The last couple days, I’ve been feeling weird. I’ve noticed my internal self-talk getting a little meaner (which is not normal bc I’m usually very loving to myself) and I’m anxious. Every part of me feels tired.
And while I think this is probably a very appropriate physical response to everything going on in the world right now—mostly the United States’ descent into fascism (or maybe we’re already there?) and the multiple genocides that are being livestreamed for all of us to witness—this isn’t how I like to move through my days.
I also have a toddler, and I need to be very well resourced if I’m going to have the patience and energy to be present with him all day (parents… you know)
So tonight I decided to help myself move through these weird feelings, and do what I know works every time. And I’m sharing it with you because I know I’m probably not the only one feeling funky these days.
1. Intentionally spending time in my body
By now, we all know that exercise is good for our mental health. But sometimes, exercise isn’t accessible. Maybe you’re physically disabled or your depression just won’t let you get out of bed.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t spend some intentional time in our bodies. And the way I like to do this is extremely gentle stretching (which, I realize also might be inaccessible to some folks.)
Tonight, I decided to put on a gentle mobility movement from Youtube, because my spine just feels like it’s craving to be twisted a little (idk, this is just the kind of info that comes thru when you listen to your body I guess)
Something I actually really enjoy as an adult is feeling my body elongate and tense and just all the sensations I feel when I stretch. Holding a stretch where I need it feels absolutely delicious to me. I try to stretch everyday, but have fallen off (likely due to aforementioned funk)
I think the key here is being present with your body. Literally paying attention to every ache and pain and pinch and sensation. I would argue that you could just lay on your bed, do a body scan for 10 mins without moving a muscle, and you’d probably feel a little less anxious.
2. Creative endeavor
When I first typed out #2 I initially wrote “creative output” then deleted it because that felt too capitalist-productivity vibes. Then I wrote “work on something creative” and using the word “work” again gave me the ick.
Because what I want to get across is that you should be creating things—literally anything—and it doesn’t have to be something you’re going to sell, something you’re going to show people. It should literally just be for you, because you enjoy it.
Forgive me if I get a little rant-y here but I genuinely believe that, collectively as a species, we humans are severely underusing our creative capacity. Creativity is always rolling around inside of us, and when we don’t release that energy, I genuinely believe it can contribute to anxiety, mental spirals, and general yucky feelings about life (going to speak more to this at some point ;)
So tonight I decided to work on a spicy fanfic I’ve been writing for awhile. I’m not going to share it on AO3 (although I’ve thought about it) and I know my sister and bff want to read it, but I’m doing it because it’s so fun! It makes me giggly and giddy.
And remember that creative endeavors are not limited to making art or doing artistic things. It can be cooking, planning a trip or a party, designing your character in a video game, rearranging your furniture, like the options are endless. As long as you are letting off some creative steam and genuinely enjoying yourself, that’s all that matters for this one.
Gonna end this here so I can go to bed early (another pro tip for working thru a funk is getting enough sleep, at least for me) but I wanted to quickly share in case anyone needed some ideas/inspo.
I’ve got something exciting launching tomorrow, so I’ll be back soon 💋
