SELF CARE 101: HOW I (somewhat) KEEP IT TOGETHER | Samantha Ravndahl

DISCLAIMER: I am obviously not a doctor - take this with a grain of salt. These are things that help me and that I make a point of doing for self care. Please consult with a medical professional if you think you are dealing with mental illness.

THE THINGS I MENTION IF YOU DON'T WANT TO WATCH THE VIDEO WHICH IS FAIR ENOUGH
-Notice what makes you feel bad and engaging in those things. This might be unfollowing instagram accounts that make you feel not good, distancing yourself from people that don't make you happy.
-Accept if your day isn't going the way you wanted it to. Stop saying you "should" do things - do them or don't do them, but don't dwell on the decision. Relinquish your guilt around what you're not able to get done.
-Use an agenda. Write down everything you need to get done, not just the "important" things. Meals, exercise, work, scheduled calls, appointments, meeting up with a friend and most importantly, SELF CARE. By scheduling time for self care, you are more likely to actually do it and feel less guilty about it. When you finish a scheduled item, check it off. This will help you to acknowledge that all tasks are equally important and worth being proud of. Keeping a physical agenda also helped me with feeling less anxiety around scheduled appointments.
-Reading/art/podcasts: these are my favourite ways to unwind and disconnect.
-Phone rules: take time to fully disconnect from social media/your phone. I like to hook my phone up at night in another room/far away from my bed. This stops me from laying up at night feeling like I should just answer that last email/text, and keeps me from spending hours reading gossip or negativity online. I will sometimes set time limits such as only being on my phone for 15-20 minutes at a time, or even hours (9-5 or whatever is realistic) so that after my chosen hours I don't use my phone at all.
-Using nature to practice mindfulness. Go for a walk without your phone if possible, notice smells, sights, colours, etc. Use this as a tool to be mindful of the world around you which can help take you out of bad habits that you do mindlessly.
-Hot Yoga: this is a low impact, relaxing way to exercise and feels great for your mind as well.
-Meds + Therapy: If accessible for you, the RIGHT medication and/or therapist can make all the difference in the world. If you're struggling to find professionals, psychologytoday.com is a great resource - you can search for therapists and review their therapy style, what type of clients or issues they specialize in, if they are LGBT+ friendly, etc.

PODCAST RECOMMENDATIONS
-All My Relations
-Approachable. (mine + alyssa's!)
-The Shrink Next Door
-Serial
-Dirty John
-As You Are
-Dr Death
-Sickboy
-S-Town
-Radiolab