Saturday, February 7, 2009

Unwinding



What is your favorite thing to do when you want to unwind?

27 comments:

Nina Bell said...

I work many 10 hour days and really need to unwind when I come home in the late afternoon. Most days I will take some time to feed, brush and play with my dogs. It gives them the attention they deserve and I really enjoy doing it. Long walks are always great if the weather permits.

On weekends after a hectic day running errands, my husband and I will sit down and watch the different TV programs we missed during the week.

I also enjoy sitting down and catching up on this blog and reading the comments that I missed during the day.

The Travel Mom said...

Before I went back to work I LOVED to scrapbook. I spent a fortune on pictures, stickers and paper and it really would be the happiest part of my day. Putting the kids to bed and unloading all the goodies and making them into my own time capsule was so much fun.

Now, I think the kids pretty much ate or used my stuff without my permission and I'm too exhausted to even look at all of it. My new way to relax is to get on the computer and laugh at trolls... (lol)

Samantha@IW said...

I'm a reader- I love to relax with a good book, couple that with a rainy day and I'm beyond happy.

Darlene Williams said...

Once a week on Sundays I lock myself in my bedroom and call my bff from back home. (BFF East coast Canada and I West Coast USA)We have known each other for over 28 years. It's great my hubby is supportive so I can do this. We can talk for hours on the phone. I also like listening to music. I always say Music is my therapy.

Anya@IW said...

Do daytime naps count?

I have always hated Mondays. I know I am probably not the only one. I come home tired and have found myself really looking forward to putting on my most comfy yoga pants and t-shirt and turning on the tv to "Dancing with the Stars" (it's coming back!) and then "Jon & Kate Plus 8."

On the weekends, I love spending a couple of hours at a cafe in the morning drinking a big cup of coffee and getting caught up The New Yorker and other magazines.

During the spring and summer, I love gardening with the radio turned to baseball...

Nina, I agree. I usually try and keep up with the posts during the day, but I find myself coming back at night and reading again and often find something really funny I missed or someone's perspective I hadn't considered before. And Baby Mama, yes, the trolls provide entertainment too!

merryway said...

Well, I'm pretty much home at night as I have a little one. My friends and I hang out, play Scrabble and Farkel. We have dinners together and some traditions. I like to quilt, but it's hard to find the time. I love the blog, because my main downtime is tv and my laptop is right beside me. When I carry it around to watch stuff, I flip over to the blog to see what's going on. I love reading all the poster's comments here. I also do silly stuff like this.

Does anyone want to go in on one with me? I really don't need two of them.

Anonymous said...

If I have a hectic day, I take a nice hot bath after the kids are in bed. I lock the door and read something mindless as I soak. Heaven. Actually just the anticipation of it helps me get through my long hectic day. :)

I also love to take walks by myself when the weather permits. Sometimes I just need some time away from the kids to regroup.

Anya@IW said...

merryway said...
Does anyone want to go in on one with me? I really don't need two of them.


LOL! Where did you find that? That is priceless. Love it.

I'll be the first one to take you up on your offer! Pick me! :-)

merryway said...

Anya, I was at the weekly coupon swap (we also trade condiments we swipe from restaurants) and they were in the PennySaver. I have extras.

Anonymous said...

I color!! Haha. I always do it when I'm stressed out... it helps me to just turn things off in my mind and lower the blood pressure. I guess I'd rather freak out about what shade of green to use for grass than actual problems.

I'm also a huge music junkie. I listen all throughout the day and go to shows as much as possible. I occasionally write and play guitar too.

Guinevere said...

Like Samantha, I love to read. I don't mind a Sunday afternoon nap on occasion, either.

Anonymous said...

A long, hot, bubble bath. Especially when it's cold... Ahhhh. I usually wait until the kids are in bed too, but on the really stressful days I call and whine to hubby and he has it all ready for me when I get home. Usually I'll read but recently I started taking the laptop in with me and watching movies.

Nina Bell said...

Wow Fanny,

You must be doing something right.

Unknown said...

My escape as mentioned on another topic is swimming. I am addicted. Our club pool has a bubble on it during the winter and it is a salt water pool! I swim 5 miles a week in the winter, and close to 8 in the spring and summer. It is so calming. It is so easy to think thru problems in the pool. When I am thru, I am at peace.

Love rainy or snowy days with a good book as well.

Baths and dogs-not together tho!

marci said...

Merryway,

I think your coupon is great!

On topic:

I also love to read, but to unwind it can't be material that's too serious.

TV is a good way to tune out and unplug if it's entertaining, so I avoid the news channels if I want to feel relaxed. :) The same with going on the computer, it has to be entertaining if it's not for work...otherwise I feel like I'm taking a busman's holiday.

My job entails listening carefully to people talk all day, so I actually like to drive in my car without ANY noise....no radio, no nothing. I can go on cross country drives this way. It's a good way just to let your mind wander.

When I go walking I like my iPod, the music is a good motivator. Nothing slow or moody though.

I'll also take *any* form of massage. The shampoo ladies at the salon have started incorporating a mini-massage with your shampoo these days, and I just about fall asleep in the chair. I'm also pretty soothed by having my hair worked on...the blowdry and styling also seems to relax me. There's a lady who comes into my salon and has her hair styled EVERY DAY. If I had money to burn, I'd probably splurge on that.

When I splurge for a pedicure I get the one in the salon chair (at a place I know sanitizes the whirlpool bowl between clients :)>) where my feet can sit in the jacuzzi and the esthetician will massage your feet and calves. And I love a Swedish massage body massage, but don't get to indulge in those too often...save it for a birthday or Mother's Day treat or if my neck goes into spasm and it won't go away.

Unknown said...

Marci,

That is how I prefer driving as well.....quietly! It drives my daughter and husband crazy.

So when we do road trips, I use ear plugs, Jon and Kate style and it really helps!

Ann said...

I could never be a librarian. I would be too tempted to do anything but read. I like learning something when I read. I love history, biographies, exploration. I go through phases, too. I went through a "polar exploration" phase and "mountain climbing" phase, since I am certain I'll never learn that by doing it. I like true-life crime books, too. I enjoy mysteries and fiction. By the way, someone recommended The Bell Jar in January and I loved it, thank you. (I want to read her poetry and a biography of her, too.)

I have adopted this blog as a past time this year. Love it! I also read at other sites, though I comment less frequently there.

I like knitting socks.

I watch some TV. We play board gamesand Sudoku too.

If I am terribly stressed, I make it a point to get to church more than just Sunday. I love church. I find it very peaceful.

My husband likes to swim, too, Fiona. He is a runner. Sweating is a chore for me. I prefer walking or hiking...something slower, where the physical activity is not the goal.

I garden in the spring and summer. I prefer weeding to planting. Weeding is pure stress-busting. No one else in my family enjoys it at all. :(

Ann said...

Babymama,
Your avatar is adorable.

Portia said...

Drink a cup of tea, put my feet up and read a mystery book.

Mom said...

Hmmmmmmmm. I love linens - towels, sheets, PJs, robes. So, an ideal "unwind" to me is having a hot drink - hot cocoa or chai tea, putting a good movie on and watching it in bed!

Anonymous said...

I go to the gym. I go 6 freakin' days a week, because it's the only time where I am doing something just for me. I love it. I take my mp3 player and sometimes read mags.

lulubae said...

I literally just float. I'm fortunate enough to live right in front of the beach, so when I need to get things together in my head, I just float.

Anonymous said...

Nina Bell said...
Wow Fanny,

You must be doing something right.


I dunno Nina, I think I might just be lucky:-)

Lizzy said...

I'm gonna echo some other people on here with the hot bubble bath idea. I also love candles, so its pretty common for me to curl up in my papazan chair with some candles lit and just dim the lights and chat with someone on the phone or read.

I really use TV as an outlet as well-- all the trashy VH1 reality shows I watch are kinda in the background while I relax and read posts, check websites, and play on Facebook.

I joke around that my nephew is my anti-drug, but its pretty true as well. Something about his grinning face, bear hugs, and sweet voice makes any problem or issue in my life just melt away. Just today I was rocking him and he was touching my nails (I got a spa mani/pedi yesterday which was phenomenal-- they even did paraffin wax on my feet which was kinda bizarre but felt amazing!!). He was just reclining in my lap as we rocked, and holding my hand then touching each of my nails. So sweet and gentle-- I appreciate the time I get to spend with him because my days are usually so busy. He forces me to relax and enjoy life more.

Anonymous said...

Merryway,

What is Farkel? :)

merryway said...

Farkel is a very easy and fun dice game. Although, on Wiki it's spelled Farkle. Who Knew?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farkle

Fanny, I like to watch movies/tv on my laptop while I'm in the tub also.

Anonymous said...

When I'm stressed, I like to jog to unwind. From about March through October I jog about 4 miles a day. November through February is when I use my eliptical trainer.

Sometimes my guilty pleasure is to have some chardonay and some chocolate if I really need it.