'Shower Oranges': People share one secretly 'unhinged' habit keeping them sane

Not everyone can afford a therapist; in fact, most Americans who really need mental health assistance tend to avoid it because of high expenses. A survey by Mental Health America found that nearly one in every four US adults with persistent mental anguish doesn't see a doctor because of the cost. Likewise, the National Council for Mental Wellbeing's June 2022 report revealed that 42% of U.S. adults who needed mental health care in the previous 12 months did not get it because of costs and other barriers. Besides real problems, we often find ourselves demotivated by small, everyday frustrations that we seek help with. Halsey Shryock (@halsballz on threads) asked netizens to share an "unhinged" habit that actually changed their life, and the response was unreal. 

1. Shower Oranges

"Shower Oranges. Hear me out! Cold orange from the fridge. Hot shower. Peel the orange in the shower, allowing the peels to drop to the floor. Eat a cold orange. The citrus oils from the peels are supposed to trigger happy emotions. The cold orange, juxtaposed with a hot shower, is refreshing, plus a boost of vitamin C! Pick up the peels after the shower to toss." — @aliciaaihara

2. Spend time in nature

"Touch the trees, as many as you can. Name the ones nearby you. Make it a habit to wave or feel their bark under your palm as you pass by. This changed my life, truly." — @sarahhansonwrites

"I can talk to plants, birds, and other creatures. There’s a bird outside my home that I know I’ll be meeting soon. I always have a bird friend wherever I live. Can’t wait to meet him/her!" — @nazamillion628

3. Treat our sabotaging brain as a whole being 

"I named my sabotaging brain. Her name is Bonnie. Now, when I have doubts about myself or feel like an imposter or something, or I feel bad about my body (thanks, peri), I go, 'Shut the f**k up, Bonnie.' I wouldn’t let a person talk to me like that. Why am I talking to myself like that? Oh, wait, it’s Bonnie again. Stfu, Bonnie. — @gingercdn

"I named my anxiety Pete. He’s like a shitty roommate. If it’s a low-anxiety day, it’s because Pete is out of the house. If it’s a medium day, Pete is in the house somewhere but not in the room with me. If it’s a HIGH day, it’s because Pete is sitting right next to me. It’s helped tons." — @monarchvisual

4.  Mimic dogs to relieve stress

"Our dog trainer said dogs do a whole body shake when their emotions are too much; watch our dog. We’ll recognize when she is settling herself; give her a 'good girl' for self-regulation. Anyway, when my emotions are too much, I give myself a full-body shake to resettle. Heck, I was recently on a Zoom meeting and getting flustered because I couldn’t get my thought out. Gave my head a good shake, clicked my tongue a few times, gave myself a mental 'good girl,' and then clearly articulated my point." — @goatandmushroom

5. Pretend to have a house spirit 

"We pretend we have a house spirit, Nissea, who sometimes needs things and will borrow them. So when my things disappear, instead of being upset, I’m just lending them for a bit, and if it’s my keys, my Nisse must know something I don’t, so I should stay home. It helps me cope with unpredictable changes and roll with the punches." — @loafinghim_wasbread

6. Practise floor time

"I will lie on the floor when things get too busy or overwhelming in my brain. I call it floor time and let the stress melt out, and then talk out loud through the next steps. For bigger problems, I’ll put my legs up a wall to increase the melting. The biggest problem is getting chips and salsa." — @emilydoesvideo

7. I pray while watching airplanes

"I pray for every plane I see in the sky. I started this after 9/11 when I was a child, but I felt bad stopping as an adult. And it made me feel calmer, like those prayers could really help those people up there. It made me feel better that those people were safe. So I started praying for any ambulance or fire truck I saw racing by me as well." — @thebookofonyx

8. Bathing in the dark

"Not only taking a bath in the dark, but taking a bath in the dark lying down. I turn off the lights, lie on my side in a relaxed fetal position, and turn the water on. My tub is large, so it takes a long time for the water to rise, giving me a nice bit of time to enjoy the warm water washing over me while in a relaxed and resting state. The feeling is indescribable. Obviously, don’t do it when tired/sleepy; no drowning, please lol. But it’s soothing in such a specific way I can’t explain it." — @alannahmikals

9. 'Scrubbing' our brain

"When my thoughts get to be too much at night, I 'scrub my brain.' I visualize a soapy scrub brush scrubbing away at my brain, section by section, and getting deep into the nooks and crannies. It calms me, and I often fall asleep before I've finished." — @cacky_is_aggie

10.  Pray to the parking angel

"True story. My friend told me her friend Pat’s aunt, who was a nun, told Pat that her Mother Superior said that, after she died, her memory could be invoked to find parking. I swear to you that saying 'Pat’s aunt’s Mother Superior for parking, please' works like a charm. It’s spooky." — @rosytone44

Whether it's giving oranges a hot shower or talking to an imaginary house spirit, people have different, weird yet surprising coping mechanisms to deal with anxiety and everyday struggles. Next time you feel overwhelmed with something and realize you can't afford a therapist for professional help, you might want to try some of these to get some instant relief. 

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