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There are things that have soothed me since I was a child, living in a house that was a war zone.  :)ogs do that for me.  Simply put I can feel myself melting into a calm place inside when I hold my dog.  I have two dogs and hugging one while I sleep helps me unwind and just relax.  I feel the same when holding a baby or playing with a child.

Writing and expressing myself through art also helps me put things into perspective.  I keep a journal and write something every day. I think I started doing this became my mother will try to rewrite reality by denying when our last visit was or saying I have not called when I have.  I began to document things like that without realizing why I did it. Now it is habit.  My adult children, grandchildren, friends and sweet husband fill me with joy and help me cope.  

Music can raise my mood.  These are the things that help me cope.  For a long time it was food.  Food was my friend and it never failed me right up until I became diabetic and had high blood pressure.  I turned that around in early August and I am feeling fantastic.

What calms you and helps you cope?  

Food.

When I was younger, my only rebellion was to starve myself. Now? I love food. Unfortunately, I'm lovin' food a bit too much and need a diet to get back in my jeans. I'll start tomorrow.

My dog used to sooth me, too. Then she died. My quaker parrot can be soothing, if she wants to cuddle, but most of the time she just squawks, making me want to push her cage into the garage... .naturally, I don't.

I was thinking about rescuing a German Shepard. That sounds nice, but right now with all of the expenses - it's impossible. Sometimes music can do the trick, but then some of it just reminds me... .

I'll have to think about this. Good question.

What soothes me? Music. Listening to music or playing my guitar or ukulele. Playing with my furry kids (pomeranians). Cooking. Being in the outsoors. Reading. Writing.

I wish I could play a musical instrument. That sounds like a lot of fun and it's something you could completely immerse yourself in.

I didn't used to play. I bought the uke for $4 at a charity, thinking it was a "baby guitar", a joke mfor a friend. She pointed out it was a uke and I could get info online. Thanks to many websites and youtube videos, I taught myself how to play. Then I bought a guitar and am learning that. My neighbor, who plays many instruments, liked my uke so much, she bought one!

I have used one coping mechanism to soothe since I was a kid in a similar war zone. I find a way to hum. Deep breaths in followed by a continuous effort to hold a specific note as long as I can. I find choosing a tone that causes my skull to resonate results in a significant calming effect in most cases. Luckily, where I work has a lot of ambient noise, no one ever notices my habit. My T said it sounds like what some Buddhist monks do, but I've never met any to ask. It may sound a bit nutty, but it honestly does work to soothe and has worked for me for many years.

Cheshire