this world. Some of my favourites are Chris Stapleton, Luke Combs, etc. Amazing artists that I would recommend anybody listen to if you want to mellow out.

 

Watch a movie.

When I am feeling any kind of way, one of the ways that I decompress is with a movie. Not just any movie, I like to watch movies that are my all-time favourites. I know that is linked to my anxiety. But I like to watch movies that are familiar to me, where I know the outcome, to not increase my nerves. Some of my favourites are Jurassic World, Harry Potter and any cheesy Romcom. It makes me have just a couple hours to myself where my mind isn’t in overdrive.

 

I hope that you guys enjoyed reading this. Like I mentioned, these are the ways that I decompress, and it works for me. These are not revolutionary things, but they really help. They make me take a step back, take a deep breath and recalculate. Very easily I get overwhelmed and end up in a rut. Even just a single evening of doing these things and I feel like I am ready to take on the world again. For me, it is all about setting healthy routines and intentions and I feel so much better. I would love to hear from you guys on this. What is it that you do when you need to take some time for yourself? Let me know in the comments below and I may have to try them out for myself.