shower. not a bath, a shower. use water as hot or cold as u like. u dont even need to wash. just get in under the water and let it run over you for a while. sit on the floor if you gotta.

moisturize everything. use whatever lotion u like. unscented? dollar store lotion? fancy ass 48 hour lotion that makes u smell like a field of wildflowers? use whatever you want, and use it all over. 

put on clean, comfortable clothes. 

put on ur favorite underwear. cute black lacy panties? those ridiculous boxers u bought last christmas with candy cane hearts on the butt? put em on.

drink cold water. use ice. if u want, add some mint or lemon for an extra boost.

clean something. doesn’t have to be anything big. organize one drawer of ur desk. wash five dirty dishes. do a load of laundry. scrub the bathroom sink. 

blast music. listen to something upbeat and dancey and loud, something that’s got lots of energy. sing to it, dance to it, even if you suck at both.

make food. don’t just grab a granola bar to munch. take the time and make food. even if it’s ramen. add something special to it, like a hard boiled egg or some veggies. prepare food, it tastes way better, and you’ll feel like you accomplished something. 

make something. write a short story or a poem, draw a picture, color a picture, fold origami, crochet or knit, sculpt something out of clay, anything artistic. even if you don’t think you’re good at it.

go outside. take a walk. sit in the grass. look at the clouds. smell flowers. put your hands in the dirt and feel the soil against your skin.

call someone. call a loved one, a friend, a family member, call a chat service if you have no one else to call. talk to a stranger on the street. have a conversation and listen to someone’s voice. if you can’t, text or email or whatever, just have some social interaction with another person. even if you don’t say much, listen to them.

As pretty as the word looks printed in cursive, pasted over a scenic picture you never took, there is power in breath. Breathe, breathe in until you feel like your lungs might burst like a balloon at a childhood birthday party, even if it’s just once in a while.

ii. Retrace your steps

There is pain in your past, and your fear tells you to keep moving, don’t look back. To chart your course, you need to know where you’ve been. Your journey isn’t over yet.

iii. Give yourself time

We are creatures of persistence. We can’t see our progress unless we keep moving forward. Rest, even when the world won’t wait for you. I promise someone is resting along with you.

iv. Forgive not forget

Anger comes from pain.

Your anger weighs on you. You can’t feel it, because you have grown strong.

When you have grown strong enough, let it go. It is wild, you were never meant to keep it. Acknowledge it, respect it, and let it go. Forgiveness will take its place, but remember it’s name.

v. Choose love

We are all here. We come and go, but for now, you and I are here, breathing, charting courses, resting, forgiving some things while holding onto others. We have our shared humanity, if nothing else, and we can choose love.