By Tori 
It is the end of a long day and you just want to get home. Your mind is tired from exhaustive thinking from school or work. You feel a little stressed. You want to let go and do something calming that will keep you busy as it takes your mind off things. Here are some simple therapeutic activities you can do at home:
- Writing. It can be a journal, a diary, or just a simple notebook. I especially like writing because you can write whatever you want. You know when you say something out loud then you have a realization about it, writing helps in the same way. Your thoughts get coordinated slowly as you write them down. Writing also helps in releasing emotions. If you’re overwhelmed with emotions writing them down can be an outlet.
- Drawing and painting unlike writing is a way of expressing your thoughts and emotions without articulating them into words. You don’t need to be artsy or anything, remember you’re doing this to let go, so just pick up that pencil or paintbrush a let your mind travel.
- If you have a garden, big or small you’re in luck because nature is one of the most therapeutic things. In addition, gardening has been proven to reduce cortisol( the stress hormone). Seeing your plants grow and working to keep them healthy keeps one positive and relieves stress.
- Reflect. To me reflecting is sitting down somewhere quiet, removing all distractions, and doing some deep thinking about my situation. This helps in organizing thoughts and analyzing yourself. It helps you judge your emotions in an environment without pressure which will help in coming up with solutions and resolving some problems.
- Cooking and baking. This is especially good because it is goal oriented and the goal is to come up with a delicious meal. If you know how to cook or you are following a recipe, the process will shift your focus from what is disturbing you and you will find some moments of peace as you prepare your food. That is what makes cooking therapeutic.
- Cleaning and organizing. This may sound like a chore but people really underestimate how peaceful cleaning may be. The process of cleaning your space, decluttering, and organizing things is very calming. Sometimes it may help your mind feel organized and get in the space to relax calmly in a clean, organized space.
- Yoga and stretches. Thanks to technology, we can find specific yoga poses and stretching positions to do online that target different parts of our body. It is said that stress can create some tension and knots throughout our bodies; therefore, by practicing, yoga and stretching, we can release some of the physical tension in our bodies thus calming us in the process.
To conclude, this is all part of self-care. Life can get stressful and we can easily ignore it because of fast-paced everything is. Remember to evaluate yourself and always know that it is ok to take a step back. Stay calm.
-Tori