In times of stress (part 1)

A friend of mine recently asked what do I do to help 'soothe my soul', things that make myself feel better and didn't involve the potentially damaging comfort eating or shopping. Things that were 'good' to do to help unwind, destress and make you feel good about yourself. Well for me, I love to bake or cook. When the going get tough, the tough makes cookies. Or cupcakes or whatever tickles my fancy. I just find the following of recipes, weighing, dicing and other processes help to calm me down, keep me occupied and relax me. Only downside really is being left with loads of food, which leads you back to comfort eating but in a large household like mine, you're usually lucky to sample the treats you just made before the vultures swoop in to gulp them down!

Another thing I find soul soothing (I'm finding myself repeating that now as it just sounds so nice and relaxing, like whale sounds or something) is to knit. Not something I do often but during the college year I took up helping to create a charity blanket and so when I found myself getting anxious, usually over my final year project, I started knitting and the stress flowed from my body, through my fingertips and into the knitting cables I was creating. I advise if you are a beginner to knit something very simple, like a scarf or some squares, trying to follow a complicated pattern might be counter-productive and create more stress! Again, it helps by keeping your hands and mind occupied but it's not too taxing, thus allowing you to think some things over. Any crafting really that isn't too difficult will allow you to do this.

More to follow on this shortly!