Hi @Bearded_Dragon
I just wanted to say that I am so very proud of you for opening up here. It's not an easy thing to do, but reaching out is so very important, and it's actually a good first step towards self-care. Now I know quite a few of our amazing community members have already given you support, compassion and advice here, but I'd still like to contribute just a little bit.
I can see that you are struggling quite a lot, that voice in your head would make it quite hard to practice self-care. It sounds like this voice weighs down on you a lot and is having a significant impact on you.
While I cannot exactly talk to that negative voice in your head and tell it to leave you be, I just wanted to say that we all deserve self-care, and it is vital to our overall well-being and mental health. It is not selfish to practice self-care either.
I used to struggle with self-care in the past, but now I try to practice it each day; it was not an easy or quick process to get to this point, but I got there. I've got a little list of things you could try. These may or may not work for you, but that is okay!
- take a bath/shower (use cool bath bombs, shower steamers, scented body wash etc)
- read a book or listen to an audiobook
- connect with friends/family (spending time with them doing an activity or even just opening up about your experiences can helpful)
- create an artwork
- set boundaries for yourself
- step outside and admire nature
- enjoy a nice hot drink (perfect during winter)
- cuddle or play with a pet
I hope something out of the little list might help you, even if you just try one and see how that goes, how it makes you feel etc. It is absolutely okay if you find that one activity doesn't work for you, there are always more to try out.
- Matcha_Toad 🐸🍵💚
