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Three self-care things you did today!

ecomama
Valued Contributor
Valued Contributor

We can do it BBers, we can do self-care.

Sleepy21 pointed out research that shows self-care REALLY helps!

Please share what you do for self-care so we can get inspiration, ideas and motivation to do it too.

Best wishes
EM

1,666 Replies 1,666

I like, eagle Ray, sound being 'food for the ears', then I read, Blue says their "ears don't like being stuffed full any more than [their] tummy does". I think you are both spot on! & like me & some foods which I loathe, some sounds feel unbearable. I really get to feeling like I've had all the sound I can deal with, so please, could I stop now? No, not really, because if I turn off sounds around me, I hear my tinnitus mor - & that's really annoying.

Some sounds, I feel are nourishing, like good music, which for me is clasical &/or jazz, like a blending of the two. I prefer solo to maybe four, maybe five players, sometimes.

I have to depend on sound so much, but I'd really appreciate a break.

There are those sounds from my neighbours, so intrusive to me, which I would love to block - would the 'Loops' you use do that? I'd like to know more about the Loops, please Blue?

I count, I've asked about the Loops, as a self-care thing I'm doing today.

& I made a big salad, so I divided it into two.

I spent some time, deciding what I will & won't buy for my own Xmas meals. I do a special lunch & dinner, using foods I usually don't buy, mainly because they are expensive. Of-course, this year, I trying to keep to healthy choices.

I am mindful that when I am eating healthy foods, I am caring for myself - it's a privilege to be able to have the healthy food, & to have the choice to care for myself in this way.

I also like the self-care booklet, Blue - a great resource for you & those around you.

I had felt so much comfort & peace when I petted Mekitty. Having a pet, like a dog or cat, or horse, or goat, whatever, which you can reach out to & pet or cuddle, is so soothing. & they are not like people, who tend to ask too many questions, not seeming to notice when the words aren't possible. Provided I didn't actually hold her, Mekitty simply accepted my touch.

mmMekitty

Eagle Ray
Valued Contributor
Valued Contributor

Blue I love the idea of the self-care booklet.

 

mmMekitty, I couldn’t agree more about just how meaningful and helpful a connection with a pet can be.

 

For me today:

- feeling so much gratitude for the town I have recently made my home in, for the great people and the beautiful landscape and abundant wildlife

- watching a kite surfer having the time of his life, becoming airborne and clearly having fun

- practising being kind to myself and finding it really brings about open, warm and nurturing interactions with others 

 

quirkywords
Community Champion
Community Champion

Self care

told some one my boundaries

rested when I needed

accepted kindness from a stranger

Hi all,

 

Good to see you, Quirky - great work with the boundaries.

 

mmMekitty, I like jazz, too. There are definitely some sounds that nourish better than others. For me, stuff like music in shops, air conditioners, traffic noise and running water is awful. Hubby's oxygen generator is like a jackhammer to my ears and has to be running 24/7 - probably why I've been so much more sensitive to sound lately.

 

Asking about something that could help you with unpleasant sounds is definitely self care, you're doing great. 🙂 There are different kinds of Loops - I have Loop Experience (a bit under $50 on eBay - not cheap, but worth it for me). They reduce sound by 18 decibels; they don't block it all out, but lessen it to manageable levels. I find it really helpful with all the sounds I mentioned above, also with background conversations in public places - I can't filter that out without them, so I can actually hear someone talking to me better than I would without them when I'm in a loud environment. I even wear them in the shower because of how loud running water is for me. Like all things they have a down side, I can hear my own voice and breathing more, and my steps when I'm walking. To me the payoff is worth it. I can't speak for how they might work for you with tinnitis, as I don't have that myself. Hope the information helps.

 

Great work with the food, too, I'm doing similar and including a few mindful treats.

I'm glad you had Mekitty and the comfort whe brought you - you're certainly right about animal companions. Mr Feisty and the late Sir Pecks (my wee birds) never wanted pats, but both love to sit on my shoulders, eat from my hands, and will accept kisses on occasion. That companionship is the thing that kept me going through my worst days, they (and hubby) are my world.

 

Thanks to you and Eagle Ray for the kind words about my self care booklet. I may have to share more about that in another post. In short, it covers everything from managing basic nutrition and sensory time-outs to encouraging myself to daydream.


Today's self care:

 

- Took food with me to hubby's hospital appointment as the food at their café is all unhealthy or not filling.

 

- Had a nap after the appointment.

 

- Set a timer for how long I will spend online, so I'll be off shortly!

 

Kind thoughts,

Blue.

I was just reading about Loops Blue. I hadn’t seen them before. When my hyperacusis became severe I bought a pair of musician’s ear plugs from the audiologist that he moulded specifically to my ears. They attenuated 25 dB evenly across different frequencies, unlike the foam ear plugs you can buy from pharmacies which block some frequencies more than others. After years of use the musician’s ear plugs disintegrated and I bought some new ones that aren’t specifically moulded to my ears but fit ok. But Loops seem like another technology again. Like you, I can experience everyday sounds as painful, but less than in the past. The sound of a newspaper rustling used to be excruciating, but it is ok now. The audiologist said my sound tolerance was down to about 20 dB, so well below the level of human speech. It is now way higher and life is much easier.

 

 I like the topics from your self-care booklet. I also need sensory time outs. I visited the city recently and it’s definitely overload for me. It’s ok for a short while but my nervous system thanks me when I get to a more peaceful, less over-stimulating environment.

 

Love your self-cares too Quirky. I’m practising similar things and working on saying no when I need to and taking care of my boundaries.

 

My self-cares:

- made a decision today based on my own needs instead of the expectations of others

- had a rest in the afternoon as really tired after some insomnia last night 

- chatted to a cute black cockatoo on my fence who I think is a juvenile but almost fully grown - I love them 🥰

 

 

Hey Eagle Ray,

 

It's great that the audiologist was able to help you with a solution at the time. Stuff like Loops have appeared more recently as more people are discovering they are autistic or have sound sensitivities - honestly, I underestimated just how much sound sensitivity was contributing to my stress before I started reading accounts from other autistic people. Bit of a lightbulb moment. I can certainly understand your experience with hyperacusis.

 

I hear you about being in the city. Humans everywhere, movement and sounds and smells and flashy lights. Holy cow it's a lot. Definitely can't stay in that environment for long. Something I do for a sensory time out at home (if I'm not in full meltdown and unable to process any sensory stimuli) is watch nature/forest walks on YouTube. Studies I've looked at show that as little as 2 hours of nature time a week can help with mental well-being, but it's also come up that pictures or sounds or videos can be similarly calming if you can't physically be out in nature when you need to. Anecdotally, I can vouch for that. So that's in my self care booklet, too, and something I default to regularly when I'm not doing so great.

 

Ooh, very excited about your black cockatoo friend, I don't see them super often but I love them.

 

Today's self cares:

 

- Taking a do-nothing day while hubby is out with his bestie. Aside from eating and feeding Mr Feisty I am placing no demands on myself and doing nothing unless I am genuinely motivated to do it in the moment. Recovering from a pretty bad meltdown yesterday.

 

- Started the day with aforementioned nature walk video and pared back my morning routine to be as simple as possible, for instance coffee bag instead of the extra steps to fire up the percolator.

 

- Ordered myself some chewable jewellery. It's something that keeps coming up among the ads for autistic stim toys, and I didn't think it was my thing, then I remembered how I used to chew the daylights out of pen lids and even pencils when I was younger. Thought I'd give it a go.

 

Blue.

Self care

standing up for myself

Walking each day

being kind to myself 

Hey Blue

 

I really relate to your self cares. I too had a quiet do-nothing day. I rested a lot including just letting my brain go slowly. It was so beneficial and a way to process stuff that has been full on in recent days. I’m also learning to not feel guilty for having a do-nothing day. It can be a very wise self-care initiative.

 

 I also did a nature activity which for me was a walk in a bushland area across the road. I completely agree nature is the best place to be when dealing with overwhelm.

 

My other self care today was not taking on a relative’s passive aggression that is about them and not me. I’m just letting it go and releasing it back to them as their responsibility.

I can relate to the chew thing. I chewed the hell out of my blanket as a child. It was kind of tasty 😋 But I think it must have been helping me at some level too.

I love these self-cares Quirky. Good on you for acts of self-kindness and standing up for yourself. And walking each day is so beneficial.

Hi all,

 

Eagle Ray, do-nothing days are so important, I don't do it enough. Yesterday I really wasn't capable of anything else. I agree about learning not to feel guilty for having a do-nothing day. The bigger struggle for me is planning to work around having one, as usually when I do I just end up with double the responsibilities the next day and go into major overwhelm. That's a huge problem that needs fixing. Urgh, sorry to hear about that passive-aggressive relative. I hate passive-aggressive behaviour with a passion (and admittedly I can get real fiery when someone aims it at me). I can imagine the fortitude it takes to not react to it. Hm, I can't imagine many worse things to have in my mouth than a blanket! But hey, if it worked for you, I'm not here to judge. 😊

 

My self cares:

 

- Had some time outside with hubby. Did a little light exercise.

 

- Used the carer's peer support webchat (called LETSS - I find them better than Lifeline). Today started out okay then turned seriously bad on me.

 

- Decided ordering pizza for dinner was okay, I wasn't up to cooking and ready meals were looking real unappealing.

 

Blue.