IBD
How do you clear your head?
February 11, 2022
in IBD
I got my undergraduate degree in fine arts, which almost feels laughable now, because I am FAR from a fine artist. Early last year I decided to try to reconnect with my creativity to help handle. :::gestures to the whole world::: all of this.
Today I started working with an art coach to held get me through some of my blocks and I am SO excited.
I don't feel like I can use art just yet as a way to clear my head, but that's what I'm working on.
It got me wondering though, how do you clear your head? What brings you joy and peace and are you able to use whatever it is when life/IBD/everything feels hard to manage?
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Care Partner of Adult
I never thought I liked crafts, but I am surprised to admit that when I do engage in them, I find it remarkably meditative and satisfying. It's odd because I don't go out of my way to seek out this type of activity, but I never seem to regret it when I do.
I spend a lot of time in bed when my gastro symptoms get bad. This can sometimes make the symptoms less painful, but it means I often feel pretty blah. I find the best way to clear my head is to write down everything I'm thinking, trying to remember, people I need to talk to, symptoms im having, etc. on a white board. This helps my brain feel less panicky. Then I try to get outside. When my symptoms are really bad I sometimes can't manage a walk, but I will simply sit on my front steps for 15 minutes. Breathing in the fresh air, looking at something other than my screen or ceiling, really makes me feel a lot calmer.
I have three kinds of "resets," and each one serves a different purpose for me.
The first one is doing something creative, which helps out if the world is feeling really ugly (it's nice to create something beautiful) or if I've spent too much time doing analytical stuff (I have an analytical job). I have a lot of different crafty hobbies, including making cards, making wood signs, counted cross stitch, and scrapbooking, so lots of options there to help me get back into my groove.
The second one is to just veg out and watch some TV or read a book. Lately, I've tended to like things that I consider "escapism" (in other words, things that transport me to a totally different world so that I can forget about my stresses for a little while). We're talking Outlander, Downton Abbey, and so on. I find this technique to be really useful for when I need to forget whatever is happening for an hour or so. I usually find I'm more capable of handling my problems after I've taken a break/pause from them.
The final thing is to just get out of the house and go experience something with my family. It can be the beach, going to botanical gardens, taking a hike, or visiting the zoo. I find that removing myself from my usual bubble can help me mentally get into a better place. We're often outdoors for it, too, and I think that part helps a lot. This one is especially helpful if I feel like I've gotten into a little rut and can't figure out how to get out of it.
I think the biggest thing with any of these is recognizing that you need to clear your head and knowing what to do to fix it. Once you've figured that out, I think you're able to unlock a pretty awesome mental health tool.
Patient
I have never separated it out like this, but you are absolutely correct. I definitely process things like this too but hadn't quite thought of it that way. Which totally explains why sometimes creating doesn't feel right, or TV doesn't seem to feel right either. So smart!