apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

jot down all the things that you are worried about or feel that you have to do onto a piece of paper. look over it once, fold it in half and walk away from it. now you know what is swimming through your head and tell yourself that you will get to it soon, that it is going nowhere and let it go. then lean back and breathe or sit down and sip a coffee or tea and just be there. smell the aroma of the drink, breathe in the space you are in, and let your mind unwind.

I go to the Target, get a big iced hazelnut latte and a buggy and just meander through the aisles.

That photo makes me want to leave work early and go home! I had already decided earlier today that when I get home I want to change my living room furniture arrangement to face the window and balcony. The photo just confirms that making that small change will help create a more relaxing space.

I paint my nails- with regular polish (not the fast-drying kind). It forces me to sit still for at least 20 minutes and think about what I'm doing for the next hour or so.

How to slow down: "Find a little piece of land somewhere and plant a carrot seed. Now sit down and watch it grow. When it is fully grown pull it up and eat it." - Stephen Gaskin

(Quoted from "Living on the Earth" by Alicia Bay Laurel - 1970)

Windwolf

methinks that rocker would calm me downzzzzzzzzz....

Sort of in the spirit of Windwolf's comment -- since moving to the country, I've found an enormous amount of relaxation just taking a book outside and sitting on our porch in a wicker rocker I got at an auction. I started doing it when my dogs go outside, to keep an eye on them so they don't wander off (they grew up used to a fenced-in yard), but now I do it regardless of their location. I take out a cool glass of iced tea and a book, prop my feet up on an old cooler, and zone out. It's luscious.

It's incredible that I found this. Today I was telling myself that this opening tabs madness is just unnecessary. I never imagined that someone else thought about this too! I am happy, I'll think about it twice now...
To slow down I can picture many different things I can do:
-Breath and sigh, this is the most used by me
-Smile, and notice my smile
-Lie down on the floor and let the cheeks go all soft, relaxed. Then get up slowly

That photo makes me so happy and of all the advice on the list, not checking the e-mail constantly might be the one I truly need the most

I like reading, and it is relaxing as long as it is not something like... Shake hands with the devil (A much needed book to read but so strong it will break you in tiny pieces, perhaps for life)

After I wash my dinner dishes, I like to go for a nice walk around the neighborhood. It sets a relaxing tone for the rest of the evening.

Wake up fifteen minutes early and actually cook breakfast rather than grabbing a poptart or bagel on the way out the door. I use my pretty dishes and a dainty teacup for coffee rather than a clunky mug, then sit by myself and enjoy some music and a delightful breakfast. I do this a couple days a week and I feel so pampered, relaxed, and ready to take on the work day.

"This goes along with doing one thing at a time and is the hardest thing for us: don't open tabs in your browser. Only read one website at a time and don't open 16 more in tabs to read later. Just one at a time (and don't spend all night doing it either!)."


um, that's how i read AT. i scroll down the main page every morning, and open new tabs for all the jumps so i can't take everything new in really quickly, then read more in depth later.

"This goes along with doing one thing at a time and is the hardest thing for us: don't open tabs in your browser. Only read one website at a time and don't open 16 more in tabs to read later. Just one at a time (and don't spend all night doing it either!)."

That is exactly how I read AT and the Kitchn too. It's so much easier than clicking a link, going back, scrolling down, etc.

Off topic but does anyone know what kind of plants the hanging ones in the photo are? I'm just starting to enjoy having plants around and NOT kill them, and those are so pretty! I'd love to get some for my apartment.

I actually schedule times to "relax" in my outlook calendar while I am at work. Twice a day, it reminds me to stop what I am doing, take a breath, go for a quick walk, whatever.

Hmmm. While I love the sentiment behind this post and lots of the tips, I feel you're unfairly demonising tabbed browsing. Don't avoid it, just use it well and don't be afraid to immediately close irrelevant tabs.

I say this because when extracting information and inspiration from the internet I want to do it fast, concentrate and use all the tools available to organize my path. I want to read, see and think and do as much as possible while I'm doing it and then stop. Tabs and RSS feeds are essential to this.

This means I get enough sleep and spend a good eight hours wholeheartedly working in my garden every weekend, which is what I personally need to feel relaxed and connected.

(Full disclosure: I'm a former professional researcher with eye strain problems - but I get a lot more out of the internet now time is limited than when I used to noodle about on it for hours)

sit down and eat dinner. like candles. shut off the tv. turn on music. have wine. my husband and i do that every night and it's usually the calmest part of the day.

I tickle & snuggle my toddler every night - this is the best way to get out of all the craziness & stress and just be in the moment.

Donald from Pigtown, my wife does the same thing!

When we're on vacation, whether a week at home or away, anything we want to do that requires running around or high energy, we do at the beginning of the vacation--the first 3-4 days. Then, the rest of the time, we just chill out and do laid back things. That way, when the vacation is over, we are truly relaxed.

Also, if we've been out of town, we try to get home in time to have at least one full day at home at the end of the time off, so we can readjust and take care of anything that needs to be done before the ratrace begins again.

agreed with jiller and pistachio: apartment therapy is the prime culprit in terms of websites on which i resort to tabbed browsing!

there's not really an effective way to cull the site; you have to scroll through everything, from open threads in cities i've never been to to things i find really useful and inspiring. what's a girl to do?

What is that plant?