“Always” is maybe too strong of a word. If we change it to “almost always”, here’s my list:
- a hot shower
- going for a solo walk
- reading a book
- writing
- a chat with a friend
- a good hug from someone I trust
- playing the piano
And maybe I’d add, “my bed” because when I climb into it, I usually feel pretty relaxed.
Many of mine would be the same as yours, but I would add walking at the beach to the top of the list. Even just sitting on the sand and watching the waves and the horizon is so relaxing. There is something about the waves, the sun, and the beauty of it all that makes me feel at peace.
Walking in the woods when it’s cool and crisp outside. For sure my bed. We finally got a great mattress after years and years of a hand-me-down one. Almost every night I say, why didn’t I buy it sooner?
These next two things that relax me are weird. I find chopping vegetables relaxing. I love to cook and I think the monotony and precision of it is relaxing. I also love doing our burn piles. We have to keep up with burning excess pine needles and brush on our property and I find it almost therapeutic. Maybe I like chopping veggies and burn piles because they are productive yet mindless?
Staring into a fire. We’ve never lived in a house with an open fireplace, but when I start our woodstove in the morning, I always sit a little longer than necessary with the door open to “make sure it catches.” But really to stare into the flames. 🙂
Totally! We replaced our wood stoves’ door to the kind with a glass window in it so we could watch the fire. It’s so peaceful.
At the end of my day, nothing relaxes me more than a warm bubble bath!
Looking out over a lake or ocean
Oh wow. What a great prompt!
– Watching the waves/walking on the beach
– Watching a fire
– Walking/hiking in the woods
– Sailing
– Skiing
– Knitting/crocheting
– Driving on backroads
– Playing the piano
– Painting (watercolors, not walls or furniture – LOL!)
– Spending time with animals
You’d THINK I’d be the most relaxed person EVER, but the fact is that I’ve been acting as my husband’s post-surgery caregiver for nearly 2 years (we’re fighting an infection), and I just don’t have a lot of time to myself. I haven’t even put my boat in the water the past 3 summers.
It’s SO important, I think, for every person to have a list they can turn to, when needed! Mine are pretty similar to the previous commenters, but I’ll add stroking an animal, especially a relaxed cat.