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Previously, I offered eight sources of comfort in our stressful times. Here I add eight more, all of which are time-tested with an "n" of at least 1. Note that unlike, for example, a paid massage or going to a spa, all of these are free and doable solo.
Enjoy a morning reverie. When I wake up and have a few extra minutes, I stay in bed in semi-wakefulness and muse on how I can make the most of the day. Occasionally, I just walk through my day’s schedule, but more often I try to come up with one thing that makes me eager to jump out of bed.
Find your routine. Routine of course is comforting. My typical morning routine is: put up the coffee, inspect and hybridize my roses, take my coffee and doggie Einstein outside to enjoy the front yard and maybe encounter a neighbor to say hi to, then call Einstein into the house (which usually requires me bribing him with a bone), and then start working.
Work on something that comes easily, but feels important. I gain comfort by getting the hard work out of the way first so I don’t have it hanging over my head, but many people, if they have some discretion over their time, find it more comforting to start by working on something they find easy yet important—shopping on the net probably doesn't qualify.
Stare. Even if you’re at work, 30 seconds of staring at that flower on your desk, at that compelling image on your screen, or, if you’re lucky, at that view out your window can be comforting and restorative. Even staring at nothing, spacing out, can feel comforting—Just make sure 30 seconds doesn’t turn into 30 minutes.
Now let’s assume you’re taking a longer break at work or that you're done for the day.
Write in a journal. That helps you to reflect and to offer yourself counsel. That's probably the source of advice you're most likely to accept—we tend to resist advice from others, if only because no one can know as well as you all the factors affecting your decisions.
Read aloud. That slows you down and enables you to savor and understand more deeply. If you wish, read aloud to someone in person or by phone or Skype. Or, as I enjoy doing, read or ad-lib something into your webcam and post it on YouTube.
Listen to calming music. For me, one piece of music calms me more than any other: "Spiegel im Spiegel" (Mirror in Mirrors). I'll often sit with my eyes closed and, so I needn't open my eyes to replay it, I set YouTube for replay. (Right-click the "play" icon, and then click "loop.")
Hug. Of course, your hug's recipient can be someone you know, even your pet. But even if you're a solo operator, you can find a recipient for your hugs, for example, at an animal shelter or in a hospital's neonatal ward.
The takeaway
For many people, life is getting more stressful. These eight balms, as well as the eight from my previous assemblage, provide easy destressers, and unlike with chemical methods, have no side effects.
I read this aloud on YouTube.
