Our lonely hours

taste:

eat small fruit snacks

buy yourself a treat occasionally

make a cake in a mug

chew flavored sugar-free gum

put lemon in your water

hearing:

listen to your favorite music

or just wear earphones to block things out

listen to white noise/ambient sounds

smell:

put on some sweet-scented lotion

spray a bit of your favorite perfume

make your favorite coffee or tea

sight:

look in the mirror and tell yourself you look good today

clean the clutter in your room + throw things away

close all the unused tabs

clean the dishes + do your laundry

delete unused apps

make your bed

fold your clothes tidily

organize your books and papers

turn down the brightness of your phone/computer at night

smile and be more polite at strangers

open up the curtains, let the light in

go outside often

touch:

hug people you love

cuddle your pet

read while lying in your bed

hug a soft toy

appearance:

wash your face/use face wipes

dry shampoo if you’re too tired to shower

brush your teeth

exfoliate + moisturize your skin

change into clean clothes

brush your hair

put on some lip balm

body:

do your favorite exercises

take a nap

take deep breaths with your stomach

take a warm shower

stand up and stretch your legs

put on some music and go for a walk outside

get at least 7 hours of sleep

drink lots of water

hobbies:

always make some time to do what you love

create art, writing and music for yourself, not anyone else

don’t feel embarrassed about your hobbies

be patient with yourself, progress takes time! don’t give up

hobby ideas: cooking, reading, drawing, painting, a sport, a new language, learn a musical instrument, collect things, photography, join a class or a club

mind:

put yourself first

spend less time around people who make you feel bad

write your thoughts in a journal

stand up for yourself

stop judging people

don’t dwell in the past

concentrate on what’s happening now

don’t try for people who don’t care

stop caring about what’s not important

be a friend to yourself, rather than a bully

learn to love your body

see the bigger picture

change self-destructive habits

appreciate the good

let things go

ask for help

studying:

make lists

focus on priorities

stop putting everything off

turn off your phone if you need to

take breaks

do one thing at a time

believe in yourself!

other:

laugh a lot

get a plant and name it

buy flowers for yourself

be ok with being alone

go out with your friends

watch a movie

“Oh my God, what if you wake up some day and you’re 65 or 75 and you never got your memoir or your novel written or you didn’t go swimming in warms pools and oceans all those years because your thighs were jiggly and you had a nice big comfortable tummy; or you were just so strung out on perfectionism and people pleasing that you forgot to have a big creative life of imagination and radical silliness? It’s going to break your heart. Don’t let this happen.”

Scan of Charis’ film photo of Lily and I swimming in the river this summer and this quote written on the back of a receipt.

if you binge: - you’ll be riddled with guilt - you’ll be gaining maybe a few pounds for just a few minutes of eating junk food - you won’t fit into those cute clothes - you’ll never be perfect - your “ugw” will be pointless - all of the restricting, saying no to food & working out will be pointless - you won’t be weightless, or tiny - you won’t get to stroke your pretty little bones & be proud of what you did to get here - you’ll never love yourself

“Oh my God, what if you wake up some day and you’re 65 or 75 and you never got your memoir or your novel written or you didn’t go swimming in warms pools and oceans all those years because your thighs were jiggly and you had a nice big comfortable tummy; or you were just so strung out on perfectionism and people pleasing that you forgot to have a big creative life of imagination and radical silliness? It’s going to break your heart. Don’t let this happen.”

Scan of Charis’ film photo of Lily and I swimming in the river this summer and this quote written on the back of a receipt.