What do you do to relax?

Knitting, sewing, crochet, archery, target shooting, motorcycling, reading, listening to records, talking to my cat.

WhispersRed and Gentle Whispering works pretty well for me, though it's not most people's cup of tea.

Reading, photography, writing, anything with animals (cats preferably, large and small). Spend time at zoo's, museums or the Efteling amusement park. With husband and photocamera's. Oh, and have a cup of tea. Chai or Earl Grey.

Green tea with cinnamon
Soothig music
Massage therapy
Meditation
I think these methods are the best means for relaxing. My fav way is body massage. I recall that the best massage session I experienced in parlor kiev. The feelings were increadible, in half of an hour I completely relaxed and fully recharged. I am a massage fan now

Drawing and painting, walking (sometimes I draw/paint while on a walk too!), listening to music (if it's quiet) dancing to music (if it's loud) singing in a choir, cooking low-carb treats, such as cakes, desserts, crackers and fat bombs.

I enjoy eating out when I have the money with friends.. Enjoy watching films, mainly horror (all types including foreign ) and cats.. Always had an avid love of the feline variety of the four legged friend! I enjoy cat minding and find them to be incredibly therapeutic.. As Freud once stated "time spent with cats is never wasted" ................ What more can I say!.....

kevinfitzgerald said:

As Freud once stated "time spent with cats is never wasted" ................ What more can I say!.....

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I agree! Although at the moment I'm trying to coax a VERY high-maintenance cat (male) to wee in plastic pellets so I can collect a sample. We have an on-going Mexican stand-off: pellets down in the evening, cat keeps legs crossed all night. Worried slave changes pellets back to litter in the morning because he should pee. Cat immediately performs. Not exactly relaxing!

Love this thread! Such great ideas, far better than my Line of Duty/The Bridge box-fest. I'd love to get into the garden for some therapeutic digging etc but it resembles Grimpen Mire at the moment.

Sue192 said:

I agree! Although at the moment I'm trying to coax a VERY high-maintenance cat (male) to wee in plastic pellets so I can collect a sample. We have an on-going Mexican stand-off: pellets down in the evening, cat keeps legs crossed all night. Worried slave changes pellets back to litter in the morning because he should pee. Cat immediately performs. Not exactly relaxing!

Love this thread! Such great ideas, far better than my Line of Duty/The Bridge box-fest. I'd love to get into the garden for some therapeutic digging etc but it resembles Grimpen Mire at the moment.

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Yep typical cat.. Everything on it's terms when he / she feels like it!.. Can you not try putting the pellets down in the morning?

For me there are different types/phases of relaxing:
1. Getting rid of frustrations: This is exercise and lots of it. It could be running, mountain biking, weights, climbing, ... anything that requires physical effort
2. Creativity: sewing, knitting, baking, ... anything to get me to focus on something different and produce something at the end
3. Socialising: letting my hair down with friends, partner, family. It may involve a bottle of red wine or a pair of walking boots and always involves lots of chatting ... preferably in the fresh air.
4. Chilling: when I have physically and mentally warn myself out with all the other things, I slob in front of the telly with a good movie or in the bath with a good book and just switch off from real life.

I'd normally say "walking in the hills" is when I'm at my most relaxed, but when I think about it, the walking is just a necessary means to get into remote and beautiful locations. The real relaxation comes in the moments when I'm lounging around in such locations, taking it all in.

That probably explains why I ended up getting drawn to the bushcraft side of things in the outdoors. A day spent walking to a nice remote location, then setting up camp, lighting a fire the unnecessarily hard way, cooking likewise, with a spot of listening to music through my headphones while looking at the stars. It used to involve alcohol as well, which I sorely miss, but I can't do alcohol and manage T2 well. The plus side is, cutting it out has made me more fit and healthy and able to enjoy walking to these nice locations.

I have just stared to do small rock painting and that is very relaxing. This is a pastime that is very big now and there are many local internet groups also a general UK Facebook group "Love on the rocks". The idea is you decorate a rock or pebble then when out and about hide it but not where it will not be found but partly visible people just put them in all sorts of places like park benches, on walls, in shops on a shelf, door ways, and window sills anywhere that people are. If found a rock can be kept or rehidden for someone else to find. They just make people happy and most are delighted if they find one. They can be painted, drawn on, decoupaged, or coloured with pens no special skill needed but some people are amazing artists visit "Love on the Rocks" to see them.You may have a local group for your area so Goggle it Good activity for kids in the holidays

kevinfitzgerald said:

Yep typical cat.. Everything on it's terms when he / she feels like it!.. Can you not try putting the pellets down in the morning?

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You have to take the sample and then put it in the fridge as soon as possible, and then to the vet as soon as possible so timing is all (TMI probably!) but I have a Cunning Plan: aquarium gravel...... But he's absolutely worth it (Apologies to the non-cat lovers reading this!)

Sue192 said:

I agree! Although at the moment I'm trying to coax a VERY high-maintenance cat (male) to wee in plastic pellets so I can collect a sample. We have an on-going Mexican stand-off: pellets down in the evening, cat keeps legs crossed all night. Worried slave changes pellets back to litter in the morning because he should pee. Cat immediately performs. Not exactly relaxing!

Love this thread! Such great ideas, far better than my Line of Duty/The Bridge box-fest. I'd love to get into the garden for some therapeutic digging etc but it resembles Grimpen Mire at the moment.

Click to expand...

Ha had that experience with my belated male cat. After 24 hours I decided it was cruel to make him cross his legs any longer so replaced the litter. I remarked to everyone about his control. A few days later I went to my stack of old cloths for dirty jobs in the utility room and they were wet and smelt of you know what! We still laugh about it.
Me fussing over my girls (cats) boys (grown up but visit often) OH. And I might get back into knitting animals again. And cooking. NOT dusting, waste of time!