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Tangier's avatar

Getting a manicure and pedicure used to be relaxing, but picking out a color always stresses me OUT. I usually put on Rap Jazz music to help me chill out.

Also, this week was sooo good by the way!!

"I’ve been using ChatGPT for everything. My weight loss, my therapist, meal planning, someone to vent to, and more. I tell it everything, and honestly, it’s changed my life for the better". I may have secretly submitted this because this is ME.

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Bailey McGowan's avatar

Hey Will, I find that if the thing I’m doing to relax is stressing me out then it’s time to pivot to a new thing. Recently, I’ve found watching YouTube video recaps of old books I read better than trying to force myself to read. I’ll get back to reading when I’m ready. Hope you can find something else to help you relax!

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Sam's avatar

I joined substack just so I could read more of these since they’re not all posted to ig. 😆

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Hayden's avatar

Shoutout to the last one on the carrot cake. We’ve all been there with an entire cake in our lap in a recliner watching tv. Or at least I have.

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Will deFries's avatar

my son's birthday was this past weekend and i've eaten far more than one (1) piece of carrot cake

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Rebecca Williams's avatar

Dude (lady?), stand up to your wife already.

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Abby's avatar

Kelly Oxford has a brilliant Substack post about how the things that we actually find most soothing are things that soothed us as children. Highly recommend.

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Will deFries's avatar

this is why i always want to watch an early season episode of 'boy meets world' isn't it

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Abby's avatar

no exactly!! it's also why journaling always calms me down even when i'm not writing anything of substance -- because when I was 8 I would write every day things like "today I went outside and it was sunny. then we went to grandma's." So the literal act of writing things down feels good to my brain, LOL.

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Bree's avatar

My thoughts on your question: meditation and similar activity doesn't always jump straight to being relaxing and calming. It quiets your mind of distractions, and in that quiet, you start to notice things, like the state of your nervous system. It may not be that the activity is stressing you out -- you may already be stressed, but something was standing between you and the awareness of that feeling.

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Betsy Craske's avatar

Juicy this week! Loved the variety...!

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Hermeshuns's avatar

this made me feel so much better about my chaotic mug cupboard

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