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How Aspies find comfort

Warmheart

Warmheart

Something nerdy this way comes
V.I.P Member
How do you find comfort during challenging times? In sharing what works for us, perhaps we can find commonalities, or remember some old favorites that have really helped us feel better along the way.

For me, comfort comes from:

My dog & cat-- spending time with them helps ease anxiety and lifts my mood.
Spending time in nature-- Seeing pine trees, the outdoor scents of fresh air, grass, trees, and fertile earth, hearing birds, feeling weather, all help me de-stress and re-connect.
Tea-- A hot cuppa, even just holding my warm mug in my hands, feels so comforting.
Hot showers-- soothing and makes me feel optimistic inside.
Exercise-- This seems to work mostly after I do it, brings my mood up, invigorates, and clears away some brain-fog.
Crunchy raw carrots-- it's a sensory thing, very calming to nom.
Stimming-- I'm often not aware I'm doing it when I'm home alone, but this is naturally optimal for self-regulating, soothing.

What works for you?
 
My wife and family.
The dogs, particularly the one that has made me "her person".
Work.
 
My cat - honest to god, my cat's the happiest to see me come home. She's the most affectionate cat i've ever met, i love her. Its very therapeutic, uplifting even, to spend time with her.

Stimming at work. I'm sure other people have noticed by now and just don't say anything, but i spend like half of my shift at my cashier job stimming. I'll twirl a pen around in my hands the whole time if i'm assigned to self checkout, or if i'm bored and have no customers on a regular full belt. Or, even more obvious, if i get handed a hanger that i have to put away i'll twirl that around in my hand. I can't really even describe how it makes me feel, is it bad not to know? Its just compulsive really. Instinctual, really, if i'm uncomfortable, unseasy, or overwhelmed.

Locking my door and blasting music through headphones every evening after everyone else either goes to bed or goes their separate way at night. This is how i recharge after having to deal with family and work and school all day, without it i'd go insane.
 
First and foremost, music :) :)
This forum, and others
A walk in the forest
Selected TV series and documentaries
Good food.
A nice long soak in the tub with a good book.
The feeling I get when I finish work and I can be ALONE, relax and do things I enjoy.
 
I have aligned my interest in Culinary Arts with a career - being a Culinary Arts teacher ... so my 2nd garage is filled with tools and equipment that include a freezer and a 2nd refrigerator, restaurant quality stainless steel shelving, and all sorts of dry goods, canned goods, and frozen foods.

When I need to decompress, I'm in the kitchen cooking or baking. I like boxing meals and freezing them for later use. During the work week when things are busy, I eat boxed meals for lunch or dinner. Most of my cooking is done over the weekends.

While I'm in the kitchen I enjoy watching NetFlix on an HDTV smart tv. I'm currently watching season three of "Persons of Interest."

I read e-books on my Kindle ... socialize via posts to this website ... cuddle with my cats ... and take 2 hour naps.

Pictured below ... homemade chocolates that I made last weekend. The one on the left is a chocolate covered candied cherry. The one on the right is stuffed with toasted pecan pieces mixed with shredded coconut and a coconut paste that I made using dried coconut milk mixed with

Chocolates.Assorted.jpg
 
Music always put me at ease and allows me to stim myself back to serenity.:innocent:
Fishing when the weather permits.:fourleaf:
Sitting in my room with my aquariums watching my fishies while listening to the gurgle of the water filters :fish:

Chocolate,lots of it :hearteyes:
 
Warmheart said:
How do you find comfort during challenging times? In sharing what works for us, perhaps we can find commonalities, or remember some old favorites that have really helped us feel better along the way.

For me, comfort comes from:

My dog & cat-- spending time with them helps ease anxiety and lifts my mood.
Spending time in nature-- Seeing pine trees, the outdoor scents of fresh air, grass, trees, and fertile earth, hearing birds, feeling weather, all help me de-stress and re-connect.
Tea-- A hot cuppa, even just holding my warm mug in my hands, feels so comforting.
Hot showers-- soothing and makes me feel optimistic inside.
Exercise-- This seems to work mostly after I do it, brings my mood up, invigorates, and clears away some brain-fog.
Crunchy raw carrots-- it's a sensory thing, very calming to nom.
Stimming-- I'm often not aware I'm doing it when I'm home alone, but this is naturally optimal for self-regulating, soothing.

What works for you?
Click to expand...
The beginning of my list is a similar to yours
My dog
Spending time in nature
Silent time in an empty church
Swimming- The university I'm at gives me free access to a gym with a big swimming pool
Weight lifting- See the above mention of my university's gym. Working with strength building stuff is a brand new thing for me, and its awesome.
A milkshake made by myself with no-sugar added, reduced fat chocolate ice cream and 1% milk- Yes, the ingredients have to be exactly as described. I actually dislike the taste of conventional sugar ice cream.
Aspies Central- needs no explanation
Contact with my best friend- (my only non AC friend)
Reading books by great philosophers
 
My internet routine: I have a few web sites that I visit in order every day. AC is one of them.
Pets: I love furry animals =^.^=
Tea
Yoga: I used to do this religiosly and it was the best I ever felt in my life. Trying to get back into the habbit.
Showers: Gently swaying beneath streams of warm water, white noise filling my ears. Even if I am clean I cannot end my day without a shower.
Sorting things: Mostly Magic cards, but other objects as well.
Drumming on found objects: I play a mean ice maker.
This video:
 
My belief that everything is going to work out in the end.
My morning tea and every other time of day tea when I can't resist.
My shower after a long, refreshing walk.
My order, I gotta have everything sorted, clean and tidy.
My online tomfoolery through which I have met (and lost, sadly) many good people.
My music that really keeps me going.

Though honestly, I'm usually pretty stressed out.
 
Datura said:
My internet routine: I have a few web sites that I visit in order every day. AC is one of them.
Pets: I love furry animals =^.^=
Tea
Yoga: I used to do this religiosly and it was the best I ever felt in my life. Trying to get back into the habbit.
Showers: Gently swaying beneath streams of warm water, white noise filling my ears. Even if I am clean I cannot end my day without a shower.
Sorting things: Mostly Magic cards, but other objects as well.
Drumming on found objects: I play a mean ice maker.
This video:
Click to expand...

That is one of the videos that I have on while I am doing paperwork. I love it.
 
Get back as soon as possible into my regime.

I cannot cope with a dirty kitchen or for that matter, just a disorganized house, so I do not rest until all is clean and tidy.

My cross stitching is like taking gulps of fresh air for me.

Exercising is very important to me as well.

So, really, nothing particularly special, but special to me.
 
Warmheart said:
How do you find comfort during challenging times? In sharing what works for us, perhaps we can find commonalities, or remember some old favorites that have really helped us feel better along the way.
Click to expand...


Commonality Stats from the first 14 contributors:

Pets: 9 out of 14
Food (cooking or consuming): 7 out of 14
Exercise: 6 out of 14
AC: 5 out of 14
Nature: 5 out of 14
Bath or shower: 5 out of 14
Music: 5 out of 14
Tea: 4 out of 14
Creating order (Sorting, tidying, cleaning): 4 out of 14
Stimming (specifically mentioned): 3 out of 14
Sleep: 3 out of 14
Reading: 3 out of 14
 
Being in nature: looking at the textures of the trees around me, looking at mosses on the ground, birdwatching, smelling the compost heap cooking away creating more lovely earth for me
Good food: wholesome, delicious, home cooked food
AC: connecting with like minded, supportive people
Silence and solitude
Escapism: Harry Potter books, Star Trek TV, science documentary TV, Jane Austen books and films
Hot deep baths/hot springs: sadly I don't have access to either, now. When I lived in Japan this was my daily unwind... Must scrub the day's grime and stress away outside the tub first, then get in. Very important to get the order right. :)
Stimming: completely unconscious of doing it
Sleep: I try to take a nap every day
Logic puzzles: logic puzzles are best for unwinding...no emotional investment required
 
Being in nature: listening to the wind rustling the leaves in the trees especially.
My cat: When I come home from college, I always feel better every time I cuddle my cat.
Music: I have a lot of peaceful, relaxing video game music I listen to.
Sewing: Cross stitching video games characters is very relaxing to me.
Coloring: I have an anti stress coloring book that makes me feel better when I color.
Reading: Reading always helps me forget my troubles for a while.
Video games: Same reason as reading.
Peace, Quiet, and Solitude
 
Warmheart said:
Cosmophylla, you did some awesome figuring! Thank you! :) You rock!!
Click to expand...
Another aspie,another list...how did that happen? :D
How many of you compile information that you never look at again? I keep so many computer bookmarks that I have to build folders to organize them only to never look at them again :rolleyes:
 
Long walks. I think the motion itself is soothing to me, and that I get the time to reflect on things that are weighing me down. I usually return feeling emotionally lighter, if that makes sense. That this usually happens in nature is probably a strong factor.

Reading, music (singing) and television; anything that distracts me. Social contact should also be concluded, but too much of it would create a situation where I'd need to be comforted all over again.

I'd count stimming too, since in some social situations it makes me feel like I have a little bit of control, or at least something familiar to concentrate on.
 
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