Self Care Really IS for Everyone

I have a literal plethora of tools at my disposal with which to combat any negative emotions… though the most important thing is to process them by feeling them, without tipping into letting them overwhelm you, or obsessing about them (which I will admit, I tend to do).

Feelings are valid. All of them. But they are not facts. Sometimes you have to “check the facts” to see if your emotional response makes sense in light of circumstances. Something I learned in DBT.

However, sometimes my feelings are too intense for an analytical approach. That’s when you might look to other skills. I’ll admit that it’s at this point where I don’t always use the skills I’ve been taught, because “emotion mind” tends to take over.

I don’t always call the Crisis Center when I probably should, or else I’ll try tipping my body temperature with ice water pressed to my head and face but won’t do the rest of the TIP skill (intense exercise and paced breathing) because this usually happens to me later on at night. It’s hard to motivate myself to get out of bed and get my heart rate going when it’s already bedtime.

BUT, I have been getting better about self-care on a daily basis, which I think can sometimes head some of these crises off at the pass.

I bought the hoodie in the photo as a gift to myself. On the back is a list of 100 Reasons to Stay Alive. What you see pictured is the reminder on the sleeve. Every time I see it, it makes me cry tears of relief. This was the Valentine’s Day special edition Dark Chocolate color of the design, on the website Self Care is for Everyone. Little Valentine’s Day gift to myself.

I’ve been meditating more, since my therapist suggested that daily meditation could transform my outlook in a way that just crisis management alone would not.

I’m journaling again. Somewhat inconsistently, but I will try to reapply myself there. I’m also working on editing and writing poetry. The emotional outlet of creativity for me is enormous. And, tonight, I re-upped my pro membership to Canva, for all the design fun– for social media, and for my e-books, etc.

With the help of my outstanding medical team, I’m looking into various physical health issues, to improve my quality of life, though I still have to follow up on a few appointments that didn’t make when winter was at its worst. I was terrified the appointment would come up, and we’d have like a blizzard or something.

Resolving these issues will make it easier for me to get regular exercise. I miss my long walks outside, especially now that it’s getting really gorgeous out. Meanwhile, I may look into the indoor walking craze, or any other exercises I can do at home.

When time and finances allow, I’m trying to go out and about more often. Last night, I discovered Atlas Obscura, the website and the app, for tracking fun locations to explore. All kinds of roadside attractions and points of interest. There are plenty in my current home state to check out. Looking forward to that.

For Christmas, I got myself a Sidequest Deck. You draw a card and complete whatever task appears on it (or look over a few and pick one… there are no hard and fast rules). Yesterday, I drew a card about donating no longer needed items. The deck I bought is space/sci fi themed. The wording was something along the lines of eliminating space junk.

Other cards in the deck are more suited to pleasurable activities versus practical ones. It’s a great mix of both, for when you need something to do.

Here’s an example of a different card I drew another night:

Spiritually, beyond meditation, I also draw Tarot cards for myself here and there.

And, I’ve been slowly dipping back into painting. The piece I’m trying to create right now has me frustrated BEYOND belief LOL. But we’ll see. If I still hate it after several attempts, I can always paint over it and start over.

It’s hard to do “all the things” all the time, but I try to keep life as lively for myself as I can.

If I just need some kind of emotional release, sometimes I’ll put on a moody playlist and take a long shower and just vibe. Almost all my playlists are pretty moody, so I have a lot of choices. LOL. You’d almost think there was a correlation there!

Also, trying to maintain gratitude as an outlook can be helpful. That’s why I first started this blog, after all, so that I’d be perpetually on the lookout for things that bring me joy.

I also have some amazing friends, and a very supportive daughter, for memes and general support and good times.

What tricks do YOU use when negative emotions overwhelm you?