Forums » Smalltalk » What's something weird that comforts you?

When you've had a bad day, you're feeling anxiety or you've just finished crying... Perhaps all of the above... What do you do to make yourself feel better? No matter what, doing this thing or these things will just clam you down and comfort you.

For me, one definitely has to be a warm face cloth. Wiping a damp and warm or hot cloth on my face, specifically on my nose or cheeks. It's a go-to for me mainly after crying or if I need to go to bed. Just a gentle and slow cleaning of the face always puts me in the mood to sit down with a tea and pass out before I finish it. It's probably from being a kid, you get your face messy or your nose gets dirty so your parents would get a warm cloth to clean you with. It makes you feel cared for.

Another one would be sitting on the floor, my kitchen floor specifically. When I get anxious or sad I like to sit on the floor. With a blanket and some pillows, maybe a chair to put my computer on. This one I don't really have any idea about. Maybe it's the fact of just being down low, closer to the ground, not so busy. I really don't know, but it's a thing.

This one's less weird, and could also just be my OCD-like tendencies. But I wash something of mine. Slowly and very carefully. My hair or hands or face or body and it calms me down almost instantly.

What about y'all?

Have a beer and tell myself it don't mean nothing.

There's a song in that hahah

Yeah, could be!

On your warm cloth wash... I think I was on an Emirates flight from Singapore to Dubai to Paris and the flight attendents would come through the cabin with warm aromatic clothes to wash your hands and face with... It was very soothing.

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That's really interesting.

I can see why the warm facecloth thing helps.

Maybe sitting on the floor is a physical way to get grounded...

I know another friend of mine says the same thing. Well, she says that when she's anxious, one thing that helps her is lying flat on her back on the tile kitchen floor.

It's definitely a thing! Lol

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Me...hmmmm.

If I feel bad I usually need time alone to process it.

But after I'm done processing it and I'm in comfort-seeking mode, I guess lying down under the covers and playing some mindless phone game is comforting.

Taking a hot bath is comforting.

The hot bath thing has the advantage, for me, of evading everyone to get both a) time alone, b) the comfort of warmth and tactile sensation of water rushing over your skin, and c) the comfort of the sound of the water.

I absolutely agree with the warm washcloth! For me, I like to roll it and lie down with it resting over my eyes. It feels soothing, but part of the process is quieting my mind. It forces me to rest (which is a feat because I am constantly trying to get something done or checking my phone). I'm also a fan of aromatic baths, essential oil sprays, and candles. Aromatherapy with light or herbal scents, nothing too fruity or overwhelming, does the trick. Sometimes I'll have half a glass of red wine with a small square of dark chocolate for a little dopamine boost. I enjoy listening to ambiance compilations (especially forests, oceans, fireplaces), and when it rains I crack my window open to hear it better.

I guess none of those are especially "weird" ways of unwinding, so the strangest thing that soothes me would have to be going through old photos or the Memories section on Facebook. I like looking back on the past, having that weird sensation of "you mean this wasn't just a few months ago", seeing how much has changed in so little time and knowing that the future has the potential to do the same.

I just listen to X Listener stories on youtube.com when i'm stressed

The smell of red meat reminds me of my butcher great grandpa and takes me back to my childhood. Being in a deli is super comforting to me.

Walking in the rain. Especially summer thunderstorms. They really clense my spirit and inspire me. I'm really inspired by the changes of seasons. I also take walks in snowstorms.

I dont know about weird but bad days? A coffee curled up in bed.. or a nice walk on a trail or a park.

Waterboarding myself in the shower

I love nature, summer mainly For the bird sounds but winter too because everything is nice and crisp

Rainy summer nights I try not to sleep. Sometimes I wake up at four am to a storm and stay up to watch it haha

That’s really interesting, snoring reminds me of my dad haha. It annoys a lot of people but it comforts me when I’m in an unfamiliar place trying to sleep

That’s cool, for most people it sets them off ease I know that, watching time pass. I get both sides to it honestly.

Oh yeah, I totally get that. I like to sit by my small space heater on the floor with tea and a soft blanket for warmth. But it seems every time my feet are cold I crave a bath hahaha

My favorite thing to do is during the summer my family and I will go tornado chasing. That’s actually the easiest way for me to feel better after a crappy mood. Storms have always helped to calm me down and I love the adrenaline rush seeing a tornado gives you. Storms tend to put everything into perspective for me because I realize how small we really are in the world and that nature can do amazing things.

People seem to stare when I do it - but what comforts me when my social anxiety flares up is putting my nose in the pages of a book. The smell settles my fears and puts my mind at ease. I prefer older books to new ones. The smell of aged ink on yellow pages just makes a bad day become a good one. It is why I always carry a book with me everywhere I go. Be it something small booklet or a giant novel.

I don’t know if it is weird, but the sound of rain tapping on my windows and the scent of wet grass. It somehow reminds me of my camping.

When I’m stressed out (exams and school), I like to watch some horse show jumping contests. When I’m alone, I like to lie down on my floor and stare at the ceiling. And when my cat is in the room, I like to put him on my torso and pet him. He’s a good listener, too

My weird thing after things go bad or I need something comforting is drinking some apple juice. Not the bougie fresh pressed stuff. I’m talking the generic, high sugar, “is this actually apple juice?” type juice.

I’m not sure when it started being so comforting to me, maybe because I drank it a lot as a teenager when everything was weird and rough. Sometimes that smell of apples is enough to make me feel better.