Please give me a nice long list of non-food stress relievers. I have to head to the store today still and I'm incredibly stressed at the moment. All I can think about is different types of food I want to eat. I've already had a cup of tea, worked out, and stepped outside for a minute. Nothing seems to be helping.
Meditation, reciting mantras, taking a warm bath, reading a good book, yoga, qi gong, tai chi, writing poetry, drawing, painting, doing word puzzles or sudoku, going for a walk, getting a massage, playing video games, listening to music, etc.
I do my nails. I'll paint and repaint them if need be. I hear learning how to crochet is a good idea because your hands are too busy moving and reaching into a bag of chips or cookies is not so easy.
But I'll be honest...It's almost a neccessity for me to eat when I am stressed so I choose really healthy items and nibble really slow.
I recommend taking Valerian root. It is sold at health food stores. There is also something called Bach flower remedies. There is one for stress, but I forget what it's called. You just put a couple of drops in water and sip on it all day (I think u shake the water before you sip). I know this is very "out there," but I thought I'd mention it. I hope you feel better soon.
For me it's keeping busy. Finding a friend to take a walk, cleaning the house (yuck!), window shopping, gardening, volunteering somewhere. Boredom is what gets me.
I find ear candles de-stresses me perfectly, but you have to do it with a friend. Other than that I'll organize a drawer or a cupboard or randomly clean a fiddley item (like a washing machine, fishbowl, behind the toilet or the windows) I love seeing the finished product and feeling a little more in control once finished.