Eight Things I Do for Self-Care

Recently life has been a lot. The news tends to overwhelm me and recently I needed to make this list for myself as much as for anyone else out there. So whether you need this list because the news it too much or you've had a rough day at work here are ten things I do to self-care.

1) Sign out of my social media. Sign out because if I just close the tab I can easily go right back to it. Instead I sign out so I need to consciously type in the password to jump back in again. Sometimes this stops me and sometimes it doesn't!

2) Reorganize my bookshelf  or go to the library - If I touch enough books the world is going to make sense again. If I spend enough time in a quiet place surrounded by books, everything will be ok.

3) Reading -  Obviously I love books and reading is one of my go-to self care options. Rereading a favorite book is also one of my favorite ways to relax and give myself a break. So often I feel pressure to read the newest thing and rereading reminds me I can take a break and read what I want!

4)Video Games - For me, being able to solve problems in video games is a big boost. I can't solve all my problems in the real world, but I can solve this issue in a fantasy world! Of course, if I can't solve the problems there I need to choose something else from this list to help me.

5) Taking a bath or doing a facemask - These are both things that restore my mind and body. A lot of people would put this on their list of self care things, but over the past year I've found the joy of reading in the bath. It relaxes me on a level I didn't know possible.

6) Using my favorite mug - I have three favorite mugs. One is an alumni mug from my college. One features one of my favorite bands, Anberlin, and the third is a chipped mug I got from garage sale that hold the perfect amount of coffee or tea I can drink before it gets cold. Drinking from one of these brings me joy and I tend to save them for bad days.

7) Baking- Cookies and cake can solve anything. If I have a particularly bad day, baking can take my mind off the bad things and make me focus on something else. Baking also results in something delicious.

8) Cleaning - One of the best ways for me to take care of myself is to organize my space. If my house is a mess, my mind is a mess. Cleaning up is often a way for me to take care of myself, calm my anxiety, just by doing something productive.

Most of these are all about giving myself a time out and essentially that is what self-care is for me. I am an introvert and most of my self-care is me taking a time out from my family and friends to recharge my batteries.

Don't forget I have a giveaway running this month to win either The Raven Cycle or Persuasion!