jenny Posted September 16, 2003 Share Posted September 16, 2003 this term i am teaching several evening classes. this is going to sound like a ridiculous question, but i'm not sure how to relax when i get home, and i need help. i already have problems sleeping, and i'm so energized from class that it takes me hours to calm down. having a house manic with artsy folx adds to the problem. i'm aware this is kind of a dumb question, but i honestly don't know very many calm people. so, what do you all do to relax? Link to post Share on other sites
CaterpillarGirl Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 Adjust your environment. Turn down the lights, get settled someplace comfprtable, like a couch or the bed. If you feel like you have to much energy to do this, try going for a walk/run to settle down. Music is great. I had a roommate who used to play this tape of "rainforest sounds." Read a good book. Take a long bath (don't fall asleep). Stay away from caffeine. Try writing about things that are stressing you out. Hope this helps. Link to post Share on other sites
2SidestoStories Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 'Oy Jenny! Have you tried meditation? I completely understand the bit about artsy folkies all round the house. I don't have that around me anymore, but I tend to prefer to be the reserved sort when I'm at home. The greatest thing about meditation is that it's all about you. There are so many different ways to go about it. I used to be part of a meditation group that met on Wednesday evenings back several years ago now (gads, that I can remove a decade from my life and still have been in my mid-teens! ack! Sorry...off topic...) Anyway, one of the "things to do" was come up with creative new guided meditations. Those were fun, but I honestly had a difficult time focusing on the person who was speaking because often times I'd get really off into my own little world. There are also lovely deep breathing exercises that you could likely look up on the internet. As Tony's so fond of saying, "go to google and type in 'deep breathing' or 'meditation'..." There's also the infamous glorious bubble bath with candles and your favorite relaxing music route. The great thing about bubble baths is the "other person optional" bit... Of course that may not be nearly so relaxing depending... Link to post Share on other sites
2SidestoStories Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 I had a roommate who used to play this tape of "rainforest sounds." One of my ex bfs had a rainforest sounds tape that was great for the first about five minutes, and then all of a sudden, out of nowhere, this horrific screeching sound began; we could never quite discern whether it was a murderous monkey or a perterbed parrot! Link to post Share on other sites
Clancy Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 Deep breathing exercises are really helpful. They not only relax you in the immediate sense but can also be an effective therapy for dealing with anxiety. It's not hard to learn to do deep breathinhg either and you can add to the relaxing effect by adding incense, candles, stretching, and a nice bubble bath afterwards. Then, you can pour yourself into your bed and dream the night away. Link to post Share on other sites
Author jenny Posted September 17, 2003 Author Share Posted September 17, 2003 mmmmm... thanks everybody - i will try all of these! Link to post Share on other sites
moimeme Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 Nothing like a nice cup of hot chocolate as the evening winds down. The L-Tryptophan in the milk will put you to sleep. Link to post Share on other sites
Author jenny Posted September 17, 2003 Author Share Posted September 17, 2003 ok, i've bathed, and read, and am currently sipping chocolate. i'm noticably less hyper, but i'm still totally coiled. ok, am now trying nature enyaian music. i'm sure you all really care, giggles, but it soothes me a bit to post. i'm going to try baking too, apparently the distracting smells help slow down the critical facilities. Link to post Share on other sites
moimeme Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 If you were Catholic, I'd suggest saying a rosary. I used to try to say one every night during Lent. Would inevitably fall asleep before the third decade. Link to post Share on other sites
Author jenny Posted September 17, 2003 Author Share Posted September 17, 2003 i would not mind having something specific to recite. maybe i'll go memorize something, that's not a bad idea, thank you! evidently i'm never sleeping again. i once got a prescription for this - my dad has trouble sleeping as well, i did not know insomnia could be hereditary- but i hate taking pills like that. it's worse in fall for both of us. Link to post Share on other sites
rush Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 try masturbating that might relax you there's nothing like a good orgasim to relax you. Link to post Share on other sites
moimeme Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 There is a condition called Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome. If you routinely fall asleep in the wee hours and can't get up in the morning, it might be worth looking into. Rush: I figured she would have tried that already. Link to post Share on other sites
cindy0039 Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 Originally posted by moimeme Rush: I figured she would have tried that already. Goes without saying, huh Moimeme? Link to post Share on other sites
Author jenny Posted September 17, 2003 Author Share Posted September 17, 2003 man, a girl starts a couple of orgies and gets a reputation. it's just not fair. or, wait, is this because of the cheerios? Link to post Share on other sites
moimeme Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 And here am I, innocent spectator to all these orgies and yet it is I who have been singled out for besmirchification. Link to post Share on other sites
Author jenny Posted September 17, 2003 Author Share Posted September 17, 2003 bystanders in an orgy: voyeurs. still complicit. but all of you get out of my sleep thread and back into the ryan thread! out! this is a sweet place full of cocoa and rainforests! Link to post Share on other sites
moimeme Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 this is a sweet place full of cocoa and rainforests! And orgasms, if Rush and Cindy are to be taken seriously Link to post Share on other sites
Author jenny Posted September 17, 2003 Author Share Posted September 17, 2003 blink. blink. blink. blink. i need exhaustion hugs if anyone has some to spare. i hate to impose, sorry. Link to post Share on other sites
cindy0039 Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 (HUGS) And one more piece of advice for getting to sleep at night. Don't read posts by a person that gets under your skin. Link to post Share on other sites
Author jenny Posted September 17, 2003 Author Share Posted September 17, 2003 thanks cindy, so much :) Link to post Share on other sites
midori Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 I always say, at the end of a trying day one can never go wrong with a nice glass of scotch. Bailey's is also nice if scotch isn't your cup of tea. Slow-sipping serenity. The Hours soundtrack by Philip Glass is a beautiful companion. Never more than one glass (well, two if you count Philip). A good night's sleep ensues. Link to post Share on other sites
Author jenny Posted September 17, 2003 Author Share Posted September 17, 2003 lol, yes on the Glass, no on the drink. maybe i'll get some ovaltine but sip it seductively. in kitschy lingerie. Link to post Share on other sites
midori Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 .. very good if you're planning on, shall we say, entertaining yourself. Of course another fool-proof way for me to fall asleep is to take out some journal articles I need to read. Before I've even made it through the introduction I'm often asleep. Bad when that happens at my desk in the middle of the day... Link to post Share on other sites
Tony T Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 Go to a bookstore and get a good self-hypnosis or relaxation tape. It will take you through a guided meditation that you can use morning, afternoon or before bedtime to calm your mind and put the stress of the day aside. The world does not contain one single ounce of stress. The world just is. All the stress, chaos, confusion, anxiety, etc. is right there in and created solely by your mind...no place else. You control the horizontal, you control the verticle and you may as well learn that now. The way you process data from your senses, the way you react to external stimuli, determines whether you get all caught up in the world's BS or you transcend it all and remain calm...as you, the captain of your ship, wish to do. People who get the most stressed are usually control freaks who have a need to have things occur just a certain way and in a certain time. When you give that up, you'll find things will go a lot better for you. Link to post Share on other sites
Author jenny Posted September 17, 2003 Author Share Posted September 17, 2003 my particular breed of entertainees would find kitsch infinitely more arousing and worthy of comment, alas. hmm, ok, will try meditation. i'm actually not terribly stressed, just usually hyper, and now a bit sad. do i sound controlling? o, dear. Link to post Share on other sites
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