What are your relaxation/meditation/calming routines & habits?

Tuco

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Not sure if this counts but I listen to audiobooks when I fall asleep. I think this is normal but it's always taken me 30m+ to fall asleep, sometimes several hours. I've always been annoyed by how wasteful and boring that was, but now I lay down, turn on an audiobook and when I "feel" tired I turn it off and usually just fall right asleep.

I also listen to it on commutes, when I'm watching the kids at the park etc. Sometimes I'll go out on my deck, relax in my chair and just listen while I drink. For some reason it's more relaxing and personally gratifying than TV / movies.

Just finished the last expanse book, started Count of Monte Cristo last night.
 
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Cukernaut

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Tuco said:
Not sure if this counts but I listen to audiobooks when I fall asleep. I think this is normal but it's always taken me 30m+ to fall asleep, sometimes several hours. I've always been annoyed by how wasteful and boring that was, but now I lay down, turn on an audiobook and when I "feel" tired I turn it off and usually just fall right asleep.

I also listen to it on commutes, when I'm watching the kids at the park etc. Sometimes I'll go out on my deck, relax in my chair and just listen while I drink. For some reason it's more relaxing and personally gratifying than TV / movies.

Just finished the last expanse book, started Count of Monte Cristo last night.
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I love reading and am loyal to hard books, but audiobooks sound appealing sometimes for "on the go"
 
Tuco

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Cukernaut said:
I love reading and am loyal to hard books, but audiobooks sound appealing sometimes for "on the go"
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Yeah, it's rare that I'll read it when I could be doing anything else. Even as the "baseline" activity it's a huge part of my life now because there is so much time enriched by it. Even chores like mowing the lawn, doing dishes etc are amenable.

It's opened up the whole literary world for me because I don't enjoy reading linearly. It's probably a personal thing but most of the time I read as a gamer, internet troll, programmer etc I'm jumping through text looking for the info I want. Switching to reading each sentence, each word, is uncomfortable for me. But listening? I can only do that.
 
Hoss

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I'm not trying to troll, but I legit expected heavy drinking and masturbation to be the most given answers.
 
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Kuro

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Well, my natural response to stress/anger/depression was to go stuff my gaping maw. I have since adjusted that to either 20minute "mindfulness" breathing exercises I picked up at school, or removing mould lines from models if I'm at home, or just direction less driving if I'm out and about.
 
Borzak

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Prior to getting sick I could spend all day in the shop at the house. Working on something, building something etc.. Running the lathe, mill, welding/fabbing something. From just stuff to building giant scale R/C planes, a teardrop camper etc....Also just getting out in the woods a LOT. I lived adjacent to the national forest on one side and a 9,800 acre block of timber company land that I had access to. Fishing minutes away in the largest lake in TX and multiple other lakes. All kinds of stuff to relax.
 
Zaara

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If I can't work with my hands I go batshit. Unfortunately there's been a bit of overlap now when it comes to 'things you do for pleasure/relaxation' vs. 'things to do to pay the bills', but I'm still in that honeymoon stage where the act of tattooing is a singularity-inducing act of zen. Not 'relaxing' in the mental and physical sense but I've come to realize my mechanical brain is like a dog that requires being taken for daily runs.

When it's off time and it wasn't/isn't game related/commission/dumb fandom/tattoo stuff, i always fall back on painting and drawing snakes and dragons as a relaxation thing. I try a little different style each time but I love the process of putting down concentric loops and patterns.

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My favorite part is cutting the piece out of the paper when it's done. I got the opportunity to be instructed in lithography and running traditional presses in school, so every once and a while I'll take on a lithography project and do some carving. It's all about the carving and less about how the prints run, mostly because I have a pretty paltry press set-up at home.


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BrutulTM

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Tuco said:
Not sure if this counts but I listen to audiobooks when I fall asleep. I think this is normal but it's always taken me 30m+ to fall asleep, sometimes several hours. I've always been annoyed by how wasteful and boring that was, but now I lay down, turn on an audiobook and when I "feel" tired I turn it off and usually just fall right asleep.

I also listen to it on commutes, when I'm watching the kids at the park etc. Sometimes I'll go out on my deck, relax in my chair and just listen while I drink. For some reason it's more relaxing and personally gratifying than TV / movies.

Just finished the last expanse book, started Count of Monte Cristo last night.
Click to expand...

I do this with Deadwood on HBO Go. I've literally seen all 3 seasons 10+ times and probably slept through them all 10 more. Basically have all the dialog memorized so I can put any episode on and not worry about missing anything when I fall asleep. I put it on, set a 30 minute sleep timer, and rarely hear more than the first 5 minutes.

As far as other relaxation, my job has me spending a LOT of time outdoors, alone, doing relatively mindless jobs. That's not to say there's not stress quite often, but if I'm driving around checking water, feeding cows, fixing fence, etc. it's a lot of time to be quiet and listen to podcasts or think or whatever. Baling hay would count as well if the fucking baler didn't break down so much at which point it goes from relaxation to rage.
 
Foler

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Been doing neuro feedback at home. It’s pretty much meditation but for people who have too much ADD to meditate. I feel high after doing it - it’s pretty weird.
 
Haus

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In line with some others, for me it's my new hobby.. Melting and casting metal.

The low roar of the propane furnace, watching the metal heat, often to glowing red/orange, then melt into a rippling liquid.. The watching it cool into a shape I chose for it...

Strangely calming.
 
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Tuco

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Foler said:
Been doing neuro feedback at home. It’s pretty much meditation but for people who have too much ADD to meditate. I feel high after doing it - it’s pretty weird.
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What are your favorite neurofeedback "games"?
 
Izo

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Zaara said:
If I can't work with my hands I go batshit. Unfortunately there's been a bit of overlap now when it comes to 'things you do for pleasure/relaxation' vs. 'things to do to pay the bills', but I'm still in that honeymoon stage where the act of tattooing is a singularity-inducing act of zen. Not 'relaxing' in the mental and physical sense but I've come to realize my mechanical brain is like a dog that requires being taken for daily runs.

When it's off time and it wasn't/isn't game related/commission/dumb fandom/tattoo stuff, i always fall back on painting and drawing snakes and dragons as a relaxation thing. I try a little different style each time but I love the process of putting down concentric loops and patterns.

902425a2388dd295b40ea5308ac7bcb1.png






My favorite part is cutting the piece out of the paper when it's done. I got the opportunity to be instructed in lithography and running traditional presses in school, so every once and a while I'll take on a lithography project and do some carving. It's all about the carving and less about how the prints run, mostly because I have a pretty paltry press set-up at home.


4680e7669656c2141382b8613a848534.jpg


75023a93eef0f94503f5216e8041b9c3.jpg
Click to expand...

1643425229450.gif

Awesome work, wish I knew how to be more creative, you're really good. I wonder if you could use your powers for good or for awesome - Trogdor the Burninator?
 
Foler

The_Black_Log Foler

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Tuco said:
What are your favorite neurofeedback "games"?
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Ok so I did it with a professional for about 16 weeks. Found huge difference at beginning of that but definitely plateaued maybe 6-8 weeks.

Got the same effect using Unyte - Biofeedback, Meditation, Mindfulness and Relaxation training

I’ll be honest - I didn’t do a ton of research on at home neuro feedback prior to buying unyte - I had someone recommend the company that unyte acquired for their software so I went with it. It’s been about 2 months since I’ve done neuro feedback and I think I’m starting to notice it some regression. Gonna go back to doing unyte - I think it helps me get more “chill” which WE ALL can appreciate amiright?

At the end of the day my conclusion was it felt to me like guided meditation but more helpful for people with bad ADD like myself. I’m not sure I would invest in professional sessions over at home options. I mean I was pretty skeptical about all this shit but after my first session I got an intense “high” feeling of being “chill” (ok ya ya). Just relaxed… Very good for racing minds.

edit - if you or anyone else has done at home neuro I’d love to hear what you’ve tried.
 
Izo

Izo

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Foler said:
As a Doctor of Medicine and being in the adult forum I would EXPECT you of all people to be more mature izo.

PATHETIC.
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It's friday of my vacay week, beer and shitposting. What is your neurofeedback game anyway, if not masturbation?
 
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Foler

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Izo said:
It's friday of my vacay week, beer and shitposting. What is your neurofeedback game anyway, if not masturbation?
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How are you relaxing on your VACAY weekend izbro?
 
Izo

Izo

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Foler said:
How are you relaxing on your VACAY weekend izbro?
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Beer. Blood bowl. Trying to tune out all txts and mails from work, recruiters and temp agencies. Hoax flu got everyone doing a ferris bueller before we're set free from restrictios come tuesday.
 
Foler

The_Black_Log Foler

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Izo said:
View attachment 395534
Beer. Blood bowl. Trying to tune out all txts and mails from work, recruiters and temp agencies. Hoax flu got everyone doing a ferris bueller before we're set free from restrictios come tuesday.
Click to expand...
Wow. Don’t you have kids and a wife? What about them?…..
 
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